Fr Cyril was born on 20 March 1908 at Bajpe, Mangalore, the 7th of ten children of Mrs. and Mr Joseph Pereira. After completing his studies at St Aloysius High School, he joined the Seminary in 1926. Three years later, he heard and responded to the call of religious life and was admitted to the Society. He had his novitiate and Philosophy in Shembaganur, and Theological studies in Pune where he was ordained on 25 March 1941. After Theology, he taught Philosophy at the Seminary for a year, and then taught for a year at St Joseph’s European High School, Bangalore, where he was also minister of the House. He then proceeded to Ranchi in 1945 for his tertianship.
Soon after returning to the Province from the Tertianship he was appointed the Manager of St Joseph’s Charitable Works, Mangalore, with its Orphanage, Catechumenate and Industrial Workshops. With his keen practical sense coupled with large-heartedness, he expanded the workshops and undertook many projects, including the building of houses for the workers and the orphans. He was next called upon to shoulder the responsible burden of educating the clergy: both diocesan and Ours: and he brought to his task an outgoing religious spirit, a personal interest in people and a keen sense of practical wisdom and courage. Whether as Rector of St Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary, Mangalore, or Rector of Mount St Joseph Training College, Bangalore or Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical Athenaeum, Poona, he was always loved and much appreciated. He strove to form men needed in the Lord’s vineyard in our times. His was a personal approach: gifted with a tenacious memory for names and faces and details of situations that he quickly absorbed and long retained, and gifted also with an understanding heart, he came to know his subjects intimately and gave them individual care and attention. He had a sense of vision, a picture of the priest of the future and gave the needed emphasis on adapting priestly studies to our times.
It was this sense of vision and keen interest in people that was characteristic of him during the last six years when he was Vice-provincial of Karnataka Jesuits. He continually adapted himself to the changing times and ways of thinking, the newer needs of the Province and the Church; it was his task to take important decisions, which he took with characteristic courage. Though quick in assessing situations, and in coming to decisions, he would delay in important matters so as to be able, as far as possible, to carry his brethren with him. Some of the important landmarks of the years he was Provincial included the decision to accept the challenge of the Nagaland Mission – to be built up from the scratch; the handing over of the St Joseph’s Charitable Institutions and Belve Colony, Mangalore, and also the St