About St. Joseph Hospital Chapel · Orange, California
St. Joseph Hospital Chapel is the Catholic chapel located on the first floor of Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California — one of the first hospitals in Orange County, opened on September 19, 1929 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. The chapel is the spiritual heart of a Catholic health-care ministry whose mission flows from the Sisters' 1650 French foundation and their tradition of going into the community to serve 'the dear neighbor.' A board-certified, interfaith team of chaplains offers daily Mass, 24-hour access to the chapel and Reflection Room, sacramental visits, and a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program that has trained ministers for more than 35 years.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orange
Why belong here
St. Joseph Hospital Chapel exists to bring the healing presence of Christ to patients, families, and staff at one of Orange County's oldest hospitals. Whether you are admitted, visiting a loved one, or simply seeking a quiet place to pray, the chapel and adjoining Reflection Room are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people of all faiths. Daily Mass — viewable in every patient room on Channel 3 at noon — along with one-on-one chaplain visits, volunteer Eucharistic ministers, and programs like the No One Dies Alone and Bereavement initiatives make the chapel a true spiritual home for anyone who walks through the hospital doors.
Mass times at St. Joseph Hospital Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Chapel open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for prayer, meditation, and quiet time
Heritage and Founding Story
St. Joseph Hospital Chapel is rooted in nearly four centuries of Catholic religious heritage. The Sisters of St. Joseph trace their origin to 1650 in Le Puy, France, where Jesuit priest Father Jean Pierre Médaille organized women to serve the poor — their 'dear neighbors' — in the community rather than behind cloister walls. After surviving the French Revolution, the order spread across the world, eventually reaching Eureka, California, where the Sisters opened their first hospital during the flu epidemic. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange were established in 1912 by Mother Bernard Gosselin and eight sisters who left La Grange, Illinois with little more than a promise of housing and 60 cents to their name.
- 1650: Sisters of St. Joseph founded in Le Puy, France, by Father Jean Pierre Médaille, SJ.
- Early 1900s: Sisters come to America, settle in Eureka, California; open first hospital during the flu epidemic.
- 1912: Mother Bernard Gosselin and eight sisters found the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in Eureka.
- 1922: Archbishop John Cantwell invites the Sisters to relocate their Motherhouse to Southern California; they purchase the 10-acre Burnham estate on Batavia Street in Orange for $10,000.
- 1929: St. Joseph Hospital opens September 19 as one of the first hospitals in Orange County.
Chapel and Reflection Room
The hospital Chapel is located on the first floor of the main hospital building, adjacent to Elevators 4 and 5. The adjoining Reflection Room sits just off the first-floor lobby, adjacent to the Surgical Waiting Area. Both spaces are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, welcoming patients, families, staff, and visitors of all faiths for prayer, meditation, or quiet time. They are intended as peaceful havens inside the often-busy walls of a major hospital.
- Chapel: first floor, adjacent to Elevators 4 and 5
- Reflection Room: first-floor lobby, adjacent to the Surgical Waiting Area
- Open 24/7 for all faiths
- Daily Mass broadcast on Channel 3 (C.A.R.E. channel) at noon for patients who cannot leave their rooms
Spiritual Care Services
In keeping with the Mission and Values of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, the Spiritual Care Department offers spiritual, religious, emotional, and ethical support to all patients, families, and staff. The team is interfaith and made up of board-certified chaplains who provide holistic ministry. While a patient at St. Joseph Hospital, a person can request one-on-one visits from a chaplain, daily Mass, visits from a volunteer Eucharistic minister, blessing of newborn babies, an in-depth Bereavement Program, the No One Dies Alone Program, help with Advanced Health Care Directives, and assistance navigating ethical healthcare decisions.
- One-on-one visits from a chaplain
- Daily Mass in the Chapel (or on Channel 3)
- Volunteer Eucharistic minister visits
- Blessing of newborn babies upon request
- In-depth Bereavement Program
- No One Dies Alone Program
- Advanced Health Care Directives assistance
- Support with ethical healthcare decisions
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program
St. Joseph Hospital has provided quality Clinical Pastoral Education training for more than 35 years. The program is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) to offer Level 1a through Level 2b CPE, as well as supervisory CPE. Units are ACPE-certified and recognized as graduate theological education by ACPE member seminaries. As part of Providence, students may complete clinical hours at one of four placement sites: St. Joseph Hospital (Orange), St. Jude Medical Center (Fullerton), Mission Hospital (Mission Viejo), and St. Mary Medical Center (Apple Valley).
- Full-Time Summer Unit: June to August, 11 weeks, 40 hours/week (e.g., Summer 2026 Unit: June 15 – August 28)
- Extended Part-Time Fall/Winter Unit: September to January, 18 weeks, ~25 hours/week
- Extended Part-Time Winter/Spring Unit: January to May, 18 weeks, ~25 hours/week
- Tuition: $600 per unit; $50 application fee
- Open to seminary students, clergy, and laity of all faiths
- Four units of CPE are required for Board Certification as a professional chaplain
- Rev. Glory Neail Bautista — CPE Educator and CPE Program Manager (joined 2022)
- Rev. Teleso Satele — Senior Manager, Providence Southern California CPE Programs
- Apply four to six months in advance; positions are limited
Mission, Values, and Catholic Identity
Providence is a Catholic health system, and St. Joseph Hospital in Orange is one of its flagship ministries. The hospital's work is guided by the core values established by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange: Compassion, Dignity, Justice, Excellence, and Integrity. The Spiritual Care team strives to provide care with humility and respect for the social locations and faith traditions of those they serve, including CPE students who are guided in this approach even as they develop a deeper understanding of their own faith and cultural uniqueness.
- Core values: Compassion, Dignity, Justice, Excellence, Integrity
- Part of the Providence Catholic health system
- Spirit of service rooted in the Sisters' tradition of going into the community to care for 'the dear neighbor'
- Interfaith chaplaincy team welcoming people of all faiths
Contact and Visit
The Spiritual Care Department office is on the fourth floor of the Sister Frances Dunn Building at Providence St. Joseph Hospital. The chapel itself is on the first floor of the main hospital, adjacent to Elevators 4 and 5, and is open 24/7.
- Address: 1100 West Stewart Drive, Orange, CA 92868
- Spiritual Care Department: Sister Frances Dunn Building, 4th Floor
- Chapel: First Floor, adjacent to Elevators 4 and 5
- Phone: 714-771-8137
- Website: providence.org/locations/socal/st-joseph-hospital-orange/spiritual-care