meeting with Sister André, the new dean of humanity

From her armchair, Sister André, 118, is the doyenne of humanity. The nun, who lives in an Ehpad in Toulon (Var), received the news with humility. “A pride, but a disaster”, she says. Born on February 11, 1904, Sister André experienced two world wars and 20 Presidents of the Republic. She lost her sight, but retained her memory and her humor. Even if sometimes, his exceptional longevity weighs on him. “I wish to die”she admits.

“She loves to talk, you can’t stop her, sometimes I come to see her for a quarter of an hour and I stay all morning, because it’s a whole library of her own life”, confides David Tavella, the communication officer of the Ehpad. Surpassing Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122, would not displease Sister André. In the meantime, she keeps her appetite and hopes that her new status as dean does not disturb her peace of mind. “I hope that tomorrow they will leave me alone”, she confides, teasingly.