Saint of the day August 16: Saint Stephen I. Catholic Saints

Every August 16 the Church remembers San Esteban Ifounding father of Hungary, a nation that under his leadership was established as such, in the heat of Christianity. He is known as “the Saint” or “the Great” – the last great prince among the Hungarians.

A family united by Christ

Stephen was born in Esztergom, Principality of Hungary, in the last quarter of the 10th century – the exact date of his birth has not been established.

“Vajk” – the pagan name of the saint – was the son of Prince Géza of Hungary and Queen Sarolta. Upon being baptized, his name was changed to “Stephen,” after the entire royal family embraced Christianity.

The young prince received a Christian education and learned Latin from none other than Saint Adalbert of Prague. He married Gisela of Bavaria, sister of the Holy Roman Emperor, Saint Henry II. This woman of proven virtue would later be recognized as blessed.

Ascension to the throne and strengthening of Christian culture

Upon the death of Géza, king of the Hungarians, the throne fell to Prince Stephen. These were times when the Hungarian people still worshiped pagan deities and maintained inhuman traditions. Stephen set out to set an example and spread the Christian faith, getting many of his subjects to convert.

For this purpose he turned to Pope Sylvester II so that, through him, the West would recognize his kingdom. The Pontiff sent Saint Anastasius, a disciple of Saint Adalbert, to crown him. From the throne, he organized the political and religious life of the nation.

Among his closest collaborators were the monks of the Order of Saint Benedict, of which the first bishops of the new kingdom were part: Saint Anastasius, Saint Besztered, Saint Buldo, Saint Gerard Sagredo, Saint Beneta, Blessed Sebastian of Esztergom, among others.

Stephen sought for the heads of the Church to be his own, not dependent on the structure of the Holy Empire; In this way he wanted the Catholic Church in Hungary to develop freely, without imperial political interference.

So he established an archbishopric in Budapest, supported by six bishoprics. Thinking about the Christianization of the population, he also ordered the construction of three Benedictine monasteries. Stephen preferred announcement to imposition, although in some cases he resorted to it. In the light of the centuries, the lasting effects of the Christianization process undoubtedly speak of a people who embraced the Gospel of their own free will.

The pain of a father

Saint Stephen, together with his son Saint Emeric, defended his people from the invasion commanded by Conrad II, king and later emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Father and son managed to expel the invaders in the year 1030.

Emerico was Esteban’s only surviving son – he had lost them all when they were little – so he was his comfort. Tragically, Emeric – who would also be proclaimed a saint – died a year later in a hunting accident. From then on, Stephen clung much more to God: his faith sustained him to be able to face the difficulties of his final years, including the disputes that the succession of his kingdom would bring.

Rest for a noble heart

Saint Stephen died on August 15, 1038 and was buried in the Basilica of Székesfehérvár, a building that he had built himself and which became one of the largest and most important churches in Europe.

The holy king of Hungary was canonized by Pope Saint Gregory VII in 1083 and his feast day is celebrated every August 16 throughout the world, except in Hungary itself, where it is celebrated on the 20th of the same month.

If you want to know more about Saint Stephen of Hungary, we suggest this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Rey_San_Esteban.