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Father Medawar died in 1929, and he was succeeded briefly by Father Nemetallah Saliba. Father Lawrence Sawaya and Father Cyril Anid also may have served the parish during this period. St. Ann's saw the arrival of a full-time pastor again in 1932 when Archimandrite Philip Salmone was appointed pastor. Father Salmone was a highly educated man, fluent in both English and Arabic. He had founded a Melkite Parish at LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 1906. During his tenure parishioners formed an active ladies' group, a men's group, a young adults' group and a religious education program. The church grew physically with the acquisition of land on William Street, and Father Salmone began to build a new church. Liturgy was still held in the small house at 51 William Street, but the newly constructed church basement was used for social functions. Father Salmone retired in May, 1950 due to ill health, and it remained for his successors to finish the superstructure for the new church.
A Melkite successor to Father Salmone was not found for two years. Since the parish was under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Father Edward G. Zebell was appointed administrator. During his tenure, a fire rendered the church unusable. Father Zebell borrowed some chairs and set up an altar in the newly built church basement, where services were held until the completion of the new church in 1959.
In August 1952, Patriarch Maximos IV responded to the parishioners' request for a Melkite pastor by sending Archimandrite Dimitri V. Hatoum from Lebanon. During Father Hatoum's pastorate of 25 years, the new church was completed, property at 47 William Street was renovated for a rectory, and the old church was torn down. On July 26, 1959 Bishop Lawrence J. Sheehan of the Bridgeport Diocese dedicated the new church structure. The building was an A-frame structure typical of Roman Catholic churches of that era. Inside, the use of statues, side alters, communion and Stations of the Cross created the visual impression of a Latin Rite church. The only Byzantine furnishing was the free standing altar surmounted by a marble baldachin.
Melkites living in America finally received their own bishop in 1966, with the appointment of Father Justin Najmy as Apostolic Exarch. Archbishop Joseph E. Tawil was sent to the United States as Apostolic Vicar after the death of Bishop Justin in 1968. In 1977 the Diocese was raised to the status of Eparchy and Archbishop Joseph was appointed the first Eparch of Newton. This period also saw the reintroduction of Melkite customs at St.Ann's. Father Hatoum had an iconostasis erected over the altar rail, seminarians such as Nicholas Samra organized a youth club to familiarize young people with the heritage of the Melkite Church, and services were more frequently celebrated in English.
St. Ann's began a new era in December 1976. Father Hatoum was transferred to St. Joseph's parish in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Father Roman Obrycki was sent to Danbury. Father Roman was assisted during this early period by Father Seraphim Michalenko and The Community of the Mother of God of Tenderness - Sisters Mary Ann Socha, Sophia Michalenko and Victoria Michalenko. Over the years the Sisters have given invaluable help in building a religious education program, and in singing for the English portions of the Liturgy.
Father Roman's tenure had brought a renewal of Melkite traditions. The three Sunday Liturgies were consolidated into one, and the Byzantine Rite was observed fully, without the Latin modifications that had crept into Melkite usage over the years. Arabic singing for the Liturgy was provided for many years by George David, and later by Souad Karam, a trained cantor from Lebanon. A new iconostasis, with icons painted by iconographer Christopher Kosmas, graced the sanctuary. For the first time parishioners saw the traditional Melkite services of Orthros, Vespers and Compline celebrated on a regular basis, and Holy Week services were restored to their Eastern solemnity and splendor.
The 1980s proved to be a decade of growth for the parish. Many families became active again in parish organizations: Ladies Guild, Youth Group, Theosis and Religious Education. With a large number of young people, the parish was forced to consider future plans. At first it became apparent that the rectory was unsafe and would have to be replaced. As the Archbishop Joseph once said from the pulpit, "If you love your priest, you will put him out of that rectory!" The parish debated plans to construct a building that would contain a rectory, classrooms and meeting space. In the meantime, a condominium was purchased in 1984 for Father's residence, and the old rectory was torn down.
The parish began to consider the scarcity of land on William Street and question the wisdom of building a new facility there. After nearly three years of discussion and decision-making, the parish purchased property on Clapboard Ridge Road for a new church structure. The property on William Street was sold to St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in February, 1988. After a brief period of sharing the church with the new congregation, St Ann's parishioners began holding Sunday services at Danbury High School, and eventually, the Lebanon-American Club. On feast days and during the Lenten period, St. Ann's parishioners enjoyed the hospitality of St. Nicholas Byzantine (Ruthenian) Church on Roberts Avenue. Holy Friday and Pascha Services were held at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church when calendars permitted, or at Sacred Heart Church. St. Anthony's Maronite Church kindly extended the use of their church for funerals and their parish hall for special events.
The building of the new St. Ann's church occupied most of the next five years. The processes of selecting a builder, deciding on a design, dealing with the land use agencies in the City of Danbury, and weathering the fluctuations in the national economy absorbed more time, money and energy than anyone at first had imagined. Father Roman was without a rectory for several months as the condominium was sold, and he lived with a hospitable parish family. Finally, he was provided with a new, permanent rectory next door to the church when the parish bought a "handyman's special" ranch house that became available for purchase. Several industrious parish members gutted the structure and renovated it, providing an attractive residence for the pastor..
During the winter and spring of 1991-1992, parishioners watched the new church structure slowly rise on Clapboard Ridge. Foundations gradually filled empty space, brick work covered cement block, arched framing sketched the outline, and three gold domes crowned the new house of worship. Nearly a decade passed after Archbishop Joseph exhorted the parish to plan for its future: "You must have courage! Those parishes that have decided to move, have grown; those parishes that have stayed where they are, have not grown or have died. The choice is yours."
As a parish family, St. Ann's had made the choice.
In the spring of 1993 father Roman Obrycki was succeeded by Deacon James K. Graham graduated who was appointed administrator in June, 1993. Fr James was ordained on 13 November 1993 in his home parish of St George, Sacramento, CA, by then-Auxiliary Bishop John Elya and was appointed pastor the following year.
