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Myrtle Reynolds Adams, teacher, poet and author, was born on August 10, 1889 in Strathroy, Ontario. She graduated from The University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1910 and received the Governor-General's Academic Medal in her fourth year of studies. She went on to study at Queen's University and received a Bachelor of Education in 1915. While at Queen's she met her husband John Gordon Adams, of Glenville, Ontario. They married on September 29, 1917 in London, Ontario and spent the subsequent years moving around the province before leaving the country and settling in Detroit, Michigan. The Adams' lived in Detroit for twenty two years before returning to London, permanently, in 1951.

It was while in Detroit that Myrtle Reynolds Adams' career as a professional writer began. She was an active member of the local literary scene, serving several years as president of the Detroit Women's Writers Club and twice as the poet laureate of the Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs. Upon her move to London she became involved with the London Poetry Group and University Women's Club of London.

Her poetry was published both in literary journals and popular serials; including Atlantic, American Weave, Canadian Forum, Canadian Poetry, Dalhousie Review, Fiddlehead, Georgia Review, Good Housekeeping, Lyric, New York Herald Tribune, Saturday Night and others. Ryerson Press published three chapbooks of her poems: Remember Together (1955); Morning on my Street (1958); To Any Spring (1960) and Fiddlehead Poetry Books published, By a Laugh and a Cry (1973). Sauble Calling, a compilation of already published poems, was self published in 1962. It was illustrated by Toronto artist, Vern Tremewen. Reynolds Adams also published articles and short stories in many popular magazines and newspapers, including American Home, Better Homes and Gardens, London Free Press, Maclean's, She, Telegraph Delivery Spirit, Women by Women's Digest, Woman's Day and others.

Myrtle Reynolds Adams passed away on September 17, 1977 at the age of 88.

The Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha fraternity was formed at Western University in 1942. The inaugural banquet for the chapter took place at the London Hunt and Country Club on February 18, 1942. This fonds contains lecture papers, certificates and member records.

An Associate is a layperson who has made a commitment to the charism of a religious community. Both Associates and Sisters are called to the same mission and charism, yet they are distinctly different. Where Sisters take perpetual vows to live out the charism in religious community, Associates hold individual vocations to live out the charism, but do not take vows.

On July 9th, 1987, the Sisters of St. Joseph in London approved the movement towards having an Associates Program complete with a candidate process and formal training process. The program began on April 4th, 1989, in London, Ontario. The Associates Program was originally founded by Sister Doreen Kraemer and later administered by Sister Janet Zadorsky. After Sister Janet Zadorsky ended her involvement with administering the Associates Program, as of April 2017, two associates were given stipends by the Associates to serve as mentors for two years, during a bridging stage. They prepared a document, “Midwives to Our Future,” and after this, the Associate program evolved away from the Sisters being directly involved. The program is now autonomous but still connected through a Congregational liaison, but the Associates make their own decisions.

The Associates Program currently (as of 2022) has an Associate Leadership Circle with a representative from each of the areas: London, Sarnia, Windsor-Chatham, Simcoe-Woodstock, and Zaña, Peru. There are Animators for each region who assist with spiritual development. There is a Core Team who look after business matters, including event planning. Together, these form the Joint Animating and Core Team. Every leader has a term of two to three years. There is also a congregational liaison who provides a communication channel between the Associates and the Congregational Leadership Circle. Members are recruited by means of a “seekers” process and are provided with instruction and allowed to discern their commitment over a two-year period, at the end of which there is a “charism connection” ceremony, and they are given a pin and sign an agreement. There are two annual events held: a retreat, and the Annual General Gathering. As well, there is a representative who attends Federation meetings of Associates from Hamilton, London, Peterborough, Pembroke, Toronto, and Sault Ste. Marie.

