St._Stephen_of_Hungary_Church_(New_York_City)
St. Stephen of Hungary Church (New York City)
Building in New York City, United States
The Church of St. Stephen of Hungary (Hungarian: Szent István Római Katolikus Magyar Templom) is a Roman Catholic church in the Archdiocese of New York, located at 402-412 East 82nd Street, Manhattan, New York City.[3] The former parish of St. Stephen was administered by the Order of Friars Minor from its founding in 1922 until its merger with St. Joseph's in 2015.
| The Church of St. Stephen of Hungary (Szent István Római Katolikus Magyar Templom) | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Town or city | Manhattan, New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1926 (for church with school plans);[1] 1960 (for rectory plans);[1] 1965 (for rectory plans)[1] |
| Completed | 1927?, 1928 (for church)[2] |
| Cost | $240,000 (for 1926 church with school);[1] $300,000 (for 1960 rectory);[1] $300,000 (for 1965 rectory)[1] |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph H. McGuire of 5 Columbus Circle (for 1926 church with school plans--possibly unbuilt);[1] Emil Szendy (for 1928 church);[2] Brother Cajetan J. B. Baumann, O.F.M., of 44 Whitehall Street (for 1960 rectory plans);[1] Joseph Mitchell of 355 West 54 Street (for 1965 rectory plans)[1] |
The congregation was established in 1902 by Lászlo Perényi, a Catholic priest from Hungary to serve the growing immigrant population from that country in the city. It had no permanent facility until three years later, when it moved into a former Presbyterian church on 14th street. Growth in the parish led to plans to build a new church and school in 1927 in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan, which became a center for several Central European ethnic groups, most notably German and Hungarian.[4]
In November 2014, the Archdiocese announced that St. Stephen of Hungary Parish was one of 31 parishes which would be merged into other parishes.[5] St. Stephen Parish and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish were to be merged into St. Monica Parish at 413 East 79th Street.[6]
A High Mass for the Feast of St. Stephen took place on August 23, 2015, the last major event for the parish. The final Mass was held on August 30.[7] After that, the Hungarian congregation moved to the nearby Church of St. Joseph.
Plans were filed for a three-story brick church and school (both with basement and tile roofs) in 1926 to designs by Joseph H. McGuire of 5 Columbus Circle at a cost of $240,000.[1] According to the AIA Guide to NYC (Fifth Edition, 2010), the Romanesque Revival church was built (or at least completed) in 1928 to the designs of a different architect, Emil Szendy.[2] There are no referenced plans filed with the city for a church designed by Szendy; however, he may have worked for McGuire.
Similarly confusing is the attribution for the rectory. The Rev B. J. Dudley had plans for a four-story friary at 402-412 East 82nd Street designed in 1960 and filed with the city to designs of Brother Cajetan J. B. Baumann, O.F.M., of 44 Whitehall Street, for $300,000. Plans for a three-story friary at 414-416 E 82nd Street were drawn up in 1965 and filed with the city to designs of Joseph Mitchell of 355 West 54 Street for $300,000.[1]
- Office for Metropolitan History, "Manhattan NB Database 1900-1986," (Accessed 25 Dec 2010).
- White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City. American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (Fifth ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-19-538386-7.
- Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.375.
- "History of Our Parish", SaintStephenofHungary.org, retrieved 2011-01-28
- Otterman, Sharon (November 2, 2014). "Tears and Heartache for New York's Catholics as Cardinal Shuts Churches". The New York Times.
- "Letter from Fr. Baker, Pastor, Church of St. Monica on the Closing of St. Stephen of Hungary Church". St. Stephen of Hungary Parish.