Founded in LePuy, France in 1650, the Sisters of St. Joseph Chambery arrived in Wales from India in 1939. In 1958 they founded a house in Dublin at the invitation of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. The Welsh and Irish Sisters act as one province.
The Dublin house is currently St. Josephs Convent, Raheny. They sold the hospital in 1997, but still maintain a convent on the same site.
In 1977 they also bought a house for the purposes of supporting a novitiate, but sold this in 2005.
The Order has a varied apostolate worldwide, which includes schools, orphanages, colleges and hospitals. Their motto is “Ite ad Joseph” which is latin for “Go to Joseph”, being Saint Joseph of the Holy Family.
Their presence extended to many countries not traditionally known as Catholic such as Iceland, Denmark and Sweden. They went as far afield as Brazil, and India.