The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael celebrated their sesquicentennial in the millennial year of 2000—the 150th anniversary of the arrival in San Francisco of their Franco-Belgian founder, Mother Mary Goemaere. This Dominican congregation has ministered in the diocese since its foundation. Although called San Rafael Dominicans, the first implantation was a convent and school in Monterey. With the creation of the archdiocese of San Francisco, the young congregation relocated to Benicia. Only in 1889 was the motherhouse situated in San Rafael. The first fifty years saw rapid growth and expansion and financial problems.

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