St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. Less commonly known, Stephen was also one of the first seven deacons (H). He is the patron saint of deacons, altar servers, and stonemasons (H). According to Acts, some Greek Christians had complained that they were unaccounted for by the Christian community (I). In order to counteract this problem, the first seven deacons were ordained, the most famous of which was Stephen. Stephen worked many miracles. As such, he attracted popularity, which in turn caused him to gain enemies among the Jews. He was tried at the Sanhedrin for blasphemy (I). In order to defend himself, Stephen heavily quoted the Scriptures and explained that Jesus came to fulfill, not destroy, Mosaic Law (H). At the end of his
