Church History
In 1954, the Dadour Dadourian Fund and several contributors made possible, through a loan to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), the purchase of a property at 1184 Ocean Avenue in Elberon, New Jersey. The property consisted of a three-story home and a detached building. At the time, the church community numbered only 25 members, many of whom were summer residents. Following extensive renovations, the building was named Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church. The first Badarak was celebrated on June 24, 1956, by His Eminence Archbishop Mampre Kalfayan. For the next eight years, worship services were conducted with a Vemkar, a blessed stone, maintained on the altar. During the 1950s and 1960s, the property also served as a retreat and vacation home for the clergy of the Diocese during their annual one-week summer conference. In addition, it was one of the sites used for the summer religious study conferences sponsored annually by Saint Nersess Armenian Seminary. The deacon in residence during this period was Deacon Levon Hekimian. Saint Mary remained a summer parish until 1969, when visiting priests began serving the community on a year-round basis. Reflecting the demographic changes taking place in central New Jersey during the 1980s, the Armenian community continued to grow in both size and vitality. As the community expanded, the deteriorating condition of the original Saint Mary Church building became increasingly apparent. Addressing the condition of the building became a high priority for the Parish Council, which began seeking a solution that would meet both the immediate and future needs of the parish. Recognizing these needs, and following discussions with the Parish Council, Mr. Kevork Hovnanian proposed an extraordinary plan. On Sunday, January 19, 1986, Mr. Hovnanian presented the congregation with a scale model and completed architectural drawings for a new church and parish hall. The proposed facilities were designed not only to meet the needs of the parish but also to accommodate its future growth and serve the broader Armenian American community of central New Jersey. Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian generously offered to build the new church and parish hall on the existing site and to assume the financial responsibility for their construction. They requested that this generous gift be made in memory of Mr. Hovnanian’s mother, Yester Hovnanian. The beauty and vision of the proposed structure, together with the Hovnanian family's extraordinary generosity, were enthusiastically received by His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Primate of the Diocese and the Diocesan Council. In April 1986, the three-story Saint Mary Church building, which had served the community for thirty years, was demolished to make way for the new Saint Stepanos Church. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the site on Sunday, May 25, 1986, and were officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Manoogian. On July 20, 1986, Archbishop Manoogian returned to Elberon to officiate at the Cornerstone Blessing. The ceremony was followed by a luncheon at the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, attended by more than 300 people. During construction, arrangements were made with the Asbury Park Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) to hold Sunday services in its building. Each Sunday, the faithful gathered for worship and fellowship, often followed by visits to the construction site to witness the progress of the new church. The new church at 1184 Ocean Avenue was named Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church, a name selected by its benefactor. The new church was a profound expression of Mr. Kevork S. Hovnanian’s faith, dedication, and love for the Armenian Church and its people. He envisioned the new edifice, participated personally in its planning and design, and supervised virtually every stage of its construction. His involvement was a gratifying and rewarding process, a true labor of love. The Armenian community of Elberon remains deeply grateful to Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian for their extraordinary generosity. The community also remembers with gratitude the many individuals, some of whom are no longer with us, who worked faithfully and diligently throughout the years to help build and strengthen this parish. We look back with humility and appreciation upon the vision, dedication, and sacrifice of those who helped establish and nurture this community from its earliest days. Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church was completed and consecrated on June 14, 1987. The detached house on the property was renovated and converted into the Parish House. The furnishings for the church, parish hall, and Parish House were also generously provided as part of Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian’s gift, completing a remarkable and enduring contribution to the parish. Throughout its history, Saint Stepanos Church has remained committed to the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social life of the Armenian community. The parish has been blessed by the dedication of its clergy, parish councils, organizations, volunteers, and faithful members, whose service has helped sustain and strengthen the church from one generation to the next. Today, the parish continues to look toward the future with gratitude to our Lord, seeking His guidance as we carry forward the mission entrusted to us: to serve His Church, His people, and His glory. With faith in our heritage and hope for the future, Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church remains committed to preserving our Armenian Christian identity, strengthening our parish community, and passing our faith and traditions on to future generations.
