St. Stephen of Hungary Parish

The History of Our Parish
A Hungarian priest, Father Lászlo Perényi, established St. Stephen of Hungary Parish in 1902.

A former Presbyterian Church on 14th Street was blessed for the use of the Parish in 1905. Several years later, the teaching congregation of the Daughters of Charity arrived to work with the children of the Parish and established a Parish School. In 1922, the Parish was entrusted to the Franciscans of Hungary, under the leadership of Father Bonaventure Peéri, OFM, who served as Pastor.

The Parish flourished. Increased membership led to the construction of a new Church and School on East 82nd Street in 1927. During the Great Depression, which began in 1929 continued into the 1930's, the United States Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus assumed responsibility of serving the Parish.

By the 1940's, the Parish was ready to minister to a new wave of Hungarian immigrants who arrived as a result of World War II and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

The Parish has kept faith with St. Stephen of Hungary's counsel to "Make Strangers Welcome" and provides services to both the Hungarian community and non-Hungarian, English speaking parishioners.

In 1974, the modern Hungarian patriot and hero, József Cardinal Mindszenty, personally visited the Parish. A bronze plaque at the rear of the Parish Church commemorates this visit.

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