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St. Stephen Protomartyr In The Croatian Cultural Heritage

Marko Dragić orcid.org/0000-0001-5362-6814 ; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Polička 35, 21000 Split

Sažetak

Paper discusses St. Stephen Protomartyt who was among the first seven deacons which were chosen by the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus Christ. He helped the poor and was a zealous preacher of faith in Jesus Christ. That bothered the Jews and so they defamed him that he spoke against Moses. He was taken in front of a pagan high priest where he gave a fierce philippic. An enraged crowd stoned him, but mortally wounded St. Stephen kneeled and prayed for his murderers: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”84 Worship of St. Stephen Protomartyr goes back to the year 380. Priest Lucian was told in a vision where Stephen’s body was buried, so he brought the saint’s relics to Jerusalem in 415. From there, relics were taken to Constantinople and in the year 560 to Rome, alongside the body of St. Lawrence. According to a legend, St. Lawrence turned to his side and gave his hand to St. Stephen. According to the Gregorian calendar, Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen Protomartyr on 26th December, and according to
the Julian calendar on 9th January. Catholic Church celebrates the memorial of Finding of St. Stephen’s body on 3rd August. In Croatian cultural heritage, the worship of St. Stephen Protomartyr goes back to the 6th century. This is evidenced by the early-Christian churches from Istra to Cavtat dedicated to that saint. Feast day, as well as the memorial, are characterized by religious and numerous folk customs. Many families, for their brgulja (slava), adopted the feast or memorial of St. Stephen. On the feast day, as well as on the memorial of St. Stephen, there are pilgrimages to his sanctuaries. Some pilgrims do their pilgrimage riding a horse, or in a horse carriage.
After the procession and the holly mass, big folk celebrations are organized. Congratulatory processions are held. Young men and women dance kolo until the night, thus expressing sympathies. Housekeepers take their horses out, ride them and take part in races. Lighting bonfires is connected to the memorial of Finding of St. Stephen’s body.

Ključne riječi

St. Stephen Protomartyr; legends; religious rites; folk celebrations; congratulatory processions; religious lyrical poems

Hrčak ID:

243342

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/243342

Datum izdavanja:

3.9.2020.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 3.293 *