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Beginnings
Fr. Michael O’Callahan
In 1909, Seattle Bishop Edward O’Dea directed Rev. Daniel A. Hanly to form the first West Seattle parish. Prior to that, people who lived in West Seattle had to go downtown to attend Mass. Not too long after, Fr. Hanly dedicated a humble little wood frame house at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Hill Street perched on a cliff overlooking Elliott Bay as The Church of Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.
When Fr. Michael O’Callaghan replaced Fr. Hanly in 1910, he realized that increasing attendance was making the current location unsuitable. In 1913, Holy Rosary Church’s location was moved to the corner of California Avenue and Hanford. A small wood frame building was constructed to serve as the Parish’s first parochial school.
The first Holy Rosary School, 1913
The first Holy Rosary School was staffed by four Dominican sisters from the Aquinas Academy in Tacoma with Sister Mary Alberta serving as the first principal. The School articulated Fr. O’Callahan’s vision that, in instructing its students in the external as well as temporal things, it would turn out well-rounded graduates who were well-suited to tackling the challenges of their lives ahead.
The Growing Years
1927 Class Photo
With church attendance growing and school enrollment topping 200 students in 1920, Fr. O’Callahan realized the need for even larger facilities. And as it has always been, the Parish community answered the call.
In 1922, the cornerstone for a new school building was laid on property along 42nd Avenue near Genessee. And on the morning of January 3, 1923, excited students assembled in the new brick building. By the end of that year, enrollment had grown to 300 students! Parish Masses were conducted in the School Hall and continued until the church building was completed in 1938.
Sister Mary Carmelita
With Fr. O’Callahan’s unexpected passing in 1924, Fr. James Lanigan was appointed to take his stead. A year later, Sister Mary Carmelita became the principal of the school. Their tenures continued on through the 1950s. Both are instrumental in shaping the parish and the school to what it is today.
The years that followed saw the completion of a new church in 1938, a convent in 1947 to accommodate the Dominican Sisters who taught at the school, a school addition in 1953 for high school students, and eventually, a high school building.
Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, the high school sadly closed in 1972. These years also saw a gradual transition to a lay teaching staff. It was a time of many changes, in which the school and the parish went through periods of challenge and adversity.
The School in 1961
But throughout all these, the Holy Rosary pioneering Catholic ethic continued to shine: students, parents, teachers, and parishioners working jointly towards helping students, the children of the community, achieve the high educational standards that have come to be expected from its graduates.
This selfless spirit of teamwork continues on to this day and helps prepare schoolchildren for a positive, productive future by providing them with a complete well-rounded education at all levels: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, and physical.
Modern Times
Pursuit of this goal requires continual self-assessment, renewal, and improvement. Since 1991, the School has updated every area of the curriculum through the purchase of new textbooks and materials. In September 1996, a three-year fundraising project allowed for the seismic retrofitting of the school building as well as the addition of an elevator and wheelchair-accessible restrooms. In 1997, the School purchased over 50 new computers and completed a state-of-the-art media center, library, and computer lab. In December 2004, the computer lab was once again updated through a generous grant from the E.L. Weigand Foundation, allowing the School to continue to integrate new technology into the curriculum.
During the 1996-1997 school year, Holy Rosary School was recognized as a School of Excellence by the Department of Education and was honored with the prestigious Blue Ribbon School Award in November 1997. This marks the second time the school was so honored, having first received the award in the 1989-1990 school year.
Although much has changed over the past century, many things have nevertheless remained the same. As they receive a rigorous basic education students continue to learn priceless truths and traditions of the Catholic faith and, building upon that foundation, develop a value system based on Christ’s teachings.
As it approaches its centennial year, Holy Rosary School, with its rich tradition and history, continues to shine as a place where a parish community works together to help its children acquire the tools to cope with the challenges ahead towards a bright and prayerful future.
