St. Stephen of Hungary

Their story

Stephen was born around 975, the son of Geza, the ruler of the Magyars, a people who had settled in what is now Hungary. He was baptized as a boy along with his father, and his name was changed from Vajk to Stephen. He married Gisela, a Bavarian princess and the sister of the emperor St. Henry, and in 997 he succeeded his father as ruler. Stephen set out to make Hungary a Christian nation. Around the year 1000 he was crowned king, with a crown that, according to tradition, was sent by Pope Sylvester II. He organized the Church in his kingdom, founding dioceses and monasteries, and he invited missionaries and monks to teach the people. He also gave Hungary laws and a government, and he was known for his love of the poor, giving alms to them in person. Some of his methods were harsh, as was common for rulers of his time, but he worked for justice and peace. Stephen's last years were marked by sorrow. His only surviving son, Emeric, whom he had carefully prepared to be king and who is also honored as a saint, was killed in a hunting accident in 1031. With no heir, Stephen entrusted his kingdom to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He died on August 15, 1038, the feast of the Assumption, and was canonized in 1083. He is the patron of Hungary.