The Sisters of Saint Joseph (CSJ) taught in many of the New Orleans Archdiocesan schools and in their own high school and novitiate. For many years, this venerable building in the 2100 block of Ursuline Avenue served as the main convent as well as St. Joseph Academy High School. The sisters also operated a boarding school for girls here well into the 1950's. In the late 1950's, the Order came to the realization that the Ursuline Street building was in need of major upgrading to comply with building codes for schools and student housing. A decision was made to construct a new novitiate building on Mirabeau Avenue in the city's newly developing Oak Park section. Shortly thereafter, land was acquired a few blocks away on Crescent Street, and a new St. Joseph Academy was constructed.

When the sisters sold the Ursuline Street building, it was renovated to some extent and it became a an annex of Andrew J. Bell Junior High School, which was a school operated by the New Orleans Public School Board.

After leaving Ursuline Avenue, the sisters operated their new school and novitiate for the next forty years in the Oak Park locations. Well before Hurricane Katrina, the number of nuns joining the order had declined substantially. As their numbers dwindled, the order withdrew their teaching nuns from many of the New Orleans area Catholic schools that they had serviced for decades, including St. Pius X, Holy Rosary, St. Rose Of Lima, St. Ann and others. Although the Sisters of St. Joseph retained some small presence in the community as missionaries for the education of illiterate adults and special needs clients, St. Joseph Academy was closed and the property was turned over to another institution for use as a co-educational Catholic high school.

A small contingent of missionary nuns continued to live and work at the Mirabeau Street property until Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. At that time, their property was abandoned as it was heavily damaged in the Katrina flooding. Shortly thereafter the building was struck by lightning and it burned. It was totally demolished following the fire. The remaining few members of the community, most of whom were well up in age, were transferred to schools and convents in other cities.