Anna Palarowska

Anna Palarowska (Sister Bernadette) (22 October 1902 - 2 November 2013) - was a pending Polish-French supercentenarian, member of the Ursuline Sisters Congregation in Grenoble.

Biography
Sister Bernadette - Anna Palarowska was born on October 22, 1902 in Mroczna, Nowe Miasto Lubawskie County. Her parents, Marianna and Ignacy, had eleven children: 5 sons and 6 daughters. Anna was baptized on October 26, 1902.

In her early childhood she survived the death of her mother, whereupon the children were raised by the father who was a farmer. As a very religious man, he cared for the upbringing of children in the spirit of deep and living faith. Sister Bernadette, remembering with love of his father, often mentioned he was a very good and noble man.

Anna had to take up a job early, taking care of a child in a landowner's family for several years. At the age of 19, she was already aware of her vocation to religious life, but due to her poor health then, she was not able to join the Congregation until six years after.

She loved her Family very much, always surrounded by their prayers. She was closely associated with sister Constance, who was in the Sacre Coeur Assembly in Lyon. She always remembered her parish in Mroczno.

Her religious life began in Pniewy in 1927. She made her first vows on July 12, 1930, with a predilection from the Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. On July 26, 1930, she came with the first group of sisters to France to look after the girls who came from Poland to work in a silk factory.

She worked in Ursuline communities in Ferriere 1930-31, Ucel 1931-44, Virieu 1944-71, Grenoble 1971-72, Scauri in Italy - 1972-73 (where she was seriously ill), and, finally, she returned to Grenoble in 1973, where she ran a kitchen in the house for older nuns "Bon Accueil".

Reportedly, for all that good she has done, she thanked the Lord. She was aware that the source of all goodness in her and the cause of all her actions was the Lord. She tried very hard to combine the two evangelical characters of Martha and Mary in her life, saw the fruits of her collaboration with Grace, worked sacrificially, never complained and found time for cordial prayer. She was a faithful student of the Founder's Mother - she prayed for work, prayed for the good she offered. She loved the Congregation, was interested in the life of the Church, and had great respect for her superiors and priests, and always offered help and support to those who asked for it.

Sister Bernadetta died on Nov. 2, 2013, aged 111 years 11 days. She is the oldest nun of Polish ancestry.