From our special correspondent in Toulon (Var),
A little piece of woman, who leaves behind a great void at the dawn of her 119th birthday. On the night of Monday to Tuesday, Sister André breathed her last in the Toulon nursing home which welcomed her. The end of a life of remarkable longevity, which made the Var nun the dean of humanity. An end that she demanded, according to those around her. “Her return to God was a consolation for her,” says Bishop Dominique Rey. The bishop of Fréjus-Toulon regularly rubbed shoulders with the nun, on the occasion of masses or celebrations of her birthday. “Often, she spoke to me about her death,” he adds. More and more. He was someone who, especially towards the end, felt the weight of the handicap. The more her body let go of her, the more her soul rose. His life was not a descent but profoundly an ascent. »
In these times of mourning for him and his religious community, it is less a feeling of sadness than a deep respect tinged with admiration that animates the man of the Church. “This woman had given herself totally to God and to others in her task of accompanying the poor, people in difficulty and orphans,” notes Bishop Rey. His whole life was driven by concern for charity towards others. He was a being who was mobilized by love and it showed. Even in his old age, by small details that sometimes say more than big words. »
A quiet celebration for his death
And to remember: “When we asked her how you were doing, she asked directly: “And you, how are you? She returned to others the consideration we had for her. She was humble, attentive and faithful to her vocation to the end. It was a living testimony, an example that lifts us up. When we meet beings who are inhabited by love, it makes us better and it invites us to follow in their wake. »
A way of life that Sister André wanted to keep… Until her death. The nun, with a strong character and a reputedly caustic sense of humor, has indeed transmitted her last wishes with precision. “There will be a mass in her homage, but she wanted the celebration to be more discreet and lived within her community, in the image of her life. She wanted to remain humble until the end. ” Successful bet.