In the early morning of March 6, 2026, at 3:50 a.m., Brazilian social media influencer and seminarian Igor Pavan Tres died of kidney cancer.
He was 26 years old and a seminarian in the Diocese of Frederico Westphalen in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Two weeks earlier, he had written what he called a “Spiritual Testament,” which was published on his Instagram profile after his death.
The epigraph came from Psalm 30:
“Into your hands, Lord, I commit my spirit.”
Igor wrote the document on Feb. 20, 2026, aware of the seriousness of his health condition:
“Sensing the possibility of the end and the encounter with the Judge—whose day and hour only He knows—but aware of my health and the weaknesses that accompany me, I decided to write these lines as my spiritual testament.
I know nothing about the time that will still be granted to me. I know, however, that life is short and that each day is a silent preparation to appear before Him who is the Truth.”
Igor offered his cross for the Holy Church, for the Pope, for his diocesan bishop, for the clergy, for the conversion of sinners, for the souls in purgatory, and for persecuted Christians.
He then reflected on his own experience with illness:
“I know that suffering, in itself, does not automatically sanctify. It can harden or purify. In my weakness, I acknowledge that I have often been unfaithful. However, I can testify that pain has taught me not to remain separated from God for long.
“Like an unruly horse trying to escape, I was kept on the reins by the Lord, who used suffering to prevent my ultimate flight. If I remain today, it is by mercy, not by merit.”
Igor publicly apologized to anyone he had harmed. He thanked his family, friends, and healthcare professionals. He also asked for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He concluded:
“If I am called, I ask the Lord to grant me eternal rest while I await, in the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.”
The post received more than 20,000 likes.
The Return to the Seminary
Igor stepped away from priestly formation in 2024 to focus on his health and to be closer to his family.
He later expressed a desire to return and was officially readmitted to the Major Seminary of the Diocese of Frederico Westphalen.
He died the following day.
The Stole
The bishop of the diocese, Dom Antônio Carlos, announced Igor’s death and explained how he was buried:
“When a seminarian dies, the custom is to bury him clothed in his cassock and to place a priestly stole in his hands, symbolizing the unfulfilled vocational calling. In his hands were also his rosary and his crucifix. That is how we buried seminarian Igor.”
Sister’s Letter
Giovana, Igor’s sister, published an open letter after his death.
“God wanted you with Him sooner, and now only longing remains,” she wrote.
She ended with a phrase Igor often used to say:
“We’ll see each other when God wills it.”