Born November 26, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan, Angela Marie Aubert was the only daughter of Joseph Telesphore (Ted) Aubert (d. 1936) and Helen Benesch (d. 1971). She had one brother. She was raised in Wildwood, near Edmonton, Alberta during the depression. Angela Aubert attended high school in Wildwood, and in 1945 moved to Edmonton to enroll in business and secretarial studies at McTavish Business College. She began her career as a secretary in Edmonton. It was at this time that she felt a call to religious life and on August 25, 1948, she was received into the Community of the Sisters of St. Joseph at Sacred Heart Convent in London, Ontario and given the name Sister Marie Angela. After her first vows on August 25, 1950, she returned to Edmonton where she began teacher training at the University of Alberta, graduating in 1951. Sister Marie Angela Aubert professed her final vows on August 25, 1954 in London. Her first assignment, until 1957, was at the Catholic school in St. Bride's, Alberta where she was a teacher, then principal. From 1957 to 1961, Sister Marie Angela Aubert was assigned to the business office at St. Joseph's Hospital in Galahad, Alberta and then returned to teach at St. Nicholas School in Edmonton until 1964. At that time she was asked to teach business and religion at O'Leary High School. As head of the business department, she encouraged her students to manage a real business in the classroom under the sponsorship of Junior Achievement. The students had great success, even winning awards and a chance to go to Vancouver to compete in the Junior Achievement national competition. She finished her Bachelor of Education studies, graduating in 1969, from the University of Alberta. In 1971, Sister Marie Angela Aubert returned to London, Ontario as head of the business department at Mount St. Joseph Academy, and in 1975, was assigned to Catholic Central High School. While teaching there from 1975 to 1978, she received the Catholic Central High School Business Club award. When Mount St. Joseph Academy closed, the facility was opened as a Guest Wing for those who had a family member as a patient in University Hospital, and Sister Marie Angela Aubert was appointed treasurer. During those years, she volunteered at the jail, participated in the Toastmistress Club, initiated self-Bible study, and turned Gospel stories into plays. She also maintained an interest in social justice, reaching out to the least fortunate and forgotten. In 1985 and 1987, the Ministry of Corrections gave her service awards for her volunteer work at the London Detention Centre. In 1991, she was moved to Ignatia Hall Infirmary and then to the care centre at 485 Windermere Road when it was built in 2007. Sister Marie Angela Aubert died there on January 17, 2008. A Mass of Resurrection was held in St. Joseph Chapel at the 485 Windermere Road residence. She is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in London.

Henry Corry Rowley Becher immigrated to London in 1835. The Becher family was prominent in the legal profession, political and community activities, and military service. Henry C.R. Becher was a prominent attorney and active in politics. Henry Becher was a lawyer and active in London politics. Katharine Becher was active in community affairs. Henry Campbell Becher was a lawyer and stockbroker who served in World War I. Archibald Valancey Becher, a physician, also served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Thornwood, the Becher family home, was designated as a heritage building by the City of London in 1992.

The second son of Henry Corry Rowley Becher and Sarah Evanson Leaonard Becher, Henry Becher was born at Thornwood on July 5, 1846. He studied law with his father's firm of Becher, Barker and Street, joined the firm after being called to the bar in 1867, and was admitted as a partner in the firm of Becher, Street and Becher in 1872. After his father's death, he remained in partnership with Street, as the firm Street and Becher. When Street was elevated to the bench in 1887, Becher was associated with Henry Stephen Blackburn in the firm of Becher and Blackburn. Henry Becher was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1885. He served as solicitor for the Bank of Montreal, served as a London alderman for several years and was mayor of the city in 1886. He was active in the London Hunt and served as the organization's president.

On September 19, 1872, Becher married Katherine Moore Campbell, eldest daughter of Duncan Campbell of Simcoe. The couple had three children: Henry Campbell (born 1874), Alexander Lorne (1875) and Archibald Valancey (1877).

Henry Becher died at Thornwood on January 15, 1889.

The eldest son of Henry and Katharine Campbell Becher, Henry Campbell Becher was born at Thornwood on January 20, 1874. He was educated privately and at Trinity College School in Port Hope. He articled with the firm of Blackburn and Cox before being admitted to the Bar and entering into partnership with Andrew Greenlees. Becher retired from legal practice in the early 1900s to open a brokerage business. Becher was a member of the London Hunt and Country Club and served as its honourary secretary. A member of the London Dramatic Club, he appeared with the company in London, Toronto and Winnipeg. Active in the 7th Regiment, Becher assumed command of the unit, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, in May, 1914. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September, 1914 as a Major in the 1st (Western Ontario) Battalion. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, second in command of the battalion, in 1915. Henry Campbell Becher was killed in action at Givenchy, France on June 15, 1915.

