Will Tacoma’s landmark Catholic church be saved? Here’s one group’s proposal
Holy Rosary Church’s survival is hanging by a thread and now a Catholic lay organization has proposed throwing it a lifeline. The group sent a proposal and purchase offer to the Seattle Archdiocese Monday. If approved, the 104-year-old church, surrounding buildings and grounds would become a Catholic cultural center.
The offer doesn’t come out of the blue. On Aug. 21, the Archdiocese asked the group to come up with a plan by end of day Monday.
If approved, the now closed Holy Rosary would be restored and the entire facility would become a place of worship and cultural hub, according to organizers.
“We want to keep it for the future generations,” said lead organizer Jack Connelly. “We’re going to restore and put it back into service.”
Vatican appeal
Earlier this year, the Vatican granted an appeal of Archbishop Paul Etienne’s decree to demolish Holy Rosary. That didn’t save the church outright, but it did send the issue back to the Archdiocese for further consideration.
On Aug. 21, Father Tuan Nguyen, the pastor who oversees Pope Saint John XXIII Parish and by extension Holy Rosary, asked the group to send him their ideas for preserving the church.
Connelly, a prominent Tacoma attorney, established Domus Dei Porta Coeli LLC, a Catholic lay organization, in 2023 in order to purchase and administer the church as a Catholic chapel. By church law, the fundraising group formed in 2019, Save Tacoma’s Landmark Church, can’t actually own the property.
Purchase offer
In the proposal, the lay organization would pay the parish $1 million. Domus Dei Porta Coeli would then repair and refurbish the church and return it to a place of worship consistent with Canon Law. It would hold two Catholic masses per year.
Save Tacoma’s Landmark Church will continue to fundraise for the full estimated $17 million restoration of the church, according to STLC spokesperson Jonathan Carp.
“Destruction of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary’s Church which stands by a major, busy freeway at the entrance of the City of Tacoma would be a major public relations disaster for the Catholic Church in Western Washington,” Monday’s proposal states.
Archdiocese response
In response to an inquiry from The News Tribune, Seattle Archdiocese spokesperson Helen McClenahan said Tuesday that several proposals from various groups and individuals have been submitted to the Archdiocese.
“Since they have not reviewed these yet, it would be too soon to comment on any one proposal,” she said.
The request for new ideas followed the Vatican’s ruling, McClenahan said.
“Due to this, the parish leaders saw an opportunity once again (to) revisit proposals about the future of the Holy Rosary building,” she said.
History
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, located at 520 South 30th St. in Tacoma, was built by the city’s immigrants in 1921.
The church, with its 210-foot steeple, is an icon for Tacomans and those passing through the city on nearby Interstate 5. Despite its age, it’s the newer version of a predecessor where famed crooner Bing Crosby’s parents were married. The Gothic Revival architecture features pointed arches, intricate stained glass windows and ornate details.
In 2018, a 5-by-5 foot piece of plaster ceiling fell into the choir loft. An inspection revealed dangerous conditions inside and outside the building. It has since been unoccupied.
In August 2019, then-Archbishop J. Peter Sartain said the building would be demolished, sparking a public outcry and the formation of Save Tacoma’s Landmark Church. In 2020, the newly appointed Etienne declared that Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish was unviable. It was later merged into what would become Pope St. John XXIII Parish.
In 2023, Etienne declared that the church would be relegated to “profane but not sordid use.” That essentially made the building and property eligible to be sold.
“The decision to sell the property at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was not easy and was grounded in months of discernment, prayer, analysis and discussion,” Pope St. John XXIII Parish leaders said in a June 2023 statement.
The Light on the Hill
In addition to bringing the church building back to life, other buildings (a school, rectory and convent) could also become viable spaces again, according to Connelly’s wife, Angela Connelly. Ideas include a museum, garden outdoor shrine and event center, she said.
Under the proposal, the new center would be known as “The Light on the Hill Center.”
Holy Rosary has been part of the Connellys’ lives since their childhoods, they said. Angela can recall taking piano lessons from an elderly nun there.
“She gave my grandmother piano lessons at Holy Rosary,” she said of the sister.
On Monday afternoon, the church was surrounded by a chain link fence as a new chapter was opened in the years-long effort to save it.
“This has been a frustrating process because of the difficulty understanding why people are not working together for this purpose,” Connelly said.
This story was originally published August 28, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
