Francis Piscatella, the oldest living nun in the U.S., is celebrating her 112th birthday this Easter Sunday in Amityville, New York. Her birthday was first announced by the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville on their Instagram account.
Francis Piscatella was born in Central Islip, New York, on 20 April 1913. When she was just two years old, she had her left forearm amputated—an early challenge that caused many religious organizations to reject her. Nevertheless, her mother instilled in her a deep sense of independence and resilience. As a result, Piscatella set out to prove there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
Eventually, in 1931, she was accepted into the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville. Shortly thereafter, she pursued higher education, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from St. John’s University. With her degrees in hand, she went on to teach mathematics at a grade school in Brooklyn.
Francis Piscatella, 20 April 2025.
Piscatella went on to teach for 52 years at Molloy College. Later, she worked in the college’s Financial Aid Office before retiring at the age of 84. Throughout her life, she also served as a mentor and sponsor to many women seeking to join the convent.
On 26 January 2025, at the age of 111 years, 281 days, she surpassed the final age of Mary Magdalen Hutton (1911–2022), becoming the oldest known nun ever to have lived in the United States.
She is currently the second-oldest living nun in the world, after Inah Canabarro Lucas (Irmã Inah), who, at 116, is also the world’s oldest living person.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Francis Piscatella on her 112th birthday.
