Document Type
Published Article
Source
OP Ignite
Publication Date
Summer 2026
Page Range
14 - 17
Abstract
Catherine Adelaide Goemaere (1809–1891), founder of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, was born in Warneton, a border town on the Lys River in what is now Belgium. At the time of her birth, Warneton lay at the crossroads of French and Flemish culture and language, and Catherine grew up fluent in both. Her early life unfolded amid political upheaval, military occupation, and religious persecution— conditions that would quietly shape her resilience and readiness for mission.