On June 21, 1935, Rev. Anthony Hack O.S.B. was appointed Fifth Pastor of Holy Rosary Parish when Father Wiechmann was transferred to Saint Edward’s in Shelton. Father Hack had been an Assistant Pastor at Holy Rosary from 1929 to 1930, and he had been baptized at Holy Rosary Church in 1892.
The acoustics of the church were improved with the installation of a public address system, including a microphone in the pulpit with four loudspeakers.
The parish suffered as the effects of the Great Depression ground on. Many families were displaced and the parish debt climbed. Nevertheless, enrollment at the school continued to climb and the principal, Sr. Placidia Haehn, O.S.B., spearheaded the installation of a school library.
On October 19, 1941 the parish celebrated our Golden Jubilee in grand style, with a procession through the streets culminating in a Solemn High Mass sung by former pastor Rev. Mark Wiechmann O.S.B. in the presence of the Most Rev. Gerald Shaughnessy, Bishop of Seattle. The sermon was preached by the Rt. Rev. Lambert Burton O.S.B. Abbot of Saint Martin’s.
School enrollment skyrocketed with the many families moving to Tacoma to find work during the Second World War. The Tower Room in the church was even renovated as an extra classroom.
In 1946, for the first time, the parish debt was completely paid off.
In June of 1949, Father Hack had a heart attack. While he recuperated, Rev. Lawrence Piotrzkowski O.S.B. was appointed interim Pastor until July of 1950. Father Hack had a second heart attack on January 14, 1951, and this time he did not recover. The entire parish community went into deep mourning, and the Requiem Mass was standing room only.