In 1954, the Dadour Dadourian Fund and several contributors made possible, through a loan to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), the purchase of a property at 1184 Ocean Avenue in Elberon, New Jersey. The property consisted of a three-story home and a detached building. At the time, the church community numbered only 25 members, many of whom were summer residents. Following extensive renovations, the building was named Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church. The first Badarak was celebrated on June 24, 1956, by His Eminence Archbishop Mampre Kalfayan. For the next eight years, worship services were conducted with a Vemkar, a blessed stone, maintained on the altar. During the 1950s and 1960s, the property also served as a retreat and vacation home for the clergy of the Diocese during their annual one-week summer conference. In addition, it was one of the sites used for the summer religious study conferences sponsored annually by Saint Nersess Armenian Seminary. The deacon in residence during this period was Deacon Levon Hekimian. Saint Mary remained a summer parish until 1969, when visiting priests began serving the community on a year-round basis. Reflecting the demographic changes taking place in central New Jersey during the 1980s, the Armenian community continued to grow in both size and vitality. As the community expanded, the deteriorating condition of the original Saint Mary Church building became increasingly apparent. Addressing the condition of the building became a high priority for the Parish Council, which began seeking a solution that would meet both the immediate and future needs of the parish. Recognizing these needs, and following discussions with the Parish Council, Mr. Kevork Hovnanian proposed an extraordinary plan. On Sunday, January 19, 1986, Mr. Hovnanian presented the congregation with a scale model and completed architectural drawings for a new church and parish hall. The proposed facilities were designed not only to meet the needs of the parish but also to accommodate its future growth and serve the broader Armenian American community of central New Jersey. Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian generously offered to build the new church and parish hall on the existing site and to assume the financial responsibility for their construction. They requested that this generous gift be made in memory of Mr. Hovnanian’s mother, Yester Hovnanian. The beauty and vision of the proposed structure, together with the Hovnanian family's extraordinary generosity, were enthusiastically received by His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Primate of the Diocese and the Diocesan Council. In April 1986, the three-story Saint Mary Church building, which had served the community for thirty years, was demolished to make way for the new Saint Stepanos Church. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the site on Sunday, May 25, 1986, and were officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Torkom Manoogian. On July 20, 1986, Archbishop Manoogian returned to Elberon to officiate at the Cornerstone Blessing. The ceremony was followed by a luncheon at the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, attended by more than 300 people. During construction, arrangements were made with the Asbury Park Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) to hold Sunday services in its building. Each Sunday, the faithful gathered for worship and fellowship, often followed by visits to the construction site to witness the progress of the new church. The new church at 1184 Ocean Avenue was named Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church, a name selected by its benefactor. The new church was a profound expression of Mr. Kevork S. Hovnanian’s faith, dedication, and love for the Armenian Church and its people. He envisioned the new edifice, participated personally in its planning and design, and supervised virtually every stage of its construction. His involvement was a gratifying and rewarding process, a true labor of love. The Armenian community of Elberon remains deeply grateful to Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian for their extraordinary generosity. The community also remembers with gratitude the many individuals, some of whom are no longer with us, who worked faithfully and diligently throughout the years to help build and strengthen this parish. We look back with humility and appreciation upon the vision, dedication, and sacrifice of those who helped establish and nurture this community from its earliest days. Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church was completed and consecrated on June 14, 1987. The detached house on the property was renovated and converted into the Parish House. The furnishings for the church, parish hall, and Parish House were also generously provided as part of Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian’s gift, completing a remarkable and enduring contribution to the parish. Throughout its history, Saint Stepanos Church has remained committed to the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social life of the Armenian community. The parish has been blessed by the dedication of its clergy, parish councils, organizations, volunteers, and faithful members, whose service has helped sustain and strengthen the church from one generation to the next. Today, the parish continues to look toward the future with gratitude to our Lord, seeking His guidance as we carry forward the mission entrusted to us: to serve His Church, His people, and His glory. With faith in our heritage and hope for the future, Saint Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church remains committed to preserving our Armenian Christian identity, strengthening our parish community, and passing our faith and traditions on to future generations.