Henry Corry Rowley Becher was born June 5, 1817 in London, England, the youngest son of Captain Alexander Becher, Royal Navy, and Frances Scott Becher. He immigrated to London, Ontario in 1835.

Becher began his legal career by articling with John Wilson and was admitted a law student at Osgoode Hall in 1836. He was appointed Registrar of the Surrogate Court of Middlesex County in 1839. Admitted as an attorney in 1840 and called to the bar in 1841, Becher was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1853 and called to the bar at the Inner Temple, London, England in 1882. Becher was partner with Samuel Barker and William Purvis Rochfort Street in the law firm of Becher, Barker and Street. The firm became Becher, Street & Becher, when his son, Henry Becher, was admitted to a partnership in 1872. He served as solicitor for Colonel Thomas Talbot in the 1850s, drawing up the will that bequeathed the bulk of Talbot's estate to George Macbeth and settling a dispute between Talbot and his nephew Richard Airey; was involved in the settlement of the estate of George Jarvis Goodhue in the 1870s; and served as municipal solicitor for London from 1849 to 1853. In April and May of 1855, he alone handled the crown business at the assizes at St. Thomas, London, and Chatham, and submitted civil briefs at St. Tomas and London. Becher completed the transaction in which the Huron Diocese acquired Rough Park, the estate of Lionel Ridout which became the first site of Huron College in 1863. In 1856, Becher was appointed Queen's Counsel and lectured for a tern at Osgoode Hall. He became solicitor for the Gore Bank and a director of the Great Western Railway in 1857.

Becher served on the London town council from 1850 to 1854. Attempting to enter provincial politics, he failed obtain the Conservative nomination for London in 1857. He won the nomination in 1860, but lost the by-election. In 1861, he again vied for the nomination, but withdrew, after the intervention of John A. MacDonald, to stand for the Legislative Council for Malahide. Defeated, Becher did not run again for public office; however, he remained an active party organizer.

Becher built Thornwood on 13 acres in London, and took up residence there in 1845. He rebuilt the house after it was destroyed by fire in 1852. Becher travelled extensively in Europe, visited the Middle Ease, made several trips to Florida, and wrote A Trip to Mexico after travelling there 1878. In 1880, Becher became a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. His diary has been published in the London Advertiser in 1926 and in Papers and Records of the Ontario Historical Society in 1939.

Becher married Sarah Evanson Leonard, daughter of Richard Leonard, the sheriff of the Niagara District, on October 27, 1841. Together, they had seven children: Frances Anna Maria (born 1842), Alexander (1844), Henry (1846), Richard Leonard (1848), twins Florence Mary and Constantia Ann (1850) and Alice Ethel Jane (1857), who died in infancy. Sara Becher died in 1864. On August 20, 1874, Becher married Mrs. Caroline Robertson, daughter of Samuel Street of Niagara Falls.

Henry Corry Rowley Becher died on July 6, 1885 in Sidcup, England.

Jane Bigelow (1928 - ) was a politician and the mayor of London, Ontario from 1972 to 1978. She also served as controller on the city's Board of Control before and after her term as mayor.
She was born in Toronto in 1928 and educated at St. Clement's Girl's School and the University of Toronto where she completed a B.A. in Physical and Health Education in 1950. She trained as a teacher and taught in high schools in Ottawa, Hamilton and Edmonton.
After settling in London in 1965 with her husband and two children, she took courses at the University of Western Ontario towards a B.A. and began a master's program in urban studies. She participated in the founding of the Central London Association and the Urban League, a group that was designed to coordinate the efforts of local citizens' groups. She also became involved in the London Council of Women, serving on the committee which helped save the Broughdale Lands. Bigelow was active in local and provincial NDP organizations, serving as vice-president of the provincial party from 1968 to 1972. She organized several conventions for the party and was responsible for the Handbook for Municipal Politicians, published in 1968.
In 1969, she was elected to the Board of Control and when she was re-elected in 1971, she received the most votes out of all the controllers making her the deputy mayor. When mayor Fred Gosnell resigned for health reasons in February 1972 she took over as acting mayor. In March 1972, Bigelow was elected mayor by council and in 1973 she was elected mayor by the public in a general election. She was re-elected in 1974 and 1976 but was defeated in the 1978 election by Al Gleeson, an instructor at Fanshawe College.
As mayor, Jane Bigelow advocated for accessible day care, better public transit with special fares for senior citizens, neighbourhood improvement schemes, funding for the arts, more parks and better city planning. She was criticized for being uninterested in development. During her mayoralty, London received a triple A rating from two independent American organizations. In her last years of office, she became interested in financial planning and tax reform for municipalities. She was actively involved in several joint municipal-provincial organizations and represented London's interests at both higher levels of government. In 1974, she was invited with six other Canadian mayors to visit Israel and in 1976, she was a representative to the Habitat Conference and the Conference of Mayors held in Milan.
Some of the major issues during her term as mayor included the Talbot Square development, the London Regional Art gallery, the restoration of the Middlesex Court House and the possibility of siting a prison in London.
She was elected to the Board of Control in 1980 but did not run in 1982. She was later employed by Employment and Immigration Canada. She was honoured with several awards and recognitions for her public service.

