Dominican Sisters of San Rafael

The Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, better known as the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, is a institute of Religious Sisters belonging to the Third Order of St. Dominic founded in California in 1850 to teach the children of the new American territory. They also operate health facilities. They are located in San Rafael, California.

When the California Republic became an American territory in 1848, the Holy See, under Pope Pius IX, followed Vatican practice and split the Diocese of California, which had covered Alta California, between the United States and Mexico. Its seat was moved from San Diego to Monterey, with its name changed to the Diocese of Monterey. A new bishop was needed to lead it, and in May 1850 the choice fell upon a Spanish-born Dominican friar, Joseph Sadoc Alemany, who had established his Order in the United States and had become a citizen of the nation. He happened to be in Rome for a meeting of the friars there when he received word of his appointment, which he accepted only under obedience to the pope. He received consecration as a bishop the following month.

As he prepared for his new post on the edge of the American frontier, Alemany determined that he would need a community of religious women helping to build up his new diocese through teaching its children. In preparation for this he traveled around Europe, in the course of which he approached various Dominican monasteries of nuns. When he arrived in Paris, France, he went to the Monastery of the Cross. There he presented his request for volunteers from the community. He received only one, Sister Mary of the Cross Goemaere, O.P., (1809–1891) a Belgian novice.

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