The first blood shed in witness to Christ

Of Stephen, known as the first martyr of the Church, we know above all the final moments of his life, recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. Information about his origins is uncertain: some believe he was of Greek culture, while others consider him a Jew with strong ties to the Hellenistic world. Among his distinctions are being one of the first Jews to convert to Christianity, his role as the foremost among the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles to assist them in caring for the community and managing its goods, and, finally, the sacrifice of his life for refusing to renounce Christ, earning him the title of “protomartyr.”