Mission San Rafael Arcángel facts for kids
The reconstructed capilla (chapel) of Mission San Rafael Arcángel is to the right of Saint Raphael's Church.
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 Location in California
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| Location | 1104 5th Avenue San Rafael, California 94901-2916 |
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| Coordinates | 37°58′27.6″N 122°31′40.5″W / 37.974333°N 122.527917°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión del Gloriosísimo Príncipe San Rafael, Arcángel |
| English translation | The Mission of the Glorious Prince, Archangel Saint Raphael |
| Patron | The Glorious Prince Saint Raphael, Archangel |
| Nickname(s) | "Mission of Bodily Healing" |
| Founding date | December 14, 1817 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Vicente Francisco de Sarría |
| Founding Order | Twentieth |
| Military district | Fourth |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Coast Miwok, Pomo |
| Native place name(s) | 'Anaguani |
| Baptisms | 1,821 |
| Marriages | 519 |
| Burials | 652 |
| Secularized | 1834 |
| Returned to the Church | 1855 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco |
| Current use | Chapel / Museum |
| Reference no. | 220 |
| Website | |
| http://saintraphael.com | |
Mission San Rafael Arcángel is a special Spanish mission located in San Rafael, California. Its full Spanish name means "The Mission of the Glorious Prince, Archangel Saint Raphael."
This mission started in 1817 as a kind of hospital. It was an asistencia (a smaller outpost) of Mission San Francisco de Asís. Its main job was to help sick and injured Native Americans. This made it Alta California's very first health center, or sanatorium. People believed the milder weather here would help patients get better.
At first, it wasn't meant to be a full mission on its own. But it grew and became successful. So, in 1822, it was given full mission status.
Over time, the mission buildings fell apart. By the 1860s, it was in very bad shape. It even earned the sad title of the "most obliterated" Spanish mission in California. A new church was built in 1861. The old mission ruins were completely removed by 1870. Today, a replica of the original chapel stands on the site. It was built in 1949, in front of the modern Saint Raphael's Church.
Contents
History of Mission San Rafael
Founding the Mission Hospital
Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded on December 14, 1817. Father Vicente Francisco de Sarría started it. It began as a medical outpost for the San Francisco Mission. Its purpose was to care for the many sick people there.
After it opened, many Native Americans who were ill moved to this new health center. They came from the San Francisco Mission. The mission became a full, independent mission on October 19, 1822.
Life and Growth at the Mission
The mission was quite productive. In 1831, it grew a lot of crops. This included 774 fanegas of wheat, 130 of corn, and 388 of barley. A fanega is an old unit of measurement for grain.
The mission also had many animals. In the same year, it owned 1,200 cattle and 450 horses. There were also 2,000 sheep and 17 pigs.
Changes After Mexican Rule
In 1833, the Mexican government took control of the missions. This happened after the Mexican secularization act of 1833. The missions were no longer run by the church.
In 1835, about 1,027 Native Americans lived at the mission. By 1840, this number had dropped to 150. The mission was abandoned by 1844. The empty buildings were sold for $8,000 in 1846.
The Mission Site Today
In 1847, a priest returned to live at the mission site. A new parish church was built near the old chapel ruins in 1861. By 1870, the last of the old mission ruins were removed. This made space for the growing City of San Rafael.
Only one thing remained from the original mission. It was a single pear tree from its old orchard. This is why San Rafael is known as the "most obliterated" of California's missions.
In 1949, a replica of the chapel was built. It stands next to the current Saint Raphael's Church. This new chapel is on the site where the original mission hospital once stood.
See also
In Spanish: Misión San Rafael Arcángel para niños
- Spanish missions in California
- List of Spanish missions in California
- Chief Marin
- Mission San Francisco de Asís
- Mission San Francisco Solano
- USNS Mission San Rafael (AO-130) – a ship built during World War II.
