Newsroom (08/16/2025, Gaudium Press) Today, the Church commemorates St. Stephen of Hungary.
This holy king was born at the end of the 10th century, the son of Prince Geza and Queen Sarolta. He was given the name Vajk, but upon his baptism, he was renamed Stephen, as the Hungarian royal family had recently adopted Christianity.
Youth
In his youth, the future King of Hungary learned Latin from St. Adalbert and received a Christian education under his guidance. He married Blessed Gisela of Bavaria, sister of the Holy Roman Emperor, St. Henry II. When his father died, he succeeded him to the throne and became king.
The reign of a saint
Stephen was crowned by Saint Anastasius, a disciple of Saint Adalbert, who was sent by Pope Sylvester II for this mission. From then on, the West recognized his kingdom. Stephen organized the political and religious life of the nation and built churches and monasteries. Among his close collaborators were the Benedictine monks, the order from which the first bishops of the new kingdom came, such as Saint Anastasius, Saint Beszteréd, Saint Gerard Sagredo, and Blessed Sebastian of Esztergom, among others.
The people were accustomed to worshipping various gods, but this did not discourage him in his work of evangelization, and he achieved conversions through his dedication to his people and the example of his life. St. Stephen and his son, St. Americus, defended their people from the attack of Conrad II’s troops, who were trying to subdue the kingdom. A year later, his son died. With God’s help, King Stephen I achieved many conversions.
He died on August 15, 1038, and was buried in the Székesfehérvár Basilica, which he himself had built and which was one of the largest basilicas in Europe.
St. Stephen I of Hungary was canonized by Pope St. Gregory VII in 1083, and his feast day is celebrated on August 16.
Worth remembering
St. Stephen was king of Hungary and husband of Blessed Gisela of Bavaria. From their love, St. Americus was born.
As king, father, and exemplary Christian, Stephen knew how to give advice, and his advice carried weight because he lived what he preached.
The advice transcribed below was given by him to his son Saint Americus so that he might govern with wisdom, impose himself with gentleness, and be an example of a Catholic man, thus governing with holiness.
Five pieces of advice from a holy king
1- Keep the faith
“First of all, I ask, advise, and recommend to you, my beloved son, if you wish to honor the royal crown, that you preserve the Catholic and Apostolic faith with such diligence that it may serve as an example to all the subjects God has given you, and that all ecclesiastical men may rightly call you a man of authentic Christian life, without which you would certainly not deserve to be called a Christian or a son of the Church.”
2- The gift of vigilance and protection
“In the royal palace, after faith, the Church occupies second place, founded first by Christ, our head, then transplanted and firmly built by its members, the apostles and the holy fathers of the Church, and spread throughout the world. And although it successively begets new children, in certain places it is already considered ancient.”
“In our kingdom, beloved son, it must still be considered young and recent, and therefore needs special vigilance and protection; may this gift, which divine mercy has granted us without our deserving it, not be destroyed or annihilated by your carelessness, laziness, or negligence.”
3 – Equal treatment for all
“My beloved son, tenderness of my heart, hope of future descendants, I beg and implore you to always and on every occasion, based on your good feelings, be kind not only to men of lineage or to leaders, the rich, and those of the country, but also to foreigners and to all who seek you. For the fruit of this kindness will be the source of greater happiness for you.”
4 – Compassionate and merciful
“Be compassionate to all those who suffer unjustly, always remembering in the depths of your heart that teaching of the Lord: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Be patient with everyone, with capitalists and with those who are not.”
5 – Strong and honest
“Finally, be strong; do not let prosperity make you arrogant or adversity discourage you. Be humble, too, so that God may praise you, now and in the future. Be moderate, and do not exceed in punishment or condemnation. Be meek, without going against justice. Be honest, so that you may never be a cause of shame to anyone, willingly. You must be modest, avoiding the pestilence of obscenity as a sting of death.”
All these things that I have briefly indicated to you are what make up the royal crown; without them, no one is capable of reigning in this world or reaching the eternal kingdom. (JSG)
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
Related Images:
