St Ann Pastoral Team

• Poao Saena, Parochial Vicar

• Bryan Dolejsi, Parochial Vicar

• Carmen Lozano, Secretary

St Ann Parish (Map)
7001 South Park Avenue
Tacoma WA 98408
Parish Office 253-472-1360
Parish Office Fax 253-475-6335
Email: info-stann@catholic-tacoma.org

St Ann Mass Schedule
Tues thru Fri at 8:30 am
Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday at 9:30 am
Korean Mass Sunday at 11:45 am

St Ann's Parish History

St Ann's Parish (1924-1995) Tacoma, Washington

In April 1924, the Most Rev. Edward J. O'Dea appointed Father Michael Murphy as pastor of the newly created parish. It was a time when the transition that had so rapidly brought Tacoma to maturity was more than just a memory to the hardy settlers, whose faith had enabled them to endure the difficulties of long and arduous journeying, as they faced the dangers and uncertainties of blazing a trail into a territory of which but little was known, whose many facets were still waiting to be explored.

Scarcely had the territory of Washington been designated by Congress when the eyes of the pioneers were directed towards the Pacific Northwest. Carved from the original Oregon Territory, it was not until 36 years later, in 1880, that Washington became the 42nd State of the Union. It was a period of unprecedented prosperity throughout the United States. Somewhere along the Puget Sound country capital was to be invested generously. Rail projects were outlined with a view to filling the needs of future development. Men were prospecting for town sites all over the area, just as they prospected for gold among the granite peaks of the Cascades. There was a rush for the great prize of invested capital, and Tacoma was to secure a large share of that investment, attracting to its shores such enterprising businessmen as the Hewitts, the Rockefellers and the Weyerhaeusers, to mention but a few. The process of penetration was accomplished with amazing rapidity, and the daring exploits of these early founders are deeply chiseled in the granite of history. What more scenic surroundings could they have chosen for their endeavors than the peninsula situated in the sheltering shadow of snowcapped Mt. Rainier and caressed by the catalytic currents of Commencement Bay.

Before the establishment of St. Ann's Parish, the territory, which it embraces, was part of Holy Rosary, of which the Benedictine Fathers had been in charge for some thirty odd years. In 1923 a petition was sent to Bishop O'Dea seeking a separate parish for the Fern Hill district. Though the Catholic population was not too large, as one would consider it from the point of view of a present day statistician, the majority of the Catholic inhabitants deemed the time ripe for having a parish of their own. Early in 1924 Bishop O'Dea acceded to their request. April 15, 1024 was officially designated as the date of canonical erection of the new parish. It was placed under the patronage of St. Ann, and Father Michael Murphy, then a curate at St. Patrick's, Tacoma, was appointed the first pastor.

Father Murphy set to work immediately making plans for the building of a parish church, hall and rectory. His first task was to secure the necessary property. In the meantime, Sunday Mass was celebrated in the home of Mr. Patrick Gallagher located at South 67th and Yakima Avenue. The first Mass was on April 27, 1924. Property was purchased from Mr. John Cunningham, on the corner of South 72nd and Park Avenue at a cost of $5,600.00, and work was begun on the new buildings. The construction was of tile and reinforced concrete finished in stucco. The seating capacity of the church was 300. The hall was of complementary design to accommodate a like number. Both were completed by the end of September 1924 at a cost of $14,500.00. On October 5th, Bishop O'Dea officiated at the dedication. Early in 1925, the rectory was ready for occupancy. Its construction was similar to that of the other buildings. It was built at a cost of $8,000.00. With the purchase of property and the completion of the building program, the indebtedness of the parish had reached $30,000. The Catholic population was much smaller than one would find in the average modern parish, numbering a total of some 300. Under such circumstances, the elimination of the indebtedness incurred would clearly mean nothing less than the most diligent effort and painstaking perseverance.

As if to intensify the difficulties of an already difficult situation, the depression of the thirties made its appearance. Its devastating influence was widespread. Deprived of their regular means of livelihood, because of work stoppage, the people were unable to give the church the support they knew was needed so badly. Father Murphy carried a heavy load on his shoulders. It must have been his genial Irish disposition and the naiveté of his native Kerry that enabled him to smile his way through life despite the vicissitudes that beset the later years of his pastorate at St. Ann's. In April 1032, he left St. Ann's to take over the pastorate of St. Mary's, Centralia, where he died on March 8, 1951.

