Sisters of the Holy Family (California)
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The Sisters of the Holy Family (S.H.F.) of San Francisco, California, are community of Roman Catholic women religious established in 1872 by Lizzie Armer, known in religion as Sister Dolores Armer. Originally based in San Francisco, the S.H.F. community moved their headquarters to Fremont, California, over the course of ten years between 1948 and 1958.
Born in 1850 in Sydney, Australia, Lizzie Armer (full name Elizabeth but always known as “Lizzie”) moved with her family to San Francisco while still a young child. Not much is known of her early childhood, but at some point during her youth Lizzie Armer was adopted into the wealthy home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Tobin, parents of Richard M. Tobin. Richard Tobin was one of the original founders of Hibernia Savings and Loan, along with his brother Robert Tobin. With the support of the Tobin family, Lizzie developed her interest in charitable work, focusing on families and children in poverty.
In 1870s San Francisco existing Sisterhoods already ran orphanages, hospitals and schools for middle class and wealthy young women, but there was a void in charitable work specifically for the aid of families of the working poor.[1] With the support of San Francisco’s first Archbishop, Joseph Sadoc Alemany, and Father John J. Prendergast, Lizzie Armer moved into a small home near Pine and Jones Streets in 1872 and began the new S.H.F. order.[2]