The first church was built in 1780, of wood. In 1830 a newer wooden church was built, but it was destroyed by fire, in 1848. It was rebuilt in 1849 and was in use, until 1957, when the present church, whose construction began in 1937, was put to use.
„This old, wooden church was the very first church in Pusztina. When we demolished it, after World-War I, we found, under it’s walls, money and a small hand-bell, on which the date 1794 was written.” (Halász Péter: Pusztina (Pustiana) helynevei; Budapest, 1987. Magyar Névtani Dolgozatok)
„The congregation of Pustiana was the largest catholic community in the Tazlău valley. From the end of the 18th. century, it played a central part, among the catholic villages of the country-side. From 1806, it was ranked, as an independent parsonage (vicarage). Its priests were diligently administering to the members of the parish, of this large territory, that encompassed nearly 20 communities, with 15 churches.” (Lumina Creștinului – Pr. Alois Moraru, Parohia Tărâța – Serie nouă, Anul XV, octombrie 2004, nr. 10)
In the book of Jerney János Eastern travels… (Jerney János keleti utazása… 1844 és 1845. Pest 1851, vol. 1 page 203) the following is written „The wooden Mother-church, in the diocese of Trotuș/Tatros was built to honor Saint Stephen. In 1830, it became a parsonage. It has 23 branch-churches, with 3400 members.”
According to the „Almanahul Presa Buna 2010” – since 1880 independent parsonage.
The church was built to honor Saint Stephen, first king of Hungary (997-1038) „On the altar-piece (picture) our first king is visible, in traditional Hungarian garments.” (Jerney János eastern travels… 1844 and 1845. Pest 1851, Vol. I. p. 203.)
In 1932, Domokos Pál Péter collected, among others, the Saint-Stephen hymn, „Praised be, Ó Saint-Stephen” from the middle ages. The hymn can be listened to, by folk-singer Nyisztor Ilona’s rendition: