Beautiful Stories of Priestly Longevity! These Are the Greatest Priests in the World

Alma Recinas

(ZENIT News / Guadalajara, 05.26.2026) – In many parts of the world, there are very long-lived priests. The priest officially recognized as the oldest in the world is Father Bruno Kant, from the Diocese of Fulda, Germany. At 110 years of age, his remarkable longevity and devotion have been publicly recognized by the Vatican.

Pope Leo XIV thanked Father Kant for his «long, faithful, and devoted priestly service.» Father Kant is officially recognized as the oldest priest in the world.

«I was very happy to learn that you will be celebrating your 110th birthday on February 26, and I send you my warmest congratulations and blessings,» the Holy Father wrote to him at the time, according to the Fuldaer Zeitung.

Father Kant, born near Danzig, in what is now Poland, wanted to be a priest from the age of nine. He began his theological studies, but the Nazi regime thwarted his plans by conscripting him for forced labor and turning him into a soldier.

Kant then spent four years as a prisoner of war in Russia before being reunited with his family, who had fled to the West.

Bruno Kant was finally ordained a priest in 1950. After decades of priestly service, he has now stopped doing several things due to his advanced age. He stopped driving «at 102 years old» and «for the last few years, he has refrained from regularly celebrating Holy Mass with the congregation on Wednesday evenings. However, he continued to visit the sick while he could. Now that is no longer possible.»

The Pope’s Friend Who Is 80 Years a Priest and 103 Years Old

In the Vatican, we have pilgrims who attend Mass in the small church of Saint Anne, and they have found a welcome surprise.

Often, after the Pope’s Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, they could still meet a friendly Augustinian friar, who sings with enthusiasm and concelebrates the liturgy at Saint Anne.

At first glance, one might think he is one of the many octogenarian priests still serving in Roman parishes. But it turns out he is the oldest priest in the Vatican, at 103 years old.

Ordained a priest at the end of World War II, the Augustinian friar Gioele Schiavella has served for 81 years and still concelebrates Mass. His Ordination took place when he was only 22 years old, on July 15, 1945.

At that time, Italy was recovering from the devastation of World War II and facing an urgent need for material, moral, and spiritual reconstruction. These historical circumstances make him one of the few priests in the world who has reached — and surpassed — the milestone of 80 years of priesthood.

Father Gioele, whose name means «God is my joy,» was born in Genazzano. This small town was the first destination of Pope Leo XIV outside of Rome on May 10, 2025.

The town is home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel and is an Augustinian community where Father Gioele took his first vows in 1938, at just 16 years old.

Pope Leo XIV paid him a warm tribute during a pastoral visit to the parish of Saint Anne on September 21. «I want to greet Father Gioele Schiavella, who recently reached the venerable age of 103,» said the Pope at the beginning of his homily.

95 Years of Life and 70 Years of Priesthood: The Irish Twins Who Were Ordained Together

Another case worth noting is that of the Irish twin brothers who recently celebrated not only their 95th birthday, but also the platinum jubilee of their Ordination, commemorating seven decades since they entered the diocesan priesthood in 1956.

Father Joe and Father Matt Kelly offer beautiful testimonies from different perspectives: Father Joe spent years serving parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Dublin and spoke fondly of the places that shaped him, recalling how wonderful it was «to have that connection to my roots,» when one of his first assignments brought him back to the parish linked to his grandparents.

Meanwhile, Father Matt taught philosophy for some 20 years at Carlow College, served in various parishes, and dedicated much of his life to sacred music, choir direction, and pastoral ministry.

Although they held different positions in different congregations, all of this invites reflection: partly because it is uncommon for twin brothers to become priests, and partly because, once again, the clergy seems to be convincingly defending the importance of longevity.

It is said that twins share an instinctive capacity, a similar way of seeing life, with a constant, ever-present connection. And in this case, that bond lasted not only during childhood but throughout 70 years of priesthood, which makes this story even more extraordinary. They were not simply brothers who grew old together, but two men who responded to the same vocation over time.

Age Is Not a Sign of Leaving the Ministry

Very elderly Catholic priests continue to exercise their ministry in many parts of the world, even as their bodies begin to show the natural limitations of age.

Some continue hearing confessions, others visit the sick, celebrate the Eucharist, or simply remain available to listen. Their presence becomes a silent witness that challenges a society marked by haste, productivity, and the discarding of those who are already elderly.

The Code of Canon Law does not establish a maximum age for the priesthood, since the Sacrament of Holy Orders is permanent. However, it sets 75 years as the official retirement age for relinquishing positions of direct responsibility (such as the exercise of certain offices) and the obligation to submit their resignation.

When a priest is a parish priest, the Code establishes a clear norm: «When a pastor has completed seventy years of age, he is required to submit his resignation from office to the diocesan Bishop (Code of Canon Law no. 538).»

In a fast-paced world where everything seems fleeting, the figure of the elderly priest, who continues to celebrate Mass, acquires a profoundly symbolic value. He represents constancy, dedication, and unwavering faith. His life reminds us that there are commitments that are not abandoned with age and that service to others can be maintained until the very end.

Perhaps that is why, when a very old priest slowly raises the Host during the Consecration, many faithful do not see merely a weary old man. They see a man who has remained faithful for decades and who, even in frailty, continues to proclaim hope.