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[[Image:StStephenIcon.jpg‎jpg|right|thumb|300px|‎The holy, glorious, all-laudable Apostle and Archdeacon Stephen the Protomartyr]]The holy, glorious, all-laudable '''Apostle and Archdeacon Stephen the Protomartyr''' (Gk. Στέφανος, "crown") was an early Christian [[convert]] from among the Hellenistic Jews, one of the original seven [[deacon]]s [[ordination|ordained]] by the [[Apostles]], and the first [[martyr]] of the [[Orthodox Church]]. The Church remembers the martyrdom of St. Stephen on [[December 27]], and the translations of his [[relics]] on [[August 2]], as well as commemorating him on [[June 15]] with Ss. [[Apostle Fortunatus|Fortunatus]] and [[Apostle Achaicus|Achaicus]].

The body of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, was left to be consumed by body at the foothill of the city for two days to be eaten by dogs. But on the second night, [[Gamaliel]]— teacher of the Apostle Paul and the [[Apostle Barnabas]]— along with his son, secretly came and took the body to his own estate, in Capharganda, to be buried.

As mentioned above, the main commemoration for St Stephen is December 27, the day of his repose by martyrdom(stoning). The [[Orthodox Church ]] celebrates the discovery (opening) of the Saint's relics on September 15 and the [[Translation (relics)|Translation]] of the Relics of Protomartyr Stephen on August 2. The September 15 feast day celebrates the discovery of Stephen's relics in 415, after which they were solemnly transferred to a church built in his honor in Jerusalem. Later, during the reign of [[Emperor Theodosius the Younger]] (408-450), the relics were transported to [[Constantinople]]: this event being commemorated on August 2. January 4 marks the commemoration of the "Synaxis of the 70 Apostles". Since St. Stephen was included in these 70 Apostles mentioned in the "Acts of the Apostles", he is also remembered on January 4.

*[http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=/355 Stephen, Archdeacon & First Martyr] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=/150 Translation of the Relics of Stephen the Protomartyr] (GOARCH)