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In 1854, there was a cholera and typhus outbreak within the city of Hamilton. At the same time, many immigrants were crossing the Atlantic Ocean looking for a better life in the New World. Often ships were overcrowded, which led to the spreading of disease. Newcomers often did not have large support networks, like family and neighbours, upon their arrival. This made life even more difficult if the family was dealing with illness or the death of a loved one. Factors like these resulted in Hamilton having a large orphan population. The Sisters of St. Joseph established St. Mary’s Orphanage in 1852 in response to the rising concern for orphaned children within the city.

Initially, the Sisters cared for two orphaned girls in their first convent on MacNab and Cannon Streets. In 1857, an orphan girls’ quarters was located in the Sisters’ second convent at 204 Park Street. The girls lived in the Carmel Wing located under the novitiate. Additions to the property were made on various occasions to meet the needs of the increasing number of children. Both boys and girls resided on the property, although they were housed separately. In 1880, the boys were then moved to a wing in the House of Providence, which was a facility to care for the aged. The building had been donated by Reverend John McNulty. In 1900, the House of Providence burned down which meant that the boys had to move again, this time going into individual homes for care until a new building was opened on the convent property in 1909. In 1910, Mount Carmel Infants’ Home was built on Hamilton Mountain. Young, “delicate” children were cared for in this facility until 1926. In 1936, the girls of St. Mary’s Orphanage were moved from the Park Street convent to the newly built Mount St. Joseph Orphanage at 354 King Street West, a diocesan property. This became known as the Mount St. Joseph Girls’ Division of St. Mary’s Orphanage. The boys later joined the girls at Mount St. Joseph in 1951. This was the first time that the orphanage was co-ed. Mount St. Joseph was administered by St. Mary’s Orphanage.

In 1960, Mount St. Joseph Orphanage became Mount St. Joseph Centre, a school for emotionally disturbed boys. This Centre remained open until 1978.

The Sisters worked tirelessly to provide for the orphaned children. They also fostered children, whose parents paid for their room and board. One of the main ways that the Sisters funded the orphanage was through the annual Orphans’ Festival. This Festival not only helped raise funds for the orphans, but also instilled them with musical and theatrical talents. The festivals were heavily attended by the local community. The Sisters also went to surrounding rural communities to ask for donations and food for the orphanage.

The hospital was called St. Paul's Hospital and was owned by the Archdiocese of Edmonton. The Order of Benedictines ran the hospital for the archdiocese until they had to return to the United States due to their declining numbers. Archbishop Henry Joseph O'Leary then asked the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Diocese of London to take over operations. Sisters Loretto Traynor, Liguori O'Dwyer and Lenora Doyle were the first Sisters from the congregation to work at the hospital. They were all trained nurses and were known for their success managing the day-to-day operations despite financial difficulties. This was because there was no financial support from the provincial government for private hospitals at this time. By 1945, the hospital had 30 beds.

In the 1940s, it became evident that a new and larger hospital was needed. A district vote was held to decide whether the new hospital should remain a Catholic hospital or become a municipal hospital. The vote was in favour of a municipal hospital. The Archdiocese felt this was for the best because they were having trouble financing the hospital without provincial support and thought it was in the best interests of the community to ensure quality of healthcare by relinquishing ownership. Upon the transition of ownership and the withdrawal of the Sisters, they were thanked by the community for the work they had done. The Sisters returned to Edmonton or to London and were reassigned to other positions.

In 1925, the Board of Trade passed a resolution that the leaders of Stettler should ask Archbishop Henry Joseph O'Leary to set up a "Sisters' Hospital" in Stettler, Alberta. In turn, the Archbishop sent for four sisters from the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Diocese of London to run the hospital: Sister Patricia Coughlin, Sister Virginia Lobban, Sister Austin Gurvine, and Sister Jane Francis O'Rourke. They arrived in March of 1926.

Due to religious factions in the community, soon after it was known that the Sisters would be running a hospital, another proposal was made to establish a public municipal hospital instead. Since the voting on this issue was dragged out, the Sisters went ahead and began work in a small existing hospital. Upon arrival, the Sisters cleaned the building and ordered new supplies because the hospital was in a poor state. The local parish was very supportive and a nearby cottage was rented for the purposes of storage and an oratory for the Sisters to celebrate mass and have community prayers.

Meanwhile, a vote was finally conducted but failed to pass. After the district boundaries were redrawn, another vote was held in favour of a municipal hospital. Also around this time, the hospital's cottage was burned down by opponents. Both these factors contributed to the Sisters closing the hospital and moving to Galahad where the Village of Galahad had asked them to establish a Sisters' Hospital.

The Women’s Auxiliary of Woodstock General Hospital was created in 1893 and headed by Mrs. H.J. Finkle, in order to raise money for hospital endeavors. Proceeds from a Ben Hur play at the Opera House was used to purchase a horse-drawn ambulance and in 1908, a Swastika Carnival raised money to build and equip the steam laundry. The following year, money was set aside for a nurses’ residence, which was built in 1914 after raising $20,000 for the building. In doing so, the Auxiliary sought to look after the welfare of student nurses and to encourage students by making their home “away from home” as attractive and comfortable as possible.

By the 1960s, new student nurses were welcomed each year with a wiener roast sponsored by the Women’s Auxiliary, which also provided a graduation tea and dance. In 1964, the auxiliary raised $2,000 towards the cost of a swimming pool at the nurses’ residence. The auxiliary also furnished the auditorium in the Ethel M. Finkle School of Nursing, bought a piano as well as other modern day appliances, and even provided a microscope for the nurses’ training course. An annual scholarship was also awarded for nurses to take postgraduate study. Such assistance was no longer required, when the school of nursing closed in 1974.

Over the years, the Auxiliary’s interests have expanded to cover the welfare of the patients as well. For long term patients, the auxiliary established a recreational therapy program and a special committee gave instruction in various crafts. In addition, the Auxiliary bought televisions and radios for the use of patients. The Auxiliary also once provided a Christmas gift for each patient every year. The hospital chapel paid for by the auxiliary in 1959, was also maintained by their funds as well as a quiet room for use by patients and their families.

In addition, since its inception Auxiliary has raised funds in order to purchase equipment for the Hospital. Such purchases included incubators for the prenatal ward, a pulmonary function equipment for the Intensive Care Unit, bed scales, and a whirlpool as well as wheelchairs, heart monitors, and cribs. In the 1930s, the group even purchased a meat slicer and sewing machine for use in the hospital.

Funds were raised for projects largely through the hospital gift shop. However, other fundraising events such as dances, calendar sales, a yearly Penny Sale held every June and a house-to-house canvassing event known as Rose Day were also held to help raise funds.

The organization also helped raise money for other worthy causes through events such as Daisy Tea, which raised money for cancer research, in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. During WWI, the Auxiliary furnished five beds for Shorncliffe Hospital in England.

Today, the Woodstock Hospital Foundation raises money to purchase new equipment and upgrade technology at the Woodstock Hospital.