About Holy Rosary · Tacoma, Washington
Holy Rosary (formally Our Lady of the Holy Rosary) was a Catholic parish in Tacoma, Washington, founded in 1891 to serve the city's German-speaking Catholic population. From its beginning it was entrusted to Benedictine monks from St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, and its pastors remained Benedictine until 1998. Its striking Gothic Revival church, built in 1920–1921 and designed by parishioner C. Frank Mahon of the firm Lundberg & Mahon, has been called 'Tacoma's Notre Dame' because of its commanding presence on the skyline and its visibility from Interstate 5. In 2020 the Archdiocese of Seattle determined the parish was no longer viable, and on July 1, 2021 Holy Rosary was formally amalgamated into St. Ann Parish; a year later that parish merged with Visitation and St. Rita of Cascia to form Pope St. John XXIII Parish. In May 2024 the Vatican declared the prior archbishop's demolition order null and void, opening a path to restoring the historic church building, which has been on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's Most Endangered Places list since 2020.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
- Rector
- Fr. Tuan V. Nguyen, D.D. (pastor of the merged Pope St. John XXIII Parish; previously pastor of Holy Rosary)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle (amalgamated in 2021; now part of Pope St. John XXIII Parish)
Why belong here
Although Holy Rosary Parish itself was amalgamated in 2021, its historic German-Catholic and Benedictine legacy lives on in the surrounding Tacoma faith community. The parish's proudest tradition was its commitment to Catholic education — it founded the first Catholic school in Pierce County in 1891, and in 2012 launched the first two-way Spanish/English dual language immersion program in a Washington Catholic school. Today the parish's people, ministries, and bilingual educational mission are carried forward by Pope St. John XXIII Parish at 7025 South Park Ave in Tacoma, which offers Mass in English and Vietnamese, daily adoration, and a family of faith communities formed from Holy Rosary, St. Ann, Visitation, and St. Rita of Cascia.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (historical Holy Rosary schedule)
Adoration times
- Saturday 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM with Benediction at 4:45 PM (historical)
Founding and Benedictine Heritage
Holy Rosary was established in 1891 when Bishop Egidius Junger of Nesqually invited Benedictine monks from St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, to serve Tacoma's growing German-speaking Catholic population. Father William Eversmann, O.S.B., was sent to found the parish, and Sisters of St. Benedict from St. Joseph, Minnesota, soon arrived to open the first Catholic school in Pierce County that same September. The parish remained under Benedictine pastoral leadership for more than a century — until 1998 — and although it is no longer a Benedictine parish, it long maintained the Order's proud academic tradition.
- Founded 1891 by Father William Eversmann, O.S.B.
- Originally served German-speaking Catholics; Mass celebrated in German
- Benedictine pastoral leadership from 1891 to 1998
The 1920 Church Building
After nearly a decade of services held in the adjacent school auditorium (from 1912), the cornerstone of the present Gothic Revival church was laid on May 30, 1920, by Bishop Joseph McGrath on behalf of Bishop O'Dea of Seattle. The new church was formally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 13, 1921. Designed by parishioner C. Frank Mahon of the prominent Tacoma firm Lundberg & Mahon — the firm's most notable design — the building is sited at the terminus of Tacoma Avenue and has been a defining feature of the Tacoma skyline ever since. The City of Tacoma designated it an official landmark in 1975.
- Architect: C. Frank Mahon, Lundberg & Mahon, Tacoma
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Cornerstone laid May 30, 1920; dedicated November 13, 1921
- City of Tacoma Landmark, 1975
- Steeple re-sheathed in copper (1994); stained glass restored (1998)
School and Bilingual Education
Holy Rosary School, founded in September 1891 by the Benedictine sisters, was the first Catholic school in Pierce County. In 2012 it became the first Catholic school in Washington State to launch a two-way Spanish/English dual language immersion program, with a 50:50 model that mixed Spanish- and English-dominant speakers in each classroom from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. As demographic changes affected the original Tacoma neighborhood, the school relocated to Fife, Washington, in 2020, and continues today as Holy Rosary Bilingual Academy (formerly Juan Diego Academy), serving students in Pre-K (age 3) through 8th grade.
