History

A Short  History of St. Stephen Church

In 1903 Father Julian Zielinski was appointed pastor. He invited the Felician Sisters to teach in the school in 1905 and built a new convent on Buckingham Ave. in 1907.

Msgr. Joseph Urban served the parish as Pastor from 1913 to 1935. He undertook the building of the present church which was dedicated by Bishop Walsh on May 25, 1919, and the school which was dedicated in 1922.

The thirty year pastorate of Msgr. Zenon  Lesniowski saw the purchase of the property  for the cemetery, the payment of the church debts and many improvements to the church grounds.

Father Alexander Zdaniewicz (1966 -1978 )  renovated the Sisters’ convent and  made all the liturgical changes called for by Vatican II.

Father’s Casimir Ladzinski (1978 - 1980) and Robert J. Zamorski (1980  - 1986) continued this effort and encouraged greater lay participation in parish life. The interior of the church was painted, a new pipe organ purchased, and new windows installed in the school.  

The parish celebrated its centennial in 1992 during the pastorate of Father Leon J. Kasprzyk (1986-1994). St. Stephen’s School became part of Perth Amboy Catholic.  

Fr. John Stec (1994-2006) spearheaded the complete renovation of the exterior of the church building – including the restoration of the tower and the magnificent stained- glass windows. The roof was replaced on the church and school buildings and a new   section was added to the cemetery. Many of the traditional devotions and liturgical celebrations were rekindled.

In June of 2006, the Polish Redemptorists arrived at the parish. Father Peter Chyla was appointed pastor. Improvements were made to the church, rectory and the parish cemetery. Father was appointed vice provincial of  the  Polish Redemptorists and left St. Stephen’s in January 2008.

Father Waldemar Latkowski  was then appointed administrator of the parish  and formally  installed as St. Stephen’s 11^th pastor on December 26, 2008.