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The Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph began as a Secular lnstitute of St. Dominic, on October 15,1959 at Looban, Paco Manila. The founder Rev. Fr. Pablo Fernandez, OP had the idea of founding an Institute of vows and common life, connected with the Dominican Order. This plan gradually reached its initial development when Miss Mercedes Llanderal placed herself under his spiritual direction and gladly accepted the invitation to join the Lay Dominican Third Order in August 1958. Fr. Pablo was further encouraged when the General Chapter at Calaruega, Spain decreed in September, 1958, that the Third Order should help the parish priests in their apostolic activities and it was recommended to the Master General of the Order to see if there was a possibility of organizing a Secular Institute within the Lay Third Order of St. Dominic. Miss Llanderal inspired by God, gave her fiat to be the co-Foundress of the Institute. With four other tertiaries, she pronounced her vows before Fr. Fernandez, then Provincial promoter of the Third Order of St. Dominic.

On October 15,1959, the Sisters started living the community life in a building adjacent to the Sacred Heart Hospital in Looban,Paco, Manila. Of the five tertiaries, only two, Mother Mercedes Llanderal and Sister Lourdes Ligunas formally started the Institute with an elderly pious woman aspirant. The Sisters followed contemplative observances, including midnight prayers and apostolate with the sick and the dying. The following year, three joined the group.

From the Sacred Heart Hospital, the little community transferred residence in the Asilo de San Vicente de Paul Compound after five years and included in their apostolate, the Home for the Aged in Mandaluyong, Rizal, the free clinic in San Marcelino Parish and the parish sacristy.

The work of God is founded on much suffering and the Institute in its infancy, was not spared from the many trials that overtook it.

On May 28, 1966, Bishop Manuel del Rosario, the Bishop of Malolos, received the Sisters in his Diocese. The Sisters took over the parochial school in Paombong, Bulacan, taught catechism in a private high school in the town, and in a public high school in Malolos, and began the care of the parish sacristy.

On May 1967, the Sisters extended their service to the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary at Guiguinto, Bulacan. Mother Mercedes, Sr. Lourdes and later followed by Sr. Clarivel Bañu took over the Kitchen management of the seminary.

For its growth and development, the Institute was entrusted by Fr. Fernandez, O.P. to the diocese of Malolos under its then Administrator, S.P., the Most Rev. Cirilo R. Almario, Jr. D.D. in 1973. Since the Sisters have been living a religious way of life from the beginning, they requested Bishop Almario to help in the change of their juridical status i.e. from Secular Initiatives to a Religious Congregation. Bishop Almario approved all the Sisters initiatives leading to significant innovations which include the change of the Institute's name from Secular Institute of St. Dominic to Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph, the wearing of black veil on February 2, 1974 and the donning of the religious habit of cream color on December 24,1979.

In 1985, Bishop Almario submitted all the required documents to Rome, through the help of Rev. Fr. Rafael Moya, O.P., Procurator General of the Dominican Order, the Congregation received the rescript - the "Nihil Obstat" from the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes. Hence, on June 29, 1988m, the congregation was canonically erected as a Religious Congregation of Diocesan Right in a solemn ceremony held at Malolos Cathedral.

In the same year, the Congregation was formally affiliated to the Dominican Family through a document dated, September 9, 1988, Rome, issued by the Very Rev. Damian Byrne,O.P. Master of the Order of Preachers.

On the 40th Foundation Anniversary (1959-1999), the Sisters are deeply grateful as they behold God's bountiful love and blessings. Indeed, the Congregation continues to grow in number and to expand in other dioceses, serving varied forms of apostolate such as management of five parochial schools, catechesis or religious education of children and the youth, pastoral assistance in the parish, care of orphans in two orphanages, kitchen management in the seminary, social apostolate-coordination of the Parish Social Action Center and care of Resettlement Area in Botolan, Zambales and finance work at the Malolos Chancery and Parish Office

Through the years, their motto, "the love of Christ has brought us together", has inspired the Sisters in fulfilling their mission in the Church.