Father Robert Dillon was appointed by Bishop O'Dea to succeed Father Murphy. A man of tireless energy, Father Dillon set to work. The church needed to be made more presentable. Some diversity had to be introduced to make the sanctuary more attractive. This was accomplished by adding side altars dedicated to St. Ann and St. Joseph. Through one of his many contacts, he managed to secure a first class relic of St. Ann, which he had enshrined on St. Ann's Altar. The larger statute of St. Ann, still to be seen on the grounds beside the new church, was designed and put in place by Mr. Boux, a parishioner, under the pastor's supervision.

In October 1935, Father Edmond Hayes was sent as Administrator to replace Father Dillon, who was transferred to Port Townsend. Due to the difficult financial situation at St. Ann's, Bishop Shaughnessy deemed it wise to do a little reflecting before making a permanent appointment. Accordingly, Father Hayes was sent only on a temporary basis. Father Hayes could do no more than do his best to hold the line at St. Ann's until the Bishop appointed a regular pastor.

In June, 1936, the Rev. Maurice Galvin was sent by Bishop Shaughnessy to take over as pastor. Shortly after his arrival in Tacoma, the new pastor established the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Some such organization was very much needed as there was dire poverty evidentall around. Gradually the clouds began to lift. There was a slight stirring in the direction of employment. Slowly but surely, parishioners who had not had a steady job for years began to find work. Wages were still low, to be sure, but at least the outlook looked brighter. It became possible to carry out repairs that had long been neglected. As time went on conditions improved to the extent that something could be done about paying the parish debt. Little by little it was reduced, and by the time Father Galvin's pastorate came to an end, the debt stood at $12,000.

The spiritual needs of St. Ann's were attended to conscientiously. In the absence of a Catholic school, the Franciscan Sisters from St. Ann's Home were invited to provide religious training for the children. In 1938, the first Vacation School was conducted in the parish hall. There were 70 children in attendance. As time went on the vacation schools held each year met with marked success. Father encouraged his parishioners to send their children to the neighboring parochial schools, particularly to Holy Rosary, with the result that quite a percentage of the enrollment of these schools came from St. Ann's. In his later years as pastor, Father Galvin could notice a great improvement from the time of his arrival. The parish had grown in numbers; the nightmare of the depression began to disappear, and it looked as if the future held high hopes of better days. The climatic conditions of Tacoma and vicinity, however, had to be reckoned with. They were too much for anyone subject to asthma.  Father Galvin would be tempting fate if he remained in a climate whose penetrating dampness and fog so aggravated his condition as to make breathing almost impossible. Accordingly, he received permission from Bishop Shaughnessy to move to the warmer climate of eastern Washington. He was appointed pastor of Sunnyside.

The Rev. J. F. Milner was appointed by Bishop Shaughnessy to replace Father Galvin.  He came to St. Ann's in August, 1943. World War II was still raging. Most of the populace were either working in the shipyards or in some field connected with the war; or, in the case of the young men and women, serving in one of the branches of the Armed Forces. Because of the manpower shortage for civilian occupations, women were called upon to make up the deficit. It was heartening to see so many of the young men from Fort Lewis or the local Navy Base, devoutly attending church. In most instances, they were away from home for the first time. They came from the large Catholic centers of the east or the middle west, and there was a certain indescribable warmth in their Catholic demeanor.

One of the characteristics of the post-war era from the point of view of the Church was the increase in parish registrations. It was noticeable allover the diocese of Seattle. It became apparent to the pastor of St. Ann's that long-range plans for the future must be made without delay. By the end of 1944, the parish was out of debt. There was no Catholic school, and the parishioners whose children attended school at the neighboring parishes were persistently pleading that something Should be done about having a school of their own. If the school was to be built, steps must be taken to get the necessary property. The ground on which the existing parish buildings stood was little more than an acre and a half in extent, leaving no room for the addition of a school and convent. About this time, the good Lord seemed to be exerting His influence on behalf of St. Ann's. Ten lots became available fronting Park Avenue. The pastor consulted Bishop Shaughnessy and his immediate reply was: "Buy them, Father, and get permission later." They were purchased for $1,000.00. Not long after this, the adjacent four lots were acquired for $500.00. The year was 1945. Plans were gradually beginning to take shape, and parish activity was geared to the goal of making the dream of a school come true. Six or seven years went by before these plans were finalized. It was necessary to look around for Sisters to staff the school. This was a problem in itself, as demand exceeded supply in the matter of acquiring the services of teaching Sisters from the various Religious communities.

