In 1911, community leaders in Oxnard, California approached Reverend John S. Laubacher, pastor of Santa Clara Parish in Oxnard, out of concern that healthcare services were not available to meet the needs of the thousands of residents who had settled on the Oxnard Plain. At the request of Rev. Laubacher, the Sisters of Mercy, who by now had expanded their mission to Southern California, were invited to come from El Centro, California to Oxnard to establish St. John's Hospital (now known as St. John's Regional Medical Center). J.A. Driffel, manager of Oxnard's sugar beet factory, and Rev. Laubacher led the delegation to welcome the Sisters of Mercy from El Centro.