Born August 27, 1923. Died 2011. Daughter of George Frederick Kingsmill and Netta May (Nixon) Kingsmill. Sister of Doris (Kingsmill) Hoskins and Thomas Frederick Kingsmill. Married Corporal Thomas Buchanan Brandon (June 6, 1938 - December 20, 1965), RCAF on December 16, 1944 at Bellevue Park. Parents of one child, Netta Nixon Brandon.

Dr. Vesey Agmondisham Brown was a physician and amateur artist. Brown was born in Limerick, Ireland on 3 June 1824, the third of six children, to John-Southwell Brown and Margaret-Anne Vesey. Brown attended the Medical School of Trinity College at the University of Dublin in 1844 before completing training at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, England in October, 1848. He was appointed to the British Army as Assistant Surgeon in 1849 and was attached to the reserve battalion of the Twenty-third Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), which was ordered to London, Ontario in May, 1850. He became licensed to practise “physic, surgery and midwifery” in the Province of Canada a year later.

When the Twenty-third Regiment moved to Toronto in May of 1852, Brown remained in London and served as the physician in charge of enrolled pensioners. By 1856 he was also serving as physician to the Great Western Railway Company. He married Mary Jane Massingberd, daughter of Anglican Reverend Hompesch (sometimes Edward) Massingberd in that same year. They resided on Kent Street. For the majority of his medical career he worked as a general practitioner and surgeon out of the family's London home. He was also a skilled amateur artist. Brown died in London on September 4, 1895 at the age of 71.

One of seven children, Richard Maurice Bucke was born on March 18, 1837 at Methwold, Norfolk, England to parents Horatio Walpole Bucke and Clarissa Andrews Bucke. His parents emigrated to Canada in his first year and settled in London, Ontario. At 16 Bucke left home and moved to the United States, where he worked in several locations as a labourer. In 1856 Bucke travelled to the Sierra Nevada where he joined forces with the prospectors Allen and Hosea Grosh. Hosea died within the year of blood poisoning, and in 1857 Bucke and Allen Grosh were lost in a snowstorm. They went 5 days and 4 nights without food or fire, until they arrived at a small mining camp. Grosh died of exhaustion and exposure, while Bucke recovered, despite losing one foot and part of the other to severe frostbite.

Upon his return to Canada in 1858, Bucke enrolled at McGill University to study medicine. He graduated in 1862 with the distinction of being the gold medalist of his year and winning a prize for his thesis, "The Correlation of Vital and Physical Forces." After spending time in Europe for post-graduate studies he returned to Sarnia to take over his late brother's medical practice. He was summoned to California in 1864 to give evidence in the Comstock Lode Litigation before returning to Canada in 1865 where he married Jessie Maria Gurd and settled down to practice medicine in Sarnia for the following ten years. Bucke and his wife had 8 children: Clare Georgina (1866 - 1867), Maurice Andrews (1868 - 1899), Jessie Clare (1870 - 1943), William Augustus (1873 - 1933), Edward Pardee (1875 - 1913), Ina Matilda (1877 - 1968), Harold Langmuir (1879 - 1951) and Robert Walpole (1881 - 1923). His first born, Clare Georgina, died at 10 months old, and his eldest son, Maurice Andrews, was killed in an accident in 1899.

Bucke was appointed Medical Superintendent at the new mental hospital in Hamilton in 1876, and after a year he was transferred to the Ontario Hospital in London where he served for 25 years. Bucke read Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" in 1867 and claimed it to be one of the most important events of his life. He travelled to New Jersey to meet Whitman in 1877 which marked the beginning of a long, close friendship between the two men. Upon Whitman's death in 1892, Bucke became one of his literary executors and was a pall bearer at his funeral.

