c. 867 – 893
A son of the emperor Basil the Macedonian who, drawn to the Church rather than the court, became patriarch of Constantinople and shepherded the faithful with gentleness.
Our Father among the Saints Stephen, Archbishop of Constantinople
Saint Stephen was a ninth-century patriarch of Constantinople and a younger son of the Byzantine emperor Basil I the Macedonian. Born in the imperial city and brother to Emperor Leo VI the Wise, he was set apart for ecclesiastical service from childhood rather than for the imperial court, and he was ordained to the priesthood during the patriarchate of Photios.
Elevated to the patriarchal throne in 886, Stephen led the Church of Constantinople for some seven years until his peaceful death in 893. The tradition remembers him chiefly for his gentleness and personal virtue: his temperance, his vigilant care for his flock, and his concern for the defenseless, for widows, and for orphans. He is commemorated on May 17.
In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith,
an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence;
your humility exalted you;
your poverty enriched you.
Hierarch Father Stephen,
entreat Christ our God
that our souls may be saved.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
The synaxarion remembers Saint Stephen above all for the gentleness of his rule. He is described as vigilant in watching over his spiritual flock and merciful toward those in need, interceding for the defenseless and giving particular attention to widows and orphans.
Among his recorded virtues was his temperance, and the tradition credits him with a reputation for personal piety rather than for prominence in the political affairs of his day.
After his peaceful repose in 893, Saint Stephen was buried in the Sikellian monastery.
Browse other saints who share his calling and place.