History
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History |
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Founded: 14 December 1817 by Padre Vicente de Sarría
Named for: Saint Raphael the Archangel
Number in Series: 20th
Indian Name: Awániwi (Nanaguami)
Brand: 
1816-17: Discussions and correspondence took place between Governor Solá and Padre Ramón Abella at Mission San Francisco de Asís. These discussions centered on the high death and sickness rate at the San Francisco mission; a rate that had been high for some 40 years, since the founding of the mission in San Francisco. Padre Abella put the causes into three categories:
The weather at the San Francisco mission was also considered a strong factor and Governor Solá suggested an experiment: moving some of the Indian population to a sunnier site across the Golden Gate (the water passage; not the bridge!) that had been scounted out by Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga. The experiment was tried with a group of ailing Indians and after a short time they showed a marked improvement. Padre Gil y Taboada, being educated in medical science of the day, volunteered to minister at this new location.
13 December 1817: A group of padres, including Padre Vicente de Sarría, Padre Gil y Taboada and support people left the San Francisco Presidio. They arrived across the bay and planted a cross as the sun set over the hills.
14 December 1817: Mass was said and the asistencia of Saint Rafael, the Archangel, was formally dedicated. [Side note: Rafael means "healing of God".] At this point San Rafael became the first sanitarium in California. Despite the fact that this was only supposed to be a health asistencia, on the first day some 26 people were baptized at San Rafael.
1818: Simple adobe buildings were erected at the site. The main building was 87 feet long and 42 feet wide. It was basically one building divided into storehouses, a hospital for the sick, and a monastery for the padres. An open corridor ran down one side of the building. A church was also constructed at one end of the building and at 90-degrees to it. The church had no tower and the bells for it were hung outside the front door on a wooden frame.
No quadrangle was ever built on this site.
1819: Padre Gil's success at San Rafael brought the number of Indians there to 382 in the first year and the healing value of the site drew the sick from all areas around the site. After two years at San Rafael Padre Gil was replaced by Padre Juan Amorós from Carmel. [Side note: Padre Gil moved around and ended up as pastor at San Luis Obispo 20 Dec 1831 to 21 Nov 1833. His grave is in the church there.]
While the Mission at Sonoma is perhaps better known as being established to help hold the Russians expansion at bay, Mission San Rafael also had a hand in the politics. Padre Gil even traveled with an expedition up to Bodega Bay with the thought of establishing missions at Petaluma and Suisun; neither of which got close to being established.
19 October 1822: Under Padre Amorós San Rafael flourished even more. So, on this date the asistencia was promoted to full Mission status. Production at the Mission continued to increase and it became famous for its pears.
1832: Padre Amorós dies this year. He is replaced by Padre José María Mercado. Unfortunately, Padre Mercado was short-tempered and sometimes acted rashly. Reports are that upon seeing a group of Indians he did not recognize approaching he armed a group of Mission Indians. These attacked the incoming group, killing 21 and wounding more. Padre Mercado was suspended for six months for this action.
1834: Mexico's Secularization
Laws were ratified in 1834. While one of the last to be established, Mission San Rafael was the first to be secularized. Military Commandant Mariano Vallejo was ordered to carry out the secularization of the Mission and distribute property to the Mission Indians. Vallejo, however, saw an opportunity for personal profit. While saying he was acting to benefit the Indians, he actually added the Mission properties to his own holdings in the area and put the Indians to work for him. Vallejo even went so far as to have the pear trees and grape vines dug up and moved to his lands.
While headquartered in Sonoma, General Vallejo's property was the Petaluma Adobe; now a California State park. See here for additional information: http://www.parks.sonoma.net/adobe.html
July 1846: Shortly after raising the Bear Flag at Sonoma, General John C. Frémont was at the Mission San Rafael properties (the structures had not yet collapsed). His lookouts spied three people land from a boat that crossed from San Pablo. The famous Kit Carson (picture to right) was one of the three men sent to intercept them. Carson asked Frémont if the three were to be captured. According to Jasper O'Farrell, Frémont replied, "I have no room for prisoners." With those instructions in mind Carson's party approached the three and shot them. Sadly, the three were from Rancho San Pedro where Frémont had recently stayed. It's likely they were messengers but we'll never know because they were killed as spies, with no investigation. Frémont met much criticism but never gave any excuse for the act.
1870: The Mission buildings, being abandoned and in extreme disrepair, were demolished and replaced with a new parish church.
1949: A replica of the old church building was constructed. Since there were no plans to work from many guesses were made in the reconstruction. True to the original, the front was simple with the Mission bell hung on a wooden frame by the door.
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