Description
The Church of St. Stephen the Protomartyr was founded in 1907 by a group of Hungarian immigrants. Among them were: Sándor Bacameri, Pál Baksza, Kálmán Balajthy, Ferenc Becza, János Berta, István Cellert, János Csubák, László Hocya, Ferenc Jecer, János Jászovics, János Kaczor, Mrs. Albert Kopár, Antalné Lecény, Mrs. Lajos Maklár, Kálmán Noszkói, János Pál, Pál Orsz, Peto Mihaly, Janos Reho, Andras Schin, Istvan Sebestven, Mihaly Soss, Emery Sule, Istvan Szarvas, Antal Szmutku, Janos Szmutku, Jozsef Szup, Janos Tamas, Jozsef Tomozi, Peter Vech, Mihaly Viszmec & Stephen Zackar.
The first Holy Mass was celebrated on December 5, 1906 (at St. Mary’s Church) by Rev. Viktor Kubinyi, the first pastor of St. Stephen’s.
The charter was signed by the Bishop of Trenton, Reverend James McFaul, and the building itself was constructed by Charles Eppinger and his company for $2,987 (including the church furnishings and the organ)... The church was built entirely of wood. The bishop consecrated the church on April 1, 1907, during the first Mass celebrated there. The rectory was built a few years later for $1,887. On February 9, 1921 (Ash Wednesday), the church was destroyed by fire. That same year, construction of the new, current church building was completed at a cost of $19,987.
In April 1942, Father Alexander Bor initiated the construction of a garage and a fence around the property at a cost of $600. The interior landscaping, renovation, and redecoration of the church were also carried out during his tenure. Beautiful stained-glass windows were installed by the Hiemer Company of Paterson, New Jersey, and a Hammond organ was also installed.
Father Joseph Vadas, appointed pastor in 1949, redecorated the church, along with numerous renovations. Pope Pius XII declared the Tridentine high altar an “Altare Privilegiatum.”
In June 1950, Father Albert Poor arrived at the parish and served as pastor until 1987. By 1961, the congregation had grown to 451 families, 298 of whose children attended the CCD program. The Sisters of Divine Love, who came from Hungary, served at St. Stephen’s Church between 1942 and 1955. In 1956, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul arrived at the parish and served until 1976. During Father Poor’s tenure, numerous improvements were made to the church and the grounds. The church basement was renovated and converted into a parish center. A parking lot was built. The interior of the church was painted, and the exterior was clad in stone. In 1978, Hungarian-language services were discontinued.
During Father Glenn Comandini’s time at the parish (1992–1998), monthly senior lunches were introduced, and the church was renovated (including new sanctuary furnishings, new carpets, and new doors), the confessional, a complete repainting of the church interior, as well as a new marble altar and pulpit, which were consecrated in August 1995. A relic of St. Maria Goretti was placed in one of the altar’s columns. Statues of the angels of the sanctuary and of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr were purchased for the church, and in 1996, new pew cushions were installed.
During Father Maciej Melaniuk’s tenure as pastor (1998–2002), a new air conditioning system was installed in the church, and a parish flag was also purchased. In 2006, 195 active families with 33 children participated in the CCD program at the parish.
Since Father John J. Szczepanik’s arrival in 2007, the following events and projects have taken place: * On September 23, 2007, the 100th anniversary of St. Stephen was celebrated with a solemn Mass presided over by Bishop Paul Bootkoski of Metuchen, which was concelebrated by Father John and other priests. The liturgy was followed by a parish anniversary banquet; * In November 2007, black mold was removed from the parish; * On December 2, 2007, Father John introduced Spanish-language parish services; * In the fall of 2008, the Parish Center underwent a complete renovation (new flooring and painting, a new stage and sound system inside, and the creation of a CCD classroom and conference room); * On November 7, 2010, a statue of St. Stephen from Poland was unveiled during a solemn Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul Bootkoski. This was a loving gift from Ann and Helen Csabay; * In the spring of 2011, the rectory was renovated (new flooring and painting); * In the summer of 2012, Danny Mercado created our parish’s website ( StStephennj.com ); * In 2013, a new roof was installed on the parish building; * In July 2014, a new roof was installed on the church and the parish garage; * In the summer of 2015, land improvement work was completed around the parish; * On October 11, 2016, Bishop James F. Checchio blessed the Shrine of Our Lady of Máriapócs—built on the left side of the church in honor of the parish’s founding priests from Hungary. The construction of the chapel was financed by a generous donation from Ann and Helen Csabay in memory of their parents, Joseph and Sophie Csabay; * On October 11, 2016, the same bishop blessed the Fountain of Life—erected on the left side of the sanctuary in memory of all the innocent victims of abortion. The fountain was donated by Father János’s sister, Margit Przewoznik, and her husband, Adam Lengyel; * On April 27, 2017, the 110th anniversary of St. Stephen was celebrated with a solemn Mass presided over by His Excellency James Checchio, Bishop of Metucheni, followed by a special banquet at the parish center; * In the summer of 2018, the church underwent significant renovations (new main floor, new sanctuary floor, painting of the entire church, installation of kneelers, refurbished pews), which were financially supported by the St. Stephen Spanish-Speaking Community. Bishop James F. Checchio blessed this project on October 19 of that same year during a solemn Mass that concluded our anniversary celebrations; * In November 2019, a new boiler and a new water heater were installed in the church; * On April 8, 2020, the parish priest, Juan Carlos Sanchez, created a St. Stephen’s YouTube channel; * In May 2021, a new chapel was established in the church dedicated to Jesus Christ, Our Lord. It is located on the left side of the staircase leading to the choir loft; * On July 31, 2021, a new sidewalk was built behind the church, connecting the sidewalks on either side of the church. The work was supported by our parish priests, Luis and Eli Garcia; * On August 11, 2021, a new main altar was installed in the church, featuring a central image of Christ the High Priest, as well as two smaller images of Saints ... Peter and Paul, as guardians of the Church, and Saint Rose of Lima, the patron saint of Latin America. This project was funded by Father János’s Polish sister, Margaret Przewoznik, and her husband, Adam, in gratitude to God for saving his life during a heart attack he suffered in July 2021; * On September 2, 2021, a statue of St. Joseph the Worker was erected (with financial support from the Arcila and Jimenez families, Karina Peralta and her family, and Luis and Eli Garcia) on the left side of the church, at the back, clearly visible from our parking lot and the area in front of the side door; * On August 20, 2022, a statue of a praying angel was erected on the right side of the church, outside, across from our parking lot (a gift from Father János to the parish).
