On December 14, 1817, four priests - Father Narciso Duran from San Jose, Father Abella from San Francisco, Father Gil y Taboada and Father Serria, the President of the Missions, raised a cross and performed the founding ceremony. The asistencia was named for the angel of healing, San Rafael Archangel.
Father Luis Gil, who knew some medicine and spoke many native American languages, was put in charge of the tiny outpost. The Fathers wrapped the sick in blankets, put them in boats and took them across the bay to recover.
Early Years of Mission San Rafael Archangel
Father Gil was a good doctor. By the end of the first year, Mission San Rafael Archangel population grew to 300, transfers from San Francisco and some local converts. Father Gil served two years then turned it over to Father Juan Amoros.Father Amoros was an energetic priest who went out looking for converts. One by one, he found them and built Mission San Rafael Archangel up. He was the only priest there, and by himself he also grew the businesses - farming, ranching, sandal-making, blacksmithing, harness-making, carpentry and boat building (Mission San Rafael Archangel was one of only a few missions to build ships). By 1822, Father Amoros converted so many of the local Miwok Indians that Mission San Rafael Archangel got full status on September 19, 1822. The next year, a controversy broke out over whether to close Mission San Rafael Archangel and build a new one at Sonoma. It looked like the history of Mission San Rafael Archangel would be short, but eventually the church decided to have two missions north of San Francisco, and Mission San Rafael Archangel was saved. It grew to 1,140 converts by 1828.
