She's the World’s Oldest Nun at 112 Years Old. Here Are Her 4 Words of Advice

Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella of Long Island, N.Y., has been serving the Catholic Church since 1931

• The world’s oldest living nun currently resides in Long Island, N.Y.
• Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella turned 112 in April
• Sister Francis, who has been serving the Catholic Church for 94 years, advises others to “teach until you die”

A woman in New York recently became the oldest nun in the world after celebrating a birthday in April.

112-year-old Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella of Long Island has devoted her life to the Catholic Church for the past 94 years, per the New York Post. And her advice for others after nearly a century of service?

“Teach until you die,” she told The Post in an interview, adding that she thinks people should strive to help those around them. 

“You have to be a saint before you get to heaven,” she continued.

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Sister Francis went on to tell the outlet that while helping others has always come naturally to her, she initially had trouble finding a convent that would accept her. She explained that she lost her left forearm in a train accident when she was 2 years old, and some convents worried that her disability would affect her ability to serve.

However, she told the outlet that when she was 17, a priest in the Dominican order asked if she could “teach” — and when he found out that she could, he allowed her to stay. Sister Francis went on to teach a variety of subjects to students at Catholic schools until she was 84.

“Well, I don’t want to brag, but I was a pretty good student in everything,” she told The Post. “I was a good teacher because I was teaching myself too. I was knocking it into my own head.”

As to how Sister Francis feels about becoming the world’s oldest nun? She noted to the publication that she doesn’t really think about it.

“I feel normal. I never gave my age a thought. It just happened to be,” she told the outlet.

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She also told The Post that she feels lucky she can “still think” at her age, adding, “I could still teach, or at least I think so.”

In a video of Sister Francis shared on the Sisters of St. Dominic YouTube channel, the supercentenarian says that she still prays regularly, and often to friends who have died.

“I pray to them quite often. Because they know what it’s like to live on this earth. So they help, even though you may not know that they’re helping you," she said.