Saints Who Lived to a 100 or More (Part Three)

Introduction
Below is the last list of seven centenarian saints. One had been a hermit for four-fifths of his life, living up to 113 years of age. Of the other saints, three were monks, two were Dominican friars, and one was active in the court of the Spanish royal family.

Third list of centenerian-saints

• St. Parisio: (1160-1267 A.D.), Camaldolese monk, ordained to the priesthood, chaplain of St. Christina convent at Treviso for 77 years. Lived to 107 years.
• St. Paul the Hermit: (229-342 A.D.), hermit, lived to 113 years of age in which 90 years were spent in silence and solitude.
• St. Raymond of Peñafort: (1175-1275 A.D.), Dominican, preached the crusade against the Moors, confessor to Pope Gregory IX, master general of the Dominicans, resigned at 65 years old but lived 25 more years in active life.
• Blessed Simon de Rojas: (1522-1624 A.D.), Trinitarian friar, superior of the Order, confessor of the Spanish royal couple, and tutor of the royal family's children.
• St. Simon Stock: (1165-1265 A.D.), hermit, Carmelite, became superior general of the Carmelites, promoted devotion to the brown scapular.
• Blessed Aime Taparelli: (1395-1495 A.D.), was married first and then entered a new state of life as a Dominican, taught at the University of Turin, adviser to the duke of Savoy, an officer of the Inquisition.
• St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch: (423-529 A.D.), pilgrim, monk, hermit, founder of a monastery near Bethlehem, appointed head of cenobites in Palestine.

A remarkable statistic
The 22 centenerian-saints surveyed in this Series of articles are merely a sample of probably more centenerians that are recorded in the Church's archives. One remarkable feature of this survey (with information gathered from just a few books) is that all these centenarian-saints were male. It is for certain that there were also female centenarians in the history of our Christian faith. They are just not recorded in presently printed books as much as the male.

Life is a mystery
Life is a gift and a mystery. The wisdom books always remind that all are to choose life and not death. We are to choose life through the paths of virtue, righteousness, and justice. But God's word nevertheless reminds all of the truth about man's earthly life. In Psalm 90:9ff, it says:

"...our lives are over in a breath - our life lasts for seventy years, eighty with good health, but they all add up to anxiety and trouble" (Jerusalem Bible)

The centenerian-saints surveyed in this series of articles lived very long lives, but even though it may appear that they have 'outlived' the Lord, they still shared in His suffering and death - more so with the very many difficult struggles that go with the weakness of physical age. However, what can inspire all in this present generation is the perseverance and faithfulness in prayer and work that these centenarian-saints gave a good example of. If many midlifers complain of long prayers and tedious work already, imagine these centenarian-saints who had to live an additional 50 or more years in that same tedious prayer, study and work! They were able to do so because of their love for God and the Church.