The 20th mission to be founded in Upper California was named after St. Raphael the Archangel who was known as the angel of good health and is the patron saint of the blind and the sick. As one of the seven angels who stand before the throne of God, St. Raphael is honored throughout the Christian world.

Saint Rafael, The Archangel

Approved to be founded by Prefect Fray Vicente Francisco de Sarria in 1817, San Rafael was an Asistencia of Mission San Francisco for several years because it functioned as a convalescent hospital for neophytes weakened by the damp climate of the bayside mission. The friars named this site after the Archangel whose name means “healing of God” and the medically skilled Fray Luis Gil y Tabaoda served as director. Raised to mission status in 1822 San Rafael appears as an afterthought compared to the first 19 missions. There were no elaborate architectural plans and there was no time for artistic embellishment. Although it existed as a mission for only 10 years, it had a reputation for attracting many Indians into the community and was especially known for its grapes and pears and the development of a boat building industry. The land was confiscated in 1833 and the goods were stolen. After falling into complete ruin, a small replica of the church was built in 1949.