The soccer-loving nun from Brazil is thought to be the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117 years old, and her strong Catholic faith is thought to be responsible for her longevity. .
Longevyquest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the world, issued a statement on Saturday declaring Sister Ina Canavarro to be the world’s oldest person with early records.
The wheelchair-bound nun has been named the world’s oldest living person after Tomiko Itooka passed away in Japan on December 26, 2024 at the age of 116.
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Her nephew spends time with her every Saturday and sends voice messages between visits to keep the elderly woman up after two hospitalizations.
“The other sisters say they are shocked to hear my voice,” he said. “She’s excited.”
Sister Ina Canavarro joins hands in prayer on February 16, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Carlos Macedo/LongeviQuest, via AP)
According to LongeviQuest researchers, Canavarro was born on June 8, 1908 into a large family in southern Brazil.
However, her nephew said her birth was registered two weeks late and that she was actually born on May 27, 1908.
As a teenager, she turned to religious activities, spending two years in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and finally settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul.
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On her 110th birthday, she was honored by Pope Francis. She is the second oldest nun ever recorded, after Lucille Landon, who was the world’s oldest person until her death in 2023 at the age of 118.
Pope Francis holds up the rosary during the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on October 29, 2023. (Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Along with her lifelong commitment to her faith, she is dedicated to her local soccer club, Inter.
The club, which was founded after Canavarro’s birth, celebrates her birthday every year as its oldest fan.
Her room is decorated with gifts in the team colors of red and white, her nephew said.
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“Inter is a team of people, white or black, rich or poor,” she said in a video posted on social media to mark her 116th birthday with the club president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
