Saint Lawrence was martyred in Rome in 258 after serving as a deacon under Pope Sixtus II.
Lawrence was one of the seven deacons serving the Roman church under Pope Sixtus II. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Valerian, Sixtus was executed on August 6, 258. Lawrence was killed a few days later, traditionally on August 10.
Later accounts say that Roman authorities demanded the church’s treasures. Lawrence presented poor people and others cared for by the church, calling them its true treasure. Tradition also describes his execution on a gridiron, although historians treat details of the later narrative cautiously.
Lawrence became one of Rome’s most venerated martyrs. His feast day is August 10, and the Perseids meteor shower is popularly called the Tears of Saint Lawrence in several European traditions. He is not the same as Saint Stephen, who is traditionally regarded as the first Christian martyr.