10 Things To Know About the Late-Sister Andre, Who Was the World's Oldest Living Person

Maybe if she'd smoked Gauloises Bleus all her life as Mme. Calment did she'd have realised her ambition to outlive her, though that wouldn't be a very 'nunnly' thing to do!

From Aleteia

By Cerith Gardiner

Discover a little more about the incredible centenarian who died on January 17 at the age of 118.

Following the death of the French nun who was 118 at the time of her death, and was the world’s oldest living person, according to the Guinness World Records, here are a few facts about the inspirational centenarian:

1 - SHE KNEW THE WORLD BEFORE THE WORLD WARS

Named Lucile Randon at birth, Sister Andre was born in the south of France a decade before the start of WWI on February 11, 1904.

2 - SHE WAS AN EARLY RISER

After years spent in prayer, Sr. Andre did not laze around in bed. She woke up nice and early and had breakfast at 7 a.m. She then went to Mass every morning, even when she was no longer able to see.

3 - SHE HAD AN AMBITION

Sr. Andre set herself the challenge to beat the record of Jeanne Calment, France’s oldest ever living person who died at the age of 122, the communications director David Tavella of her retirement home in Toulon shared with France 24.

4 - BUT … SHE WAS RATHER TIRED

“I’m thinking of getting out of this business but they won’t let me,” she shared in an AFP interview for her 118th birthday.

5 - SHE HAD A FEW STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

In the same report she also shared a little about her characteristics and how she was perceived: “I was always admired for my wisdom and intelligence, but now people could care less because I’m stubborn.” However, she was also known for her wit, once sharing that she “hopes God won’t be too slow,” in welcoming her home, according to Catholic Leader.

6 - HOW SHE FOUND HAPPINESS

Before joining the Daughters of Charity, Sr. Andre worked as a governess in Paris, which she deemed as being some of the happiest times in her life. She also spent a lot of years caring for orphans and the elderly before becoming Sr. Andre in 1944 — “Andre” being the name of her late brother. However, she stated that, for her, “daily happiness is being able to go and pray.”

7 - SHE RECEIVED A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT AT 115

Residing in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, she was was made an honorary citizen of the city Toulon in 2019. However, she also received a letter and a blessed rosary from Pope Francis on her 115th birthday.

8 - SHE BEAT COVID-19

Among the impressive statistics associated to the nun, she also became the world’s oldest living survivor of COVID-19 after she beat the disease a few weeks before turning 117. She thankfully had no symptoms, just some tiredness. However, she also shared how she felt about the virus: “No, I wasn’t scared because I wasn’t scared to die.

9 - SHE HAD A GUILTY PLEASURE

According to members of her retirement home, she liked to indulge in a few candies and chocolate, and also had a daily glass of wine. Her birthday was usually celebrated with a Port and chocolate combo. Although her secret to her long life was to “pray and drink a cup of chocolate every day.”

10 - SHE WAS ONE OF MANY CENTENARIANS IN HER NATIVE FRANCE

Sr. Andre lived in a country that claims over 21,000 centenarians according to INSEE — not bad for a country with just over 67 million inhabitants.