St. Stephen the Martyr - Washington, D.C.
N 38° 54.199 W 077° 03.175
18S E 321984 N 4308050
This statue of St. Stephen is located on the side of the St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C., USA.
Waymark Code: WMBXWM
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 07/02/2011
Views: 5
ABOUT THE STATUE:
"Standing figure of St. Stephen turned slightly facing front is installed on a rectangular base attached to an exterior wall of the church. In his proper left hand he holds a scroll against his chest. With his proper right hand, he gathers up his robe creating a pocket which he has filled with food. The proper right sleeve of his robe is torn off."
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ABOUT ST. STEPHEN:
"Saint Stephen, the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Saint Stephen's name is derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning "crown". Traditionally, Stephen is invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity; he is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs' palm. In Eastern Christian iconography, he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments, and often holding a miniature church building or a censer. Rembrandt depicted his martyrdom in his work The Stoning of Saint Stephen.
Martyrdom
According to The Acts of the Apostles Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14). While on trial, he experienced a theophany in which he saw both God the Father and God the Son:
"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)
Acts 6-7 describe his trial. He was stoned to death (c. A.D. 34–35) by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus.[2] Stephen's final speech was presented as accusing the Jews of persecuting prophets who spoke out against their sins:
"Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers." (7:52)"
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