Stephen of Hungry – The First Christian King of Hungry c. 975AD – 1038AD Born of a Pagan Father and Made King by a

He was born Vaik, and baptized Stephen, when his father, a duke, converted to Christianity. When he was about twenty-two, he succeeded his father as a Magyar leader and warlord. After consolidating his territory and power through various wars, he sent an emissary to the Pope in to petition for the founding of Church structures in his land. Pope Sylvester II concurred with Stephen’s plans. Tradition holds that the Pope had a crown fashioned for Stephen and sent it to , where the papal ambassador crowned Stephen king in 1001. King Stephen took his duties as a king with utmost seriousness. He founded an enormous Benedictine monastery, numerous dioceses, and mandated that there be a “one tax- supported” with a priest, for every ten towns.

He built a shrine to the Mary known as Our Lady of Alba Royale, which became the site for future coronations and burials of the kings of Hungary. He placed his realm under Mary’s protection and kept the feast of her Assumption, with peculiar affection. It’s said, that as the saintly King Stephen came to his coronation, he begged that the crown be placed on the head of the statue of Mary, instead of on his own head.

All of Stephen’s children died as infants, except one son, named Emeric, who died in a boar hunting accident in 1031. After that, the rest of Stephen’s days were embittered by controversy over who would be his successor. Even his nephews attempted to kill him, in order to obtain the crown.

King Stephen died on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption in 1038 and was entombed at the Marian shrine that he had built. Thus, Stephen’s efforts to establish a Christian state were placed in jeopardy just as Stephen feared.

With no legitimate successor, all of his accomplishments were either neglected or negated by his successors. The two pagan kings that succeeded him showed no interest towards Christianity. Thus, chaos and civil war raged for decades after his burial. The fruits of Stephen’s Christian efforts rotted on the tree and his immediate legacy seemed to dissipate. But eventually, order was restored, and Stephen’s greatness was recognized. He is now revered as a saint and the founder of the Hungarian nation.

Other tribes in the area, like Huns, the Goths, and the Vandals don’t have a nation today. Over time, these pagan tribes were absorbed into the stable cultures they invaded. The Magyars, however, did not disappear. They have their own nation, Hungary; with their own language, culture, art, and history. They owe their enduring identity to . He transformed the roaming tribes of the Magyars, through Christianity, into the stable nation that exists today. Stephen gave his people to God; and to God and His Church, they were faithful. Saint Stephen was a model King because he knew that in order to found a country, you have to found a Church along with it. Saint Stephen was canonized in 1083.

Our Lady of Alba Royale - The Shrine Built by St. Stephen - The vast majority of the Hungarian kings were crowned at this location, and fifteen kings of Hungary were buried there. Work on the basilica continued for centuries, including towers reaching almost 230 ft in height, so it could be said, that the cathedral of Saint Stephen was a marvel of its time. The Hungarian throne was kept inside, and there were many royal weddings and funerals that took place within its walls.

Little now remains of the basilica but ruins, as it was captured by the Turks in 1543, who ransacked both the church and the royal graves within. In 1601, the Turks finally destroyed the basilica with gunpowder and fire, but were eventually successfully driven out of Hungary in 1688.