In 1954, the Benedictine Sisters were conducting three parochial schools in the vicinity of Tacoma. They were few in number and had but recently opened a Motherhouse near Olympia. Archbishop Connolly asked them to take charge of an additional school so that St. Ann's might be enabled to go ahead with their plans already under way. This they consented to do. In order to provide a suitable location for a convent for the Sisters, more property was purchased. This consisted of 14 lots on South G Street. The fact that there were three houses on this property increased the cost which was approximately $13,000.00. However, it was worth more than that amount because of suitable proximity to the existing parish property, and we were fortunate that it was available. In the spring of 1954, ground was broken for the new school and convent. They were built at a cost of $250,000.00, and were ready for occupancy the following year, with five Sisters and three lay teachers in charge of the eight grades. A total of 321 children were enrolled. Many applications had to be turned down for lack of room. The new facilities were dedicated by Archbishop Connolly in December, 1953.

Thoughts now began to turn towards making provision for the increased attendance at church on Sundays. The church built by Father Murphy when the parish was established had outgrown its use. Its seating capacity was 300, and for several years there was more than sufficient room for the congregation attending the two scheduled Sunday Masses. The crowding conditions, especially at the late Masses, grew more and more intolerable. It was at this time that the first assistant arrived at St. Ann's in the person of Father Edmond Barry. When he died in February of 1964, it marked the first occasion of the funeral of one of its priests from the parish church. He is still remembered as a kindly, devoted priest. He was replaced by Father William Slate. The young people of St. Ann's had a good friend in Father Slate. He brought new life to the C.Y.O. All too soon his stay among us ended and he left to take over a parish of his own.

In 1963, the property fronting Park Avenue at South 70th Street was acquired for $8,000.00, and in 1966, the corresponding property at the South G Street side was purchased for $7,300.00. This gave St. Ann's title to the whole block bounded by Park Avenue to the west, South G Street to the east, South 70th Street to the north and South 72nd Street to the south. A campaign for a Building Fund was set in motion in the summer of 1962. It was conducted without the aid of professional fund-raisers. The $125,000.00 pledged was indicative of the awareness of the pressing need for a larger church, and the willingness on the part of the people to make the necessary sacrifice.

Several years had yet to elapse before the hopes and wishes for this much longed for objective could be brought to fruition. Finally, sketches were made, and submitted for the approval of the Archbishop. Blueprints were drawn and by the end of 1966 the designs for the new St. Ann's Church, hall and rectory were approved. Bids were called for in December of that year and the project was on its way. Work on the buildings began immediately, and continued without interruption until the job was completed in the early part of 1968. As the parishioners dropped by to keep posted on developments during construction, and the sidewalk inspectors made their comments, they could scarcely wait for the day of completion. In their own minds they had put the finishing touches to the project long before the architect or the contractor. It was announced from the pulpit of the old church that the first Mass would be celebrated in the new building on the following Sunday. The church would be ready for occupancy with completion of installation of the last pew. And so, on Sunday, March 17th, the people of St. Ann's came to Mass for the first time in the church that they had been hoping and praying for over the years. It was a historic occasion and joy and gratitude overflowed in every heart.

St. Ann's can be truly proud of their accomplishment. Their church is one of the most beautiful in Tacoma, and indeed, the Archdiocese. It is well balanced in design, simple, and devotional. In keeping pace with the times, it expresses the delineaments of the genuinely aesthetic.

In 1969, the old church was transformed to a gym and with the help of the Booster's Club, many children of the parish were able to take part in the C.Y.O. sport programs.

Father Michael O'Brien came as an assistant to our parish in 1970, and resided here until his transfer in 1973. The total number of families was 720 and the parish debt was $400,000.00.
After being pastor of St. Ann's for 30 years, Father Milner retired in 1973. Father Thomas Phelan was appointed pastor and served St. Ann's until his transfer in 1983. Father Sean Heneghan came to St. Ann's in 1983, and during his pastorship the parish debt for the building of the church was paid off and in 1993, the church celebrated the 25th anniversary of the building of the new church.

In 1992, a Pastoral Unit was formed with Sacred Heart and it became the first formation of a Pastoral Unit in Pierce County. We are now known as the St. Ann/Sacred Heart Pastoral Unit.

Father Heneghan was transferred in July 1994, and Father John Koehler was appointed as Priest Administrator of the pastoral unit.