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With two words of counsel, “Have courage,” three young Dominican Sisters, Maria Pia Backes, Maria Amanda Bednartz and Maria Salesia Fichtner, were on their way from New York to establish a school for German immigrants in the small parish of St. Boniface in San Francisco, California in 1876.
The educational efforts of these three pioneer women would soon grow into an international congregation as their mission took root, flourished and planted new seeds.
The California foundation eventually separated from New York, becoming the Congregation of the Queen of the Holy Rosary. After the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, the Motherhouse was moved to Mission San Jose, California.
We, as an international congregation have continued to move and reshape our geographic proportions to accomodate the need perceived by successive generations for Mother Pia's dream of an excellent Catholic education for all.