In 1913 the growing number of Hungarian immigrants residing in Allentown decided there was a need for their own church. While exploring options to build a church, the group held services in the basement of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Allentown. In 1915 they began reccording baptisms and marriages, and the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Stephen of Hungary was born.

On April 24, 1916, church members purchased the property at 502-506 Union Street with plans to build a formal church on the site. Construction of the church began and the cornerstone was laid on August 25, 1917. Today this original cornerstone is positioned prominently inside the church in the wall of the main foyer. In August, 1924, the parish purchased the property at 510 Union Street.

On August 17, 1925, the Rev. Ladislaus Nagy was appointed pastor and he moved the parish forward by organizing formal religious groups for men, women and girls of the parish. The still extant Parish Guild was founded by Fr. Nagy during this period. He was also responsible for the establishment of a building fund to pay for various upgrades and improvements to the then existing church. Father Nagy remained pastor of St. Stephen’s for 31 years, the longest tenure for a priest at our church.

After World War II, more Hungarians immigrated to Allentown and joined the parish, and the need for a newer and larger church became evident. First, in September, 1948, work began on the new rectory at 510 Union Street. In May, 1950, Father Nagy started a building fund drive for a new church. On May 2, 1953, ground was broken for the new church and on October 16, 1955, the cornerstone was laid.

On December 23, 1956, the new church, situated in the midst of what had become the “Hungarian” neighborhood, was dedicated. It was a dream come true for Fr. Nagy and the realization of his life’s work. At the Mass of Dedication, after Communion, he stood up in the sanctuary to speak to his parishioners and invited guests. After thanking God and all the parishioners for making this work possible, he collapsed and died in the sanctuary!

During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, many Hungarians fled their homeland and settled in Allentown. Even more families joined the church and St. Stephen’s blossomed into a vibrant and dynamic parish.

In 1982, the parish purchased more land adjacent to the church property adding a larger parking lot, a two-car garage to the rectory and landscaping the grounds.

With the onset of center-city redevelopment within the City of Allentown, homes in surrounding neighborhoods were purchased by the city and torn down thus forcing the Hungarian families living within walking distance of the church to move to other areas of the city. Therefore, the number of parish families dwindled as former parishioners joined churches in their new neighborhoods.

While the number of families is now much smaller, the enthusiasm and dedication of our parishioners has not diminished. Our parish is still famous for our homemade Hungarian food and pastries prepared for our annual Kiffle Sale and Parish Bazaar. St. Stephen’s has also welcomed with open arms and infused into its parish community those faithful who worship in the Traditional Latin form of the Roman Rite. St. Stephen’s remains a viable and active church because of the love, dedication, and commitment of its hard-working parishioners.