s. francis rita voivedich

50th Jubilee
Sister Fran, baptized Cecelia Barrett, was born in Mobile, Ala., in 1943. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1961 and was received into the novitiate in 1962. She graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Nursing School in St. Louis as a licensed practical nurse in 1967.

Sister Fran spent a year of internship divided between St. Joseph's Hospital in Kirkwood and Nazareth Living Center. Afterwords, she served two years at Nazareth. In 1969, she was  missioned to St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, Ga., where she served for 40 years working in six different facilities, all sponsored by the hospital. She loved her time there serving wonderful people and making many friends.

Since 2010 Sister Fran has served in Selma, Ala., as assistant director of the newest outreach ministry of the Fathers of St. Edmund, the Senior Activity Center in the Center of Hope. The new building also houses Catholic Social Ministries and the Bosco Nutrition Center.

She brings a spirit of joy, love and dedication to her "new family" in Selma. She gets to do lots of dancing as part of the exercise program and has learned a bookfull of spirituals.