Grateful for the Sisters of St. Joseph

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The Sisters of St. Joseph have been instrumental in helping to form New Roads and the surrounding area in the 20th century. They have been associated with Pointe Coupee General Hospital, St. Joseph Academy, Catholic of Pointe Coupee, and St. Mary of False River.

The Sisters of St. Joseph first arrived in New Roads, Louisiana, in 1904 at the invitation of Father Francis La Roche.

In 1950, amid a shortage of graduate nurses, Dr. John Miller Mosely invited the Sisters to take over the operation of his expanding Mosely Clinic. Renamed the Sisters of St. Joseph Hospital, it soon became a cornerstone of healthcare in Pointe Coupee Parish. Despite financial challenges in the early 1950s, strong public support and the formation of the Lower Pointe Coupee Parish Hospital District ensured the Sisters’ work could continue.

Over the following decades, the Sisters oversaw expansions and improvements, including the addition of an annex in 1954 with living quarters, a chapel, and modernized medical facilities.

With financial help from the community, in 1968, construction of the Pointe Coupee General Hospital began and one year later the 60-bed building was completed. Around this time, the Sisters’ convent was also completed and they leased the hospital from Pointe Coupee Parish for an initial three year period.

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PCGH’s “new” chapel and meditation room, available for patients and visitors inside the hospital on the 2nd floor.

While the Sisters decided to not renew their lease in 1978, evidence of the Sisters’ early involvement in the development of PCGH is visible by their living quarters and chapel, both still located on campus today.

The Sisters’ chapel has since been converted to the Sisters of St. Joseph Conference Room. Taking its place, a new chapel and meditation room is available for patients and visitors inside the hospital on the 2nd floor, between the nursing station and 2-West.

September 2, 1954

A news clipping from the Pointe Coupee Banner's September 2nd, 1954 edition which includes an image of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Hospital's new Annex (image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity). The top of the Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse's clock tower can be seen behind the Annex on the left.

Despite the adjacent hospital building being demolished in 1977, the Annex exists today and has since been repurposed by the local government.

Circa 1960

Sister Mary David and aides work together, preparing clean linens (image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity).
Source: Pointe Coupee Parish Library

February 27, 1968

The Sisters and hospital can be seen in the background of this image taken during the 1968 Mardi Gras parade (image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity).
Source: Pointe Coupee Parish Library

June 1, 2019

Commonly referred to as “the Chapel”, the Sisters of St. Joseph Conference Room is one of the remaining physical influences from the Sisters.

In 2015, PCGH expanded with two new buildings. In honor of their hard work and dedication to the Pointe Coupee community, the new keystone building, a medical plaza, was named the Sisters of St. Joseph Medical Plaza.

We are extremely thankful for the Sisters of St. Joseph who did so much for our community through their health care ministries at the Sisters of St. Joseph Hospital, 1950 — 1969, and Pointe Coupee General Hospital, 1969 — 1978.

Sr. Henry Arceneaux

Sr. Mary Benken

Sr. Mary Lee Blouin

Sr. Barbara Ann Boudreaux

Sr. Frances Therese Broussard

Sr. Mildred Dayries

Sr. Mildred Guillot

Sr. Helena Hebert

Sr. Mary Grace Kleinpeter

Sr. Mary Alice LeBlanc

Sr. Beth Liuex

Sr. Mary Agnes Lorio

Sr. M. Benedicta Mackey

Sr. Mary David Nash

Sr. Anne Therese Pellegrin

Sr. Mary Charles Tageant

Sr. Celine Arrigo

Sr. Julia Elizabeth Blake

Sr. Albina Borne

Sr. Blanche Brisolara

Sr. M. Michael Conway

Sr. Louise Bernard Fannaly

Sr. Barbara Gail Hebert

Sr. Yvonne Joubert

Sr. Marie Emma Lasserre

Sr. Anne Madeleine LeBon

Sr. Anne Marie Lorio

Sr. Joseph Marie Lusk

Sr. Ann Victoria Muscarello

Sr. Zita Needham

Sr. Anne Bernadette Simmons

Sr. Jacinta Wingerberg