Bucke was one of the first of his time to depart from orthodox therapeutics at the Asylum. By 1882 he had abolished the medicinal use of alcohol in the Asylum and by 1883 he had discontinued the use of physical restraints and initiated an open-door policy. He also pioneered many surgical "cures" for lunacy, including gynaecological surgery.

Bucke was an active writer, and his many noted works include several psychiatric papers, "Walt Whitman, a biography of the man," "Man's Moral Nature," and "Cosmic Consciousness," the last of which has been held in high esteem for many years and reprinted many times since its publication.

Bucke was one of the founders of the University of Western Ontario's Medical School and in 1882 was appointed Professor of Nervous and Mental Diseases, as well as elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Bucke delivered the opening academic lecture of the year at McGill University by request of the medical faculty in 1891. He became President of the Psychological Section of the British Medical Association in 1897, and the following year he was elected President of the American Medico-Psychological Association.

Bucke died suddenly after slipping on the veranda of his home and striking his head on February 19, 1902. He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London, Ontario.

Norman George Burdick and Katharine Elizabeth Kingsmill were married on September 28, 1943. They were the parents of three children: Elizabeth Jane, Barbara Anne and Mary Katharine. He was the General Manager of the store from 1945-1988. As a son-in-law, Norman Burdick was the only non-Kingsmill to manage the store.

Kenneth Kitchener Carroll was born on March 9, 1923 in Carroll's Crossing, New Brunswick to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Carroll. He graduated with first class honours in 1939 from Fredericton High School, and soon after enrolled at the University of New Brunswick. Carroll briefly served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the University of New Brunswick Contingent of the Canadian Officers Training Corps. He earned both a Bachelor of Science degree (1943) and a Master of Science degree (1946) at the University of New Brunswick, as well as a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto (1946). Carroll then moved to London, Ontario; after three years of study under the supervision of James Bertram Collip and Robert Laing Noble, Carroll earned the first Doctor of Philosophy ever conferred at the University of Western Ontario (in medical research).
In 1952, Carroll pursued post-doctoral studies the University of Cambridge, returning in 1954 to teach biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario. Upon his retirement in 1988, Carroll was named Professor Emeritus. Carroll continued to research after his retirement; he was instrumental in developing Western's Centre for Human Nutrition, and acted as its director from its opening in 1990 until his death.

Kenneth Carroll was elected as Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, the American Institute of Nutrition, and the Royal Society of Canada. He was awarded the Earle Willard McHenry Award from the Canadian Society of Nutritional Sciences and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Section of the American Oil Chemists' Society. In 1993, Carroll was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of New Brunswick.

On August 26, 1950, Kenneth Carroll married Margaret Eileen Ronson (b. 28 July 1923); the Carrolls had three children. Kenneth Carroll died on October 3, 1998; he is interred at London's Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The newsletters in this series were produced as a way of communicating to Sisters living in the Motherhouse and also in convents in the places in which they were missioned. Before email communication became more common, the physical newsletters were the primary source for congregational news. The various newsletters have different authors. Three authors of note are General Superiors Mother Margaret Coughlin (1947-1959), Mother Julia Moore (1959-1971), and Sister Katherine McKeough (1979-1987).

Mother Margaret Coughlin had a significant impact on the congregation particularly with regard to community projects. During her tenure, the St Mary’s Hospital building project was completed, Catholic Central High School was opened, new Constitutions were approved, and sod was turned for a new Motherhouse at Mount St. Joseph. In addition, various new homes and missions were established for Sisters.

Mother Julia Moore was a great leader in the congregation. She was highly educated, and served as a teacher before assuming leadership of the Sisters of St. Joseph of London. The Sisters recognized Mother Julia as a true mystic who led the Congregation through the Second Vatican Council. After her time as General Superior, Mother Julia served as a general councillor, health care coordinator of the community, and finally as Superior at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Sister Katherine McKeough trained as a nurse and spent most of her life in hospital ministry. She eventually obtained a Masters of Science in Adult Psychology at Boston University, which enabled her to be a clinical supervisor in psychiatry. She held various positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital and served on various associations and committees related to health and religious life. As General Superior, Sister Katherine is remembered for her unconditional acceptance of others and belief in people’s goodness. After her term as General Superior, Sister Katherine worked to improve the situation of homeless women.

