101-Year-Old Woman Receives Her First Communion
At 101-years-old, Dona Penha received her first communion during a mass at the Lady of Mount Carmel nursing home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"It was a very beautiful moment that showed us that it is never too late to receive the Eucharist, which for someone seeking God, neither time nor shame can prevent," administrative assistant of the nursing home, Josiane Ribeiro, said.
She said these occasions help "reaffirm faith."
Penha has been at the nursing home for about a year and decided to attend a confession one day with the other women.
Father Domingos Savio Silva Ferreira discovered she had not received communion and asked the other women to prepare her for the sacrament.
Those who watched her said that it was something she really wanted to do. Even at 101-years-old those at the nursing home said, "she is very lucid, and prepared to receive first communion from the heart."
"We put the photos on the nursing home's Facebook page, and many people saw it, commented and congratulated," Ribeiro said.
The post on Facebook got a lot of attention, including many likes and shares. One subscriber described God's timing well by saying, "There is always time, and her time was now! God bless you!"
