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Farewell To A Faithful Life: World's Oldest Person, Brazilian Nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, Passes Away At 116
Photo credit: Guinness World Records
Farewell to a Faithful Life: World’s Oldest Person, Brazilian Nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, Passes Away at 116
The world has just said goodbye to a remarkable woman.
LongeviQuest has confirmed the passing of Inah Canabarro Lucas, the world’s oldest living person, who died peacefully on April 30 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She was 116 years and 326 days old, nearly reaching her 117th birthday.
With Inah’s passing, the title of the world’s oldest person now goes to Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old woman living in Surrey, England. Back home in Brazil, Izabel Rosa Pereira, who is 114, now holds the record as the country’s oldest living person.
But beyond records and numbers, Inah’s story is one of faith, resilience, and a life dedicated to service.
Born on June 8, 1908, in São Francisco de Assis, Rio Grande do Sul, Inah came from a notable family—she was the great-granddaughter of Brazilian General David Canabarro. As a child, many feared she wouldn’t make it due to her frail health. And yet, she defied all odds, living not just a long life, but a meaningful one.
At 16, she joined a boarding school run by the Carmelite Sisters in Santana do Livramento, where her path to becoming a nun began. She was baptized in 1926, confirmed in Montevideo in 1929, and by 1934, had taken her perpetual vows, officially dedicating her life to the Church.
Over the decades, she worked as a teacher of Portuguese and mathematics and served in various cities including Tijuca, Itaqui, and Porto Alegre. Her commitment to education and faith never wavered—even in her later years.
In 2018, when she turned 110, Pope Francis honored her with an apostolic blessing. And when asked about the secret behind her extraordinary longevity, she simply said:
“The Lord is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything.”
Her longevity earned her several accolades:
• She became South America’s oldest living person in 2022,
• Brazil’s oldest in 2024, and
• The world’s oldest living person by December 2024, after the passing of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka.
By the time she passed, Inah had made history as one of the oldest people ever recorded—15th-oldest in the world, third-oldest in Latin America, and second-oldest Brazilian. She was also the second-oldest nun in documented history, just behind France’s Lucile Randon.
While the world now looks to new record-holders, there’s no doubt that Inah Canabarro Lucas leaves behind a legacy rooted in faith, service, and quiet strength.
Rest in peace, Sister Inah. Your long and beautiful journey has touched more lives than you could ever know.
The world has just said goodbye to a remarkable woman.
LongeviQuest has confirmed the passing of Inah Canabarro Lucas, the world’s oldest living person, who died peacefully on April 30 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She was 116 years and 326 days old, nearly reaching her 117th birthday.
With Inah’s passing, the title of the world’s oldest person now goes to Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old woman living in Surrey, England. Back home in Brazil, Izabel Rosa Pereira, who is 114, now holds the record as the country’s oldest living person.
But beyond records and numbers, Inah’s story is one of faith, resilience, and a life dedicated to service.
Born on June 8, 1908, in São Francisco de Assis, Rio Grande do Sul, Inah came from a notable family—she was the great-granddaughter of Brazilian General David Canabarro. As a child, many feared she wouldn’t make it due to her frail health. And yet, she defied all odds, living not just a long life, but a meaningful one.
At 16, she joined a boarding school run by the Carmelite Sisters in Santana do Livramento, where her path to becoming a nun began. She was baptized in 1926, confirmed in Montevideo in 1929, and by 1934, had taken her perpetual vows, officially dedicating her life to the Church.
Over the decades, she worked as a teacher of Portuguese and mathematics and served in various cities including Tijuca, Itaqui, and Porto Alegre. Her commitment to education and faith never wavered—even in her later years.
In 2018, when she turned 110, Pope Francis honored her with an apostolic blessing. And when asked about the secret behind her extraordinary longevity, she simply said:
“The Lord is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything.”
Her longevity earned her several accolades:
• She became South America’s oldest living person in 2022,
• Brazil’s oldest in 2024, and
• The world’s oldest living person by December 2024, after the passing of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka.
By the time she passed, Inah had made history as one of the oldest people ever recorded—15th-oldest in the world, third-oldest in Latin America, and second-oldest Brazilian. She was also the second-oldest nun in documented history, just behind France’s Lucile Randon.
While the world now looks to new record-holders, there’s no doubt that Inah Canabarro Lucas leaves behind a legacy rooted in faith, service, and quiet strength.
Rest in peace, Sister Inah. Your long and beautiful journey has touched more lives than you could ever know.
May 1, 2025
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