Supercentenarian Profile

Irene Lanna

Born:

1903-06-11

Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais

Brazil

Died:

2015-07-14

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Brazil

Sister Irene Lanna was a Brazilian nun and supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Irene Lanna was born in Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on 11 June 1903. She was the first of thirteen children born to Miguel Antônio de Lanna e Silva, a lawyer and senator for the state of Minas Gerais, and Leonor Valentim Lanna, a native of Santo Antônio do Grama, Minas Gerais. The Lanna family’s origins in Brazil are said to date back to the late 17th century, with the arrival of Jean de Lane from Bayonne, France.

Sister Irene studied as a boarding student at the Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora Normal School in Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais. There, she observed the strong bonds among the Sisters and their deep care for one another, which deeply inspired her. As soon as she completed her teacher training, she entered the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians on 19 March 1922, at 18. She had long shown a clear religious vocation, which was fully supported by her family. She began her postulancy at Santa Inês College in São Paulo on 2 July 1922, and the following year, on 6 January 1923, she entered the novitiate at the Casa Nossa Senhora das Graças. Sister Irene made her First Profession there on 6 January 1925.

From 1926 to 1928, she served as a teacher at Immaculate Conception College in Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul. In 1929, she taught at Santa Teresa College in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, and in 1930 at the Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora Educational Center in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. Later that year, on 16 December 1930, she made her Perpetual Profession at Nossa Senhora do Carmo College in Guaratinguetá, São Paulo. She was then transferred to the Santa Carlota Institute in Lorena, São Paulo, where she remained from 1931 to 1935, also serving as the institution’s chronicler. Up to that point, her primary role had been as a teacher. From 1936 onward, Sister Irene continued at the Santa Carlota Institute as a teacher and columnist while also taking on leadership as director of the community and the school—a role she would hold for many years as she moved frequently between assignments.

She served in leadership positions across several institutions: from 1939 to 1944 in Silvânia, Goiás; from 1945 to 1949 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, where she became the first Brazilian Councilor; from 1950 to 1954 in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, also serving as an Inspectorate Councilor; and from 1955 to 1960 in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. In the following years, she continued her work in São João del Rei, Belo Horizonte, and Cachoeira do Campo, Minas Gerais. Between 1961 and 1969, she served as a Provincial Councilor in Belo Horizonte.

In 1973, she served as local Vicar at the Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora Normal School in Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais. Later that same year, she was appointed director of the community and school at Auxilium College in Anápolis, Goiás. From 1974 to 1976, she directed the Casa Madre Mazzarello community—a retirement home that was then attached to Pio XII College. She returned to Ponte Nova from 1977 to 1983, where she worked as a typing teacher. From 1984 to 1986, she served as a local councilor at Casa Madre Mazzarello. She then went back to Ponte Nova once more, from 1987 to 1991, as a typing teacher and assistant.

At the age of 87, Sister Irene moved permanently to the Madre Mazzarello retirement home, where she spent the remainder of her life.

When asked about the secret to her longevity, she said it came from consistently seeking the good—thinking good thoughts, doing good deeds, and wishing the best for others.

Irene Lanna passed away in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, on 14 July 2015, at the age of 112 years, 33 days.

RECOGNITION

In June 2013, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the first documented nun in Brazil to reach that age. After her death, Luzia Mohrs (Sister Maria Electis) succeeded her as the oldest living nun in the country. On 26 April 2016, Mohrs surpassed her final age, becoming the oldest nun in Brazil’s history.

Her age was researched by Jeffrey Xu, and is currently under review.