The Catholic, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Lutheran and the Church of the East view Stephen as a saint. Stephen is mentioned in Acts 6 as one of the Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jews selected to participate in a fairer distribution of welfare to the Greek-speaking widows. The only source for information about Stephen is the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles. Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, a Pharisee and Roman citizen who would later become a Christian apostle, participated in Stephen's martyrdom. Accused of blasphemy at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. 34 AD), traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity, was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, a deacon in the early Church at Jerusalem who angered members of various synagogues by his teachings. Stephen ( Greek: Στέφανος Stéphanos, meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name Hebrew: סטפנוס הקדוש, Stephanos HaQadosh c. In Orthodox and Eastern Christianity he often wears an orarionĪltar Servers Acoma Indian Pueblo casket makers Cetona, Italy deacons headaches horses Kessel, Belgium masons Owensboro, Kentucky Passau, Germany Kigali, Rwanda Dodoma, Tanzania Serbia Republic of Srpska Prato, Italy Red Martyr, stones, dalmatic, censer, miniature church, Gospel Book, martyr's palm.