Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian Catholic nun recognized as the world’s oldest living person, passed away on April 30, 2025, at the age of 116.
She died peacefully at the Santo Enrique de Ossó Shelter in Porto Alegre, Brazil where she had lived with the Teresian Sisters for over four decades.
Born on June 8, 1908, in São Francisco de Assis, Rio Grande do Sul, Sister Inah’s early health was frail, prompting fears she would not survive childhood. Despite these concerns, she entered religious life at 19 and spent nearly a century in service and education. Her formal vows were taken in 1934 after formation in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Throughout her vocation, she taught Portuguese, mathematics, history and religion in multiple cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Itaqui and Santana do Livramento. In the latter, she became known for founding school marching bands that performed across Brazil and Uruguay.
In 2018, she received an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis on her 110th birthday.
Her family attributes her extraordinary longevity to her lifelong prayer and discipline. She succeeded Japanese supercentenarian Tomiko Itooka as the world’s oldest living person in December 2024. Following her passing, Ethel Caterham of England, aged 115, was named the new world’s oldest person.
Pray for the eternal repose of Sister Inah’s soul! 🙏
Photo credit: Martins406, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
