On December 26, the Church commemorates St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith. The liturgical celebration of St. Stephen has always been placed on December 26, immediately after Christmas, because in the days following the manifestation of the Son of God, the Church commemorates the Comites Christi, those who were closest to him in his earthly life and who first bore witness to Christ through martyrdom.

On this day, the Custody of the Holy Land is allowed to access and pray at the place where, according to tradition, the stoning of St. Stephen took place, namely the cave guarded by the Greek Orthodox Church.

The cave is decorated with frescoes recounting episodes from the saint's life: his ordination as a deacon, his martyrdom by stoning and defense before his accusers, until the discovery of his relics in 415.

Solemn Vespers of St. Stephen the Protomartyr

The Vespers of St. Stephen were led by the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, and attended by many faithful of the local community, in an atmosphere of listening and recollection.

The homily was entrusted to Fr. Siniša Srebrenović, guardian of the Shrine of Gethsemane, who wanted to remind what the real priorities in life are. Fr. Siniša invited not to stop at material satisfaction, but instead to strive to help all brothers and sisters in need. In a world that often seems to choose the wrong path, we Christians can always follow the light of the Lord that leads to the right path, just as St. Stephen the protomartyr did.