St. Stephen the Great
Patron of Hungary
Died: 1038
St. Stephen the Great (977-1038), was the son of the Magyar chieftain Geza, Stephen succeeded him as leader in 997. Already raised a Christian, in 996 he wed the daughter of Duke Henry II of Bavaria and devoted much of his reign to the promotion of the Christian faith. He gave his patronage to Church leaders, helped build churches, and was a proponent of the rights of the Holy See. Stephen also crushed the pagan counterreaction to Christianity, forcibly converting the so-called Black Hungarians after their failed rebellion. In recognition of his efforts, Stephen was anoited king of Hungary in 1000, receiving the cross and crown from Pope Sylvester II. The remainder of his reign was taken up with the consolidation of the Christian hold on the region. His crown and regalia became beloved symbols of the Hungarian nation, and Stephen was venerated as the ideal Christian king. Canonized in 1083 by Pope St. Gregory VII, he became the patron saint of Hungary.
Previous Saint
< St. Stephen Harding
Next Saint
St. Stephen the Anchorite >

Rate This Saint
Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All
Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested
1 - 13 of 13 Comments
Leave a Comment
Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.
Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.
This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.
We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.
We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.
Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample
Previous Saint
< St. Stephen Harding
Next Saint
St. Stephen the Anchorite >
Find Saints
Catholic Online offers the largest searchable database of Catholic Saints on the internet.
| Browse Saints by Alphabet |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| Patron Saints by Alphabet |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Videos
St. Francis of Assisi 78,928 views View Video
Padre Pio 47,374 views View Video
Black Saints Vol I 30,587 views View Video
Black Saints Vol II 27,128 views View Video
Most Popular
Pope Francis says atheists can do good and go to heaven too! Read More
There's the problem! Americans are out of touch with scientific consensus on climate change Read More
Culture of Corruption: Why Obama's misuse of Marines is wrong Read More
Bill Donohue, Catholic League, Disclose Fight with the IRS, Demonstrate Courage Read More
Receiving the Eucharist: I Have Decided to Kneel For Jesus Read More
Daily Readings
Reading 1, Sirach 6:5-17
A kindly turn of speech attracts new friends, a courteous ... Read More
Psalm, Psalms 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35
Blessed are you, Yahweh, teach me your will! Read More
Gospel, Mark 10:1-12
After leaving there, he came into the territory of Judaea and ... Read More
Saint of the Day
St. David I of Scotland
May 24: David, the youngest son of Scotland’s virtuous queen, (Saint) ... Read More
Latest Videos
Rottweiler Puppies in a Easter Basket View Video
Pope Francis to Italian bishops: Bring hope! View Video
Italy, Vatican, Basilica of Saint Peter View Video
Pope calls on Italian bishops to reduce the high number of dioceses in the country View Video
May 24 - Homily: Care For The Soul First, Then The Body View Video
Marketplace
Renewing the Priestly Heart
Reflection and renewal for priests. Based on insights of Cardinal ... Read More
Sterling Silver Rosary with Fine Swarovski Crystal Read More




















King St. Stephen, As your holy right hand remains incorrupt to this day, may your prayers help us to lead a good life.
Dear St. Stephen of Hungary, pray for my family and all our special needs. Protect, preserve and prosper us in our daily needs. May we always see the larger picture, the goodness in family members. Help us to overlook minor faults. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist I humbly adore You. I depend on You and hope in You. Give us spiritual and physical healing. Amen.
The first picture is the picture of Stephen the Great of Moldavia.
What kind of patron saint was St Stephen the great ?
you are a really cool saint. you lived in ancient times
Dear St. Stephen, I have had the privilege of visiting your beloved city Budapest. I honour you on your feast day, for the wonderful, compassionate care you provided for the poor. I admire your zealous endeavour to spread the love of Christ throughout your country and to quell the pagans. Today, Catholics in my country Malaysia are under siege and subtle persecution. I ask for your loving protection of all Catholics wherever they are. Preserve and strengthen us always. My personal petition is for complete healing of mind and body for my little grandson. And comfort and consolation for my aging mother. This I ask in Jesus name.
It is my great pleasure to read every day morning about our saints. It gives me very nice feeling in whole day. Thank you.
His Feast Day is on my Birthday! :D
hi.
do you no Birth and Death of St.Stephen the great.
that is wut I need.
i am an altar server and st.stephen is our patron saint.i need the image of st.stephen
He shows that riches and fame did not detract him from his God.
i love this saint :)
you rock