On October 2, 1937, Bishop William J. Hafey was transferred from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Scranton as Apostolic Administrator and Coadjutor with the Right of Succession. Less than six months later, Bishop O'Reilly passed away. Short though those ten years seemed for the deceased prelate, the decade itself had been truly momentous. And as time showed, equally memorable events were to occur during Bishop Hafey's years. They were to include the Second World War, the Cold War, the Korean Conflict, the onset of postwar inflation, and more. But despite those overriding temporal concerns, the Diocese of Scranton continued to advance.      

Blessed with the personality of a loving father, Bishop Hafey exuded an aura of competency and concern. Because his exercise of authority was cloaked in compassion, he was universally loved. 

He continued the work of his predecessors in creating new parishes, multiplying the number of buildings, and increasing the ranks of priests, brothers and sisters. But then, he went further. Realizing the necessity of area-wide appeals if new facilities were to be provided for meeting social needs such as education, health care, and youth activities, he initiated two major fund raising drives, each termed a "House of Charity," and he brought both to successful conclusions.

Bishop Hafey died on May 12, 1954.