The first Mass is believed to have been celebrated by Father Godthart in a little school building once numbered 420 Clark St. The first St. Stephen Church was completed in 1856, a wooden church, a block west of the present St. Stephen Cemetary on east Clark St. It served the Catholics of Stevens Point and the towns of Hull and Stockton. In the period of 1856-1866, an addition of 18 feet in depth was made to the church. On January 12, 1866, the present site of Clark and Pine Streets was purchased and the deed issued to Bishop Henni of Milwaukee. The new Church at this location was built under the leadership of Father M. Schwebach. This wooden church served the people for 53 years. Under the pastorship of Father James C. Hogan, the cornerstone of the present Church was laid on October 20, 1923. The Church stands as a symbol of faith and hope in the future. The architecture is of English Tudor Gothic. The stained glass windows enhance the beauty of the Church. The marble altars and stained glass windows were the last of the refurbishing of the church done under the pastorate of Rt. Rev. Msgr. John R. McGinley. On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, 1972, a dissastrous fire was extinguished before any appreciable damage was done to the structure. However, the smoke damage was considerable. We are grateful that the Church was not destroyed. Extensive work on the exterior is being done in tuckpointing the stone at the present time.