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Marcellus
Deacon and martyr, with companions, beheaded at Rome, 254-259.
Marcellus and others were martyrs in Rome under Valerian. Presbyter Eusebius, his deacon Marcellus, and Neon and Mary were beheaded. Adria and Hippolytus were scourged to death. Paulina died in a torture-chamber. Maximus was thrown into the Tiber.
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Abundius
Deacon and martyr, with presbyter Carpophorus, martyred at either Spoleto in Italy, or Seville in Spain, in 300.
In the persecution of Diocletian, they were first beaten with clubs and then thrown into prison, where they were denied food and drink. They were tortured for a second time on the rack and again cast into prison for a long period. Finally, they were slain by the sword.
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Timothy
Deacon and martyr, burnt alive in Morocco, Africa, c. 250.
After enduring a harsh imprisonment for his faith in Christ, Timothy was thrown into the fire.
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Stephen the Deacon
First martyr, died c. 34.
Stephen suffered martyrdom in Jerusalem about the year 34. He is remembered both as the first Christian martyr (the protomartyr) and as one of the first deacons. The latter tradition is an early one. In the year 185, Irenaeus in his treatise Against Heresies (Book III, ch. XII, 10) refers to “Stephen, who was chosen the first deacon by the apostles.” All that we know of his life is found in Acts 6:1—8:3.
According to tradition, Stephen was a Jew living in the Hellenic provinces, related to the apostle Paul, and one of the first seven deacons ordained by the apostles to serve the church in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully through his faith, enabling him to perform many miracles and always to defeat those who disputed with him. Some in their hatred lied about Stephen to the people. But Stephen with his illumined face reminded the people of the miracles God had worked through him and even rebuked the crowd for killing the innocent Christ. The people were enraged by what they thought was blasphemy and “gnashed their teeth” at Stephen. It was then that he saw his Christ in the heavens and declared this to the people. Hearing this, the crowd took him outside the city and stoned him to death, with his kinsman Saul (later Paul) holding their coats while they did killed him. Far off on a hill stood the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist, who witnessed this first martyrdom and prayed for Stephen while he was being stoned. This occurred about a year after the first Pentecost.
Those who stoned Stephen left his body at the foothill of the city for two days to be eaten by dogs. On the second night, Gamaliel—teacher of Paul and Barnabas—came and moved the body to his own land in Capharganda. Nicodemus, who died while weeping at this grave, was also buried there along with Gamaliel’s godson Abibus and Gamaliel himself.
After many years Stephen’s burial place was forgotten, until 415 when Gamaliel appeared three times to Lucian, priest at Capharganda. He revealed to Lucian the place of the burial and everything about it. Lucian received the blessing of the patriarch to exhume the saints from their grave where a strong, sweet fragrance filled the cave. Stephen’s relics were transferred to Zion and honorably buried, and many of the sick were healed by his relics. The other three relics were placed inside a church atop the cave on a hill. Eventually, his relics were transferred to Constantinople.
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Domitian
Deacon and martyr, with presbyter Eutychius, killed for defending the faith, at Ancyra in Galatia (present Turkey), date unknown.
