Aziz Stefanos Latin Catholic Church
Changes After Construction:
- The official opening of the structure took place in 1886.
- The stone dome collapsed in the 1894 earthquake.
- After the earthquake, a wooden ceiling was made with materials brought from Austria.
- Renovation and painting work on the structure was completed in 2024.
Prominent Features:
- The church belongs to the Latin Catholic Church.
- The structure is also known as St. Etienne Latin Catholic Church.
- Church tradition accepts Saint Stephen as the first martyr of Christianity.
- Church tradition states that the bones of Saint Stephen were brought from Palestine to Istanbul in the 4th century; it writes that while they were later being sent to Italy, they came ashore off present-day Yeşilköy because of a storm.
- The same tradition states that a church dedicated to Saint Stephen was built at the point where the tent set up on the landing site had stood.
- The church is administered by Franciscan Capuchin priests.
- Services are held in Turkish and Italian in the church.
- The three statues in front of the church were brought from France.