- First Catholic school in Pierce County (1891)
- First two-way Spanish/English dual language immersion program in a Washington Catholic school (2012)
- Relocated to Fife, WA, in 2020; now Holy Rosary Bilingual Academy
- Pre-K (age 3) through 8th grade
Liturgical Schedule (Historical)
The historical Holy Rosary schedule, as published on the Archdiocese of Seattle's parish directory, listed all Masses in the Ordinary use of the Roman Rite in English. The parish maintained a daily Mass schedule and Saturday Vigil, with Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons.
- Saturday Vigil: 7:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM and 12:00 Noon
- Monday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 AM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM
- Holy Days: please contact parish
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00 PM
- Adoration: Saturday 3:30–4:45 PM with Benediction at 4:45 PM
Clergy
At the time of the parish's amalgamation, Holy Rosary was served by a team of five priests under the leadership of Father Tuan V. Nguyen, D.D., as pastor, supported by four parochial vicars.
- Rev. Tuan V. Nguyen, D.D. — Pastor
- Rev. Cal R. Christiansen — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Jacob M. Maurer — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Gilberto Mora-Tapia — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Poao Saena — Parochial Vicar
Suppression, Amalgamation, and the Road to Restoration
In the fall of 2018, a chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling into the choir loft, and the church was deemed unsafe; Masses moved to the school auditorium. The Archdiocese of Seattle estimated full rehabilitation at roughly $18 million, and in August 2019 Archbishop J. Peter Sartain decreed the century-old building be demolished. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne subsequently declared the parish unviable, ordering services to cease at the end of August 2020. On July 1, 2021, Holy Rosary was amalgamated into neighboring St. Ann Parish; one year later St. Ann merged with Visitation and St. Rita of Cascia to form Pope St. John XXIII Parish. Archbishop Etienne then declared the building eligible for sale ('profane but not sordid use'). On May 1, 2024, the Vatican declared Archbishop Sartain's demolition order null and void, paving the way for restoration of the historic church.
- Building closed October 2018; Masses moved to school auditorium
- $18 million rehabilitation estimate (2019)
- Archbishop Sartain decrees demolition (August 2019)
- All services and ministries ordered to cease (August 2020)
- Amalgamated into St. Ann Parish (July 1, 2021); then into Pope St. John XXIII Parish (2022)
- Vatican declares demolition order null and void (May 1, 2024)
Preservation Efforts — Save Tacoma's Landmark Church
Soon after the 2019 demolition announcement, community members formed the nonprofit Save Tacoma's Landmark Church (STLC) to raise awareness and funds to repair and restore Holy Rosary. STLC hosted spaghetti dinners, a classic film series at the Blue Mouse, and a January 2020 gala at the Connelly Center at Bellarmine Preparatory School that raised over $130,000. By the end of 2019 the group had raised more than $400,000 in cash and pledges, and announced a $1 million pledge from the Jack and Angela Connelly Family Foundation (a $500,000 direct gift plus a $500,000 match). The building has been on the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's Most Endangered Places list since 2020.
- Save Tacoma's Landmark Church (STLC) nonprofit
- Gala at Bellarmine Preparatory School raised $130,000+ (January 2020)
- $1 million pledge from Jack and Angela Connelly Family Foundation (2019)
- Listed on Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's Most Endangered Places (2020)
Successor Parish: Pope St. John XXIII
Following Archbishop Etienne's vision for a sustainable Catholic community in Tacoma, the Pierce Deanery recommended merging Holy Rosary, Visitation, St. Rita, and St. Ann parishes into one new parish associated with the mission of St. John of the Woods — Pope St. John XXIII Parish. The parish is led by Fr. Tuan Nguyen, pastor, and Fr. Hendry Arockiasamy, parochial vicar, and now offers Mass in English and Vietnamese, daily adoration, and a unified Catholic school (Pope St. John XXIII STEM Academy). In 2024 it became one of the Archdiocese of Seattle's new 'Parish Family' groupings under Partners in the Gospel.
- Parish Family #38 under Partners in the Gospel (July 2024)
- Pastor: Fr. Tuan Nguyen; Parochial Vicar: Fr. Hendry Arockiasamy
- Mass in English and Vietnamese; daily adoration on Thursdays
- Address: 7025 South Park Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408
- Phone: (253) 472-1360 | Email: [email protected] | Web: psj23.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William Eversmann, O.S.B.1891
First pastor; sent from the Benedictine Monastery of St. John, Collegeville, MN, to found Holy Rosary Parish. Celebrated Mass in German.