Devoted educator and cherished figure in Brazil’s religious and cultural life leaves behind a legacy of faith and resilience
PORTO ALEGRE — Sister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and retired teacher recognized as the world’s oldest living person, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 116. She died peacefully of natural causes at her home, according to a statement from the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus, the religious order she served for nearly a century.
Canabarro had been officially named the oldest verified living person in January by LongeviQuest, a global organization that documents supercentenarians. She was just weeks away from celebrating her 117th birthday on May 27.
Born in 1908 in southern Brazil, Sister Inah defied early doubts about her survival. As a frail child, family members feared she might not live to adulthood. But she went on to live a remarkably full and active life, marked by a deep commitment to faith, education, and service.
“I’m young, pretty, and friendly — all good qualities,” she joked in a February video recorded by LongeviQuest. Still sharp and cheerful, she credited her Catholic faith for her extraordinary longevity.
Canabarro joined the Teresian religious order as a teenager and served across Latin America, including in Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro, before settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. As a teacher, she inspired generations of students — including Gen. João Figueiredo, Brazil’s last military president — and created two marching bands in border towns between Brazil and Uruguay.
In 2018, Pope Francis honored her 110th birthday, a milestone that cemented her status as a revered religious figure. At the time of her death, she was the second-oldest nun ever recorded, following French nun Lucile Randon, who died in 2023 at 118.
Her death marks the end of an era. She was the 20th oldest documented person in history, with a life that spanned from Brazil’s post-independence period to the digital age. The title of the world’s oldest living person now passes to Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old woman in the United Kingdom.
A wake for Sister Inah Canabarro will be held Thursday in Porto Alegre, where her life and work touched many. In a statement, LongeviQuest praised her as a “devoted educator, religious sister, and a symbol of longevity whose story will continue to inspire.”
