Initially, he focused on repairs to St. Stephen's School and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur convent. But enrollment at St. Stephen's School was rapidly declining, and the cost of upgrading the school to meet modern accreditation standards was too heavy. The school shut its doors in May 1954, and the building was purchased by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. Immaculate Conception Academy, a Catholic school for girls administered by the Daughters of Charity, began operating in the building in the fall of 1954. Then, in the late spring of 1959, Monsignor Denges walked into the church sanctuary one morning and discovered that a load-bearing pillar had collapsed, tearing down a portion of the ceiling with it. After consultations with the archdiocese, plans were made to reinforce the building and make it safe. But architects determined that repairs would only temporarily abate the problems. With membership in Saint Stephen's parish having grown significantly to 2,500 members, the decision was made in July to replace the worn brick church with a modern structure. The architectural firm of Johnson & Boutin was hired to design the new building, which was to be made of brick and stone. The last mass was said in the old church on July 15, 1959. Thereafter, services were held at Immaculate Conception Academy. The old church was razed some time after July 15, and the groundbreaking for the new structure was held November 8. The new church was consecrated on June 11, 1961, by Patrick O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington. The Reverend Monsignor Denges celebrated the Mass, and the Very Reverend John P. McCormick, rector of Theological College at The Catholic University of America, preached. The new building cost $650,000 ($ in dollars). The front of the building featured a freestanding, high star-shaped concrete bell tower, topped by a high gold enameled cross. A large high window made of chipped glass, manufactured in Chartres, France, faced Pennsylvania Avenue. The sanctuary of the church sat 700, while the parish hall in the basement held 300. The facade of the church is graced with a 10-foot tall porcelain statue of Saint Stephen by Felix de Weldon, designed in 1960 and installed and dedicated in 1961. "The Washington Post" architectural critic Benjamin Forgey had high praise for the Modernist-style building in 1993. He called the church "semi-heroic", its chipped glass window "exceptional", and called particular attention to "the sanctuary formed with a succession of fluid parabolic vaults".