Reliquary Monstrance

Stephen is considered the first follower of Christ to have died for his faith. He is therefore also called Arch- or Proto- (for first) Martyr. Accordingly, his relic is described here as "de mandibula sancti Stephani protomartyris" – from the jawbone of St. Stephen, Protomartyr.

Relics of Saint Stephen were preserved as early as 415 and are found in many locations throughout the 5th century. However, it is uncertain when this part of the *mandibula S. Stephani*—Saint Stephen’s jaw—arrived in Münster.