In 1920, the Sisters open the 28 bed St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, CA with 18 Sisters and one lay nurse.

St. Joseph Health System is a ministry of The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, who trace their roots back to 17th Century France and the unique vision of a Jesuit priest named Jean-Pierre Medaille.

He sought to organize an order of religious women who, rather than remaining safely cloistered in a convent, would venture out into the community, seek out "the dear neighbors" and minister to their needs. The congregation managed to survive the turbulence of the French Revolution and eventually expanded, not only throughout France, but throughout the world.

In 1912, a small contingent of the Sisters of St. Joseph went to Eureka, California, at the invitation of the local bishop, to establish a school.  A few years later, the great influenza epidemic of 1918 caused the sisters to temporarily abandon their education efforts to care for the sick in their homes.  They realized immediately that the small community desperately needed a hospital.  In 1920, the sisters opened 28-bed St. Joseph Hospital of Eureka, and their new health care ministry was born.

Learn more about the history of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange