Day of the Christian Martyr: 7 notable Christian martyrdoms

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Saturday, June 29, 2019

A seventeenth-century painting depicting the mass killing of Christians in Japan. | (Photo: Public Domain)

June 29 marks an annual solemn observance for many churches and faith-based organizations across the world known as the Day of the Christian Martyr.

Falling on the date traditionally believed to be when Saint Paul of Tarsus was executed, the observance centers on those who gave their lives for their Christian beliefs.

Beginning with the stoning of Saint Stephen, as described in Acts 7, countless Christians have been murdered or executed for their faith since the first century.

Here are seven notable examples of martyrs or groups of martyrs in Christian history. They include people killed both by non-Christians and those who identified as Christian.