1826 to the present

Father Michel Rabouan, pastor of Saint Martin in Beaupreau wanted to build a modest hospital for his parish. He was supported by Victor Brevet, a layman and Louise Voisin.  In 1832 after several unsuccessful attempts with two neighboring Congregations, he established the Saint Martin community in Beaupreau, inspired by the constitutions of the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph in Bauge. This community was only affiliated with the RHSJ in 1904. From 1843 to 1846, a small hospital was built. In 1858, Father Rabouan established a residence for the retired clergy and in 1869, on the same hospital property, built St. Michel pavilion which continues to serve as a retirement home for the elderly priests. Mother Louise Voisin was the Director of this complex for  half a century.

An institution which also had an education apostolate
The Saint Martin parochial school adjacent to the hospital was directed by the Sisters until 1912. An orphanage responded to needs from 1847-1957.

The evolution of the hospital
There were successive evolutions of the hospital. Between 1925 and 1930 a nursing home and a chapel were built, a surgical service opened in 1927, a maternity service in 1944 followed by a medical pavilion in 1965. In 1995, a residence for handicapped adults was opened.

In 2003, the community infirmary was integrated into the hospital services.

For the past 50 years, there have been renovations until the present. In 2011, the restructuring of the LeRoyer Services and Saint Joseph unit of the nursing home was built for the elderly in need of assisted living .

Other apostolic works in this area:
  • Administration of the Notre Dame des Mauges at Cholet from 1958-1963
  • Opening of a surgical and maternity clinic in the Beaupreau Chateau from 1960-1971.
  • Creation of a house in Tharon-Plage from 1960-1971.
In 1990, the RHSJ established a management association, namely, Association Sainte Famille and appointed a lay director. The Sisters continued their administrative duties as well as nursing care, but retired gradually. They remain members of the Board of Directors and the president is still a RHSJ. Nevertheless, the Congregation is planning to entrust the administration entirely to lay persons.

In 2012, the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph, who still manage Saint Martin Institutions, entrusted the management to the Association Sainte-Famille. A Sister remained on the board at the time. The project of creating a Foundation with other congregations was then in preparation with the aim of perpetuating the founding charism of our institutions.

In 2017, this Foundation project came to fruition and became known as the Fondation pour l’Action Sanitaire et Sociale d’Inspiration Chrétienne (Foundation for Health and Social Action of Christian Inspiration). The FASSIC, a Foundation based in Angers, is recognized as public service. It is the fruit of several years of work with two other Angers Congregations, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Mary of Angers and the Sisters of Saint Charles of Angers. A RHSJ is a member of the Founders' Committee and sits on the Board of Directors.

The mission of the FASSIC is part of the spirit of the founding congregations and respect for the ethical and social teaching of the Catholic Church.