Sister Irène celebrated her 100th birthday at the beginning of February surrounded by her community, the Cistercian nuns of the Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance abbey in Echourgnac (Dordogne). His birthday wish? “Eternal life!”, she states bluntly.
100 years of life on Earth, 60 of which dedicated to Christ: Sister Irene seems determined to beat all records. A Cistercian nun at the Notre Dame de Bonne- Espérance abbey in Echourgnac, in Dordogne, she took her first vows in 1964, and made solemn profession four years later, in 1969. It was surrounded by her entire community that the doyenne celebrated her birthday on February 3. The sisters even prepared sauerkraut for him, his favorite dish reminding him of his native region of Alsace.
For several months, Sister Irène has been staying in a nursing home run by the Daughters of the Cross, which does not prevent the sisters of her community from visiting her as often as possible. When she was at the monastery, she took care of the chickens, which she particularly liked to feed. “I really liked my casseroles, they were in good hands,” she confides in an article published by her community blog. She does not forget the birth of her vocation. “I always knew that was it. Little by little, it became embedded in my life,” she confides. The one who “intruded” is Jesus , and when she talks about him, Sister Irene always seems so sure of her vocation. “There is no explanation. It is the Son of God, it is Jesus. He will give me explanations when I get up there. »
Before settling in her monastery, Sister Irène traveled around France… on a moped. “My holidays were spent walking, on a moped, touring France with beautiful things to see,” she remembers. A time of which she has unforgettable memories, although she can no longer indulge in this little pleasure. His birthday wish? ” Eternal life ! When Jesus wants! »
