Father Guy Simonet Celebrates His 100th Birthday

Father Guy Simonet, the first centenarian priest of the Port-Louis diocese, will celebrate his 100th birthday on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Currently residing at Bethesda (the retirement home for elderly priests of the diocese), he recently marked 72 years of priesthood on July 5.

On October 29, at 10:00 AM, Bishop Durhône, accompanied by clergy members, will lead a Thanksgiving Mass at the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes church. Following this, from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM, a ceremony will take place with the Minister and representatives from Social Security at Bethesda. Father Simonet will then host his fellow priests for lunch.

Father Louis Marcel Guy Simonet is a priest of the Congregation of the Spiritans, having been ordained in France on July 5, 1953. As a missionary priest, he was sent to Réunion Island immediately after his ordination, where he spent the entirety of his priestly life. He returned permanently to Mauritius at the age of 90.

Father Simonet is the second child in a family of nine siblings - six girls and three boys. He hails from a well-known family in Curepipe, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, as his father owned "Pharmacie Simonet" in downtown Curepipe.

Before leaving for seminary in 1946, he worked alongside his father in the pharmacy. After his father's death, he continued to support the family business under the guidance of his brother Pierre Simonet, who was also known for his political and social engagement.

Despite some hearing issues due to his age, Father Simonet enjoys good health and possesses a vivid memory, cherishing the memories of his large, joyful family, as well as details about his departure from Mauritius and arrival in France for seminary studies.

"The sea journey lasted a month and a half. We stopped in Madagascar, Cape Town, and other countries. We disembarked in England and from there I traveled to France... When I arrived in France, I was given a cassock, which is a religious symbol. I was also given a rosary and a missionary cross that I still keep in my room," he recalls.

Father Simonet approaches his 100 years with clarity and humility: "I am surprised that I am still in this world, as the average life expectancy for a man is around 80 years, and for a woman it is a bit more... I am like a channel... I just let things happen..."

Upon returning to Mauritius in 2015, Father Simonet initially lived in a home in Bonne Terre Vacoas managed by the Daughters of Mary, and for the past seven years, he has been residing at Bethesda, a retirement home for priests located at Thabor in Beau-Bassin.