Društvo sv. Rafaela osnovao je 1913. godine zagrebački nadbiskup Antun Bauer s ciljem da se organizira pastoralni rad s hrvatskim iseljenicima u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama. To društvo osnovano je u vrijeme masovnog ekonomskog iseljavanja iz hrvatskih zemalja i organizirano po uzoru na istoimena takva društva koja su postojala u europskim državama za njihove emigrante. Organizacija Društva sv. Rafaela prvi je pokušaj organizirane brige i pastoralne skrbi za hrvatsko iseljeništvo. Nadbiskup Bauer povjerio je organizaciju Društva franjevcima Hrvatske franjevačke provincije sv. Ćirila i Metoda. Vodeća osoba u radu i organizaciji Društva bio je franjevac o. Ivan Franković, tajnik Društva. Aktivno djelovanje Društva sv. Rafaela bilo je kratko: osnovano je 1913. godine da bi izbijanjem Prvoga svjetskog rata njegov rad prestao i nije se više obnovio. U članku su prikazane okolnosti u kojima je Društvo osnovano, poticaji za njegovo osnivanje i njegovo kratkotrajno aktivno djelovanje. Članak se temelji na sačuvanom arhivskom gradivu Društva sv. Rafaela, koje je najvećim dijelom stvorio, sabrao i sačuvao o. Ivan Franković.The Croatian Society of St Raphael, founded in 1913, is quite poorly researched in our historiography. Many authors sporadically mention him in scholarly articles dealing with the history of the Croatian diaspora in the United States. The main reason why the Society and its activities have not been thoroughly researched is the fact that archival sources about the Society were unknown and inaccessible. As already mentioned, the Society of St Rafael was founded in May 1913 as a result of the efforts of Archbishop Antun Bauer of Zagreb, who, at the instigation of Pope Pius X, organized and established pastoral care for a growing number of Croatian emigrants across the Atlantic, especially in the United States. Bauer applied the model of the national societies of St Raphael since this type of society had previously been used in many Catholic nations as successful in achieving pastoral care for their emigrants. The organization of the Society was entrusted to the Society of the Franciscans of Zagreb, among which the most prominent were the Franciscan Provincial, Fr. Rafael Rodić, and the Secretary of the Society, Fr. Ivan Franković. The influence of Rodić on the work of the Society was paramount, since he wrote the Rules of the Society, and was the first official visit to the United States on behalf of the Archbishop of Zagreb. On the other hand, Franković was the main organizer and coordinator of all activities of the Society of St Raphael. Unfortunately, the Society operated only for a short time because the First World War had already begun in August 1914, and the War firstly reduced and finally stopped any quality work of the Society. Nevertheless, in this short period, the Society achieved impressive results and laid an excellent foundation for further work after the War. Thus, the establishment and operation of the Society of St Raphael is the first attempt to organize systematic pastoral care for Croatian emigrants
