---
title: "St. Stephen: Feast Day December 26 · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/saints/st-stephen/
description: "St. Stephen, First Martyr, patron of deacons and stonemasons. Feast day December 26, died c. 34. Read their life in Bless."
---

First Martyr · Feast day December 26

# St. Stephen

The feast day of St. Stephen is December 26, a feast in the US Catholic calendar. Traditionally invoked as patron of deacons and stonemasons.

|  |  |
|---|---|
| Feast day | [December 26](https://blessbible.app/saints/december/#26) |
| In the US calendar | Feast |
| Title | First Martyr |
| Died | c. 34 |
| Patron of | [deacons](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#deacons), [stonemasons](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#stonemasons) |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | [Saturday, December 26, 2026](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-stephen/#calendar) |

## Life

One of the seven first deacons, ‘filled with grace and fortitude,’ whose debating opponents ‘were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.’ Hauled before the council, he preached Israel’s whole story ending at the Just One they had betrayed.

They stoned him outside the walls as he prayed, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’ — while a young man named Saul watched the cloaks. His feast follows Christmas: the first witness in blood beside the newborn King.

## Patron of

Tradition invokes St. Stephen as patron of deacons and stonemasons.

[Deacons](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#deacons) [Stonemasons](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#stonemasons)

### Saints with the same patronage

- [St. Lawrence](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-lawrence/) deacons · August 10
- [Four Crowned Martyrs](https://blessbible.app/saints/four-crowned-martyrs/) stonemasons · November 8

Patronages are traditional, not an official list. [All patron saints in Bless, A to Z](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/).

## In the calendar

The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Stephen. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.

| Date | In the US calendar | Color | Mass readings (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Saturday, December 26, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/12/26/) | St. Stephen, First Martyr (Feast) | Red | Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 · Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17 · Psalm 118:26a, 27a · Matthew 10:17-22 |
| [Sunday, December 26, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/12/26/) | The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph | White | Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 · Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 · Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 · Colossians 3:15a, 16a · Luke 2:41-52 |
| [Tuesday, December 26, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/12/26/) | St. Stephen, First Martyr (Feast) | Red | Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 · Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17 · Psalm 118:26a, 27a · Matthew 10:17-22 |

Readings

Reading citations through May 31, 2027 are as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar. Later citations were computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

[December 25 St. Anastasia](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-anastasia/) [December 27 St. John the Apostle](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-john-the-apostle/)

[All the saints of December](https://blessbible.app/saints/december/) [Born on December 26?](https://blessbible.app/saints/birthday/#12-26) [A saint for every day](https://blessbible.app/saints/)

Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? [Report an error](https://blessbible.app/support/#report) and we’ll fix it in the app and here.

St. Stephen

Feast day December 26

On this page

1. [Life](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-stephen/#life)
2. [Patron of](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-stephen/#patron)
3. [In the calendar](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-stephen/#calendar)

In the app

Bless shows a saint every day on its Today screen, with their life and their words. Free on iPhone.