These 4 Tacoma Catholic churches will combine into one new parish under proposal
Too many churches and not enough priests and parishioners are driving four Tacoma Catholic parishes to combine into one under a plan proposed by the Archdiocese of Seattle.
St. Rita, St. Ann, Visitation and Holy Rosary will form a new parish located on the current campus of St. Ann. St. John of the Woods would become an associated mission.
The new name of the parish and the new pastor has not yet been chosen, the Archdiocese said. There is no established completion date for the merger, according to Archdiocese spokeswoman Helen McClenahan.
The new parish would support a school, a Vietnamese ministry and other resources. All of the four parishes’ assets would become the property of the new parish.
In a video message, Archbishop Paul Etienne said strategic planning for the merger has been underway for sometime.
“It’s been led by the priests of your own Deanery who have examined the strengths and weaknesses of the parishes and have made recommendations on changes needed to better serve God’s people,” he said.
The planning was happening before part of the ceiling of Holy Rosary collapsed in 2018, forcing the closure of the building. A volunteer group not associated with the Archdiocese is leading an effort to save the building.
In August, Etienne said the parish was no longer viable and must merge with another. The Holy Rosary issues made the overall merger situation more urgent, Etienne said.
Together, the four parishes represent 1,160 households.
So far, there’s been one round of parish information sessions, according to a report by the Rev. Daniel Mueggenborg. Each parish has six to eight parishioners, appointed by the pastor, who make up an exploratory group.
“This is undoubtedly a challenging journey – and one that none of us would elect to take,” Mueggenborg wrote. “However, faced with today’s realities – fewer active Catholics, an abundance of parishes, a lack of priests, and a decline in many ministries and Sacraments – we must consolidate our efforts so that we can be better positioned to achieve our mission of spreading the Gospel.”
The issues facing the Catholic church are not unique to Tacoma. Some 7% of U.S. Catholic parishes have closed over the past 10 years, according to Mueggenborg.
In the Seattle Archdiocese, average mass attendance fell from 148,500 in 1999 to 125,500 in 2018 — a 15.5% decrease — despite a population increase of 28.4%.
St. Ann was chosen as the new location in Tacoma because it has the newest and largest facilities, the Archdiocese said.
Tacoma Catholic churches to become new single parish
▪ St. Rita of Cascia: 1403 S. Ainsworth Ave., Tacoma. The Hilltop church began with an Italian immigrant congregation in 1922.
▪ St. Ann: 7025 S. Park Ave., Tacoma. Established in 1924, the church serves many different ethnic communities.
▪ Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 3314 S. 58th St., Tacoma. Dedicated in 1925, the ministry was staffed by Benedictine Sisters of St. Benedict’s Convent in Minnesota. Its STEM-focused school will be moved to St. Ann’s campus.
▪ Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: 424 S. 30th St., Tacoma. The current 100-year-old church building, a Tacoma landmark, is under threat of demolition. The church’s bilingual academy relocated to Fife and will not be affected by the merger.
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 5:10 AM.
