From Nine O’clock thanks to Floyd Frantz for the link.
In the Romanian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia there have been as many as 17 rulers with this name, the most famous of whom is Stephen the Great.
BUCHAREST – The first major celebration dedicated to a religious personality after the Nativity is, in Christian Orthodox calendars, Saint Stephen’s Day. The information we have on him originates in the New Testament, the book titled the Acts of the Apostles. St. Stephen is known as one of the first seven deacons, probably a Hellenistic Jew. The mission he had received from the Twelve Apostles consisted in social activities, such as taking care of the old, the poor, or widows, and preaching the acts and teachings of Jesus. He was seen as more educated than most fellow citizens and with very strong faith, which triggered the envy of Jewish religious leaders.Because of a famous sermon in which he defended Christianity and accused the Jews of having murdered Jesus, Saint Stephen is seized by Jewish authorities and stoned to death, to thus become the first Christian Martyr. One of the most important witnesses of this murder was none other than Saint Apostle Paul, who was one of St. Stephen’s accusers, as the event took place before Paul’s conversion to Christianity.The cult of Saint Stephen developed spectacularly only in the 5th Century, when his grave was found by priest Lucian in Caphar Gamala, in 415. His remains were taken to Constantinople and then to Rome, along with the stones by which he had reportedly been killed. In UK alone, 46 very old churches are dedicated to St. Stephen, and are seen as historic monuments of inestimable value. In art, Saint Stephen has been a favourite subject, with perhaps the most important representation by Jean Fouquet, dating since the early Renaissance, currently kept in Berlin. The Vatican can also boast an extraordinary collection of religious paintings by Fra Angelico.In the West, Saint Stephen is celebrated one day earlier, on December 26, while in UK the feast of Stephen is held on August 3, when the holy remains were found.Over the centuries, numerous sovereigns and personalities were given this name. The Serbs have had as many as four kings named Stephen, the first of them, Stefan Dusan, seen as the founder of the Serbian feudal state. The most important historic personality of Hungary is King Stephen (975-1038), celebrated as a national hero. He is one of the series of five Hungarian kings with this name. In the Romanian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia there have been as many as 17 rulers with this name, the most famous of whom is Stephen the Great, venerated and acknowledged as a saint by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
BUCHAREST – The first major celebration dedicated to a religious personality after the Nativity is, in Christian Orthodox calendars, Saint Stephen’s Day. The information we have on him originates in the New Testament, the book titled the Acts of the Apostles. St. Stephen is known as one of the first seven deacons, probably a Hellenistic Jew. The mission he had received from the Twelve Apostles consisted in social activities, such as taking care of the old, the poor, or widows, and preaching the acts and teachings of Jesus. He was seen as more educated than most fellow citizens and with very strong faith, which triggered the envy of Jewish religious leaders.Because of a famous sermon in which he defended Christianity and accused the Jews of having murdered Jesus, Saint Stephen is seized by Jewish authorities and stoned to death, to thus become the first Christian Martyr. One of the most important witnesses of this murder was none other than Saint Apostle Paul, who was one of St. Stephen’s accusers, as the event took place before Paul’s conversion to Christianity.The cult of Saint Stephen developed spectacularly only in the 5th Century, when his grave was found by priest Lucian in Caphar Gamala, in 415. His remains were taken to Constantinople and then to Rome, along with the stones by which he had reportedly been killed. In UK alone, 46 very old churches are dedicated to St. Stephen, and are seen as historic monuments of inestimable value. In art, Saint Stephen has been a favourite subject, with perhaps the most important representation by Jean Fouquet, dating since the early Renaissance, currently kept in Berlin. The Vatican can also boast an extraordinary collection of religious paintings by Fra Angelico.In the West, Saint Stephen is celebrated one day earlier, on December 26, while in UK the feast of Stephen is held on August 3, when the holy remains were found.Over the centuries, numerous sovereigns and personalities were given this name. The Serbs have had as many as four kings named Stephen, the first of them, Stefan Dusan, seen as the founder of the Serbian feudal state. The most important historic personality of Hungary is King Stephen (975-1038), celebrated as a national hero. He is one of the series of five Hungarian kings with this name. In the Romanian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia there have been as many as 17 rulers with this name, the most famous of whom is Stephen the Great, venerated and acknowledged as a saint by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