Jubilees are celebrations, where Sisters renew their vows and celebrate their 25th, Golden (50th), Diamond (60th), Grace (70th), 75th and 80th year anniversaries with the congregation.

The jubilee date is calculated from the reception date which takes place nine months after the postulant entered the convent. At the reception ceremony, the postulant received the habit.

Jubilees are celebrated one to two times a year, depending on the number of Sisters celebrating anniversaries. When there are two jubilee ceremonies in one-year, younger Sisters are recognized in May, and senior Sisters are honoured in September. Unless the Sisters decide that they want a private jubilee, friends and family are invited to the hour-long mass and large feast that make up the day of celebration.

Reunions, where Sisters who left the congregation were invited to return for visitation, occurred far less frequently than jubilees. The last reunion took place when the congregation was moving to a new convent in 2007, and wanted to give former Sisters one last chance to walk through the building. Much like jubilees, reunions were a day long event, with an hour-long prayer service and lots of good food.

Policy development in the congregation takes place when there is a need to create an approach to handle certain situations; in other words, policy development is an as-needed activity. Changes and revisions to policy are typically determined by new regulations released by the government, and these regulations are then incorporated into policy by congregational staff, such as Human Resources, as well as committees consisting of other staff and Sisters who wish to participate in the policy creation. The purpose of policy and procedures is to ensure that all members of the congregation, from the Sisters to the staff, are aware of their roles and responsibilities in creating a safe, cohesive environment that reflects the values of the congregation. This policy series mainly focuses on the roles and expectations of the Sisters specifically, but also includes important information regarding manuals and committees that pertain to the congregation’s work environment.

Renewal programs were recommended for all religious communities, as a result of the Second Vatican Council. Events consisted of presentations, reflection and discussions regarding the Church, personal commitment, growth in relationship with Christ, and service to others. Two major events are recorded: 1974 and 1981. Both events were held twice to accommodate all the members of the Congregation. Prior to the program of 1981, a Vow Committee was formed to organize the proceedings. Minutes and correspondence and resources are contained in the series.

This series contains records of the activities of the Sisters including their occupational work appointments, residences, vows, and any departures from the congregation that occurred. The material contained in this series is primarily administrative and allowed the Sisters to keep track of membership, duties, and contact information.

Occupational work was assigned based both on the needs of the community and the skills and training of the Sisters. The primary occupational work fulfilled by Sisters outside of the congregation was in education or nursing, but Sisters also fulfilled roles within the congregation such as housekeeping, and administrative work. With an increasingly aging population, there has been a greater dependence on lay staff to fulfill these sorts of duties within the community.

The large range in dates of the records provides insight into changes that have taken place in the congregation since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), most notably in the lists of name changes and the lists of sisters who withdrew from the congregation. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, women who joined religious orders received new names of patron saints when they took their vows to represent their separation from the lay world. The Second Vatican Council called upon religious orders to return to their roots and emphasized the value of not separating religious life from the rest of the world, and a large part of this was having Sisters reclaim their baptismal names. Some Sisters felt that the changes imposed by the Second Vatican Council were too much, and there was an exodus of withdrawals in the later 1960s.

Ministries, which take the form of professional roles of service, are fundamental to the Sisters of St. Joseph, as helping others has always been important to their mission. Professional roles such as nurse, music teacher or homemaker are created in order to fill occupational gaps in the community or the congregation. For example, when the community was in desperate need of music teachers, many Sisters were assigned the ministry of “music teacher.” Before the Second Vatican Council, 1962-1965, these professional roles were assigned to Sisters by the head superior in the form of a note on their pillow, and sisters obediently performed their ministries. After the Council, which made the congregation question their vows of obedience, this tradition was altered so that Sisters could form and enlist in ministries that appealed to their specific interests in the congregation and the community.

Sisters may engage in a ministry during their second year as a novice, but they cannot assume a professional role until they take their temporary vows and become Juniorates. In order to perform their ministries, Sisters are required to attend the same university or college programs that other members of the community would attend to perform the same roles. For this reason, training is constantly changing and evolving, as are the Sisters of St. Joseph.