In January 1929, a committee of Roman Catholics in Ottawa South petitioned Archbishop Guillaume Forbes of the Archdiocese of Ottawa to establish a parish in the area. The petition was granted, and a Catholic community began to form. The church was dedicated to St Ann, a religious sister in the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Paray-le-Monial in France. St. Ann was renowned for her devotion to the Sacred Heart and for her achievements is spreading the practice of First Friday Devotions to the Sacred Heart, a practice at one time common in many Roman Catholic churches. Substantial repairs and modifications have been made to the church building over the years, particularly in 1967, 1971-72, 1975, 1981, and most notably the interior of the church was extensively modified in the late 1990's.

We, the people of Church of St. Joseph's, believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church and in the real Presence of Christ, Our Lord in the Eucharist. We are a community that prays together, and we give of our time, talent and treasure. We seek to be good examples of Christian living by loving one another as Christ loves us, and by placing high values on family life. We believe all human life has value from beginning to end. We see our parish as a family which includes the unborn, youth, singles, single parents, married, married parents, divorced, separated, widowed and seniors. Because we see Christ in others, we seek out and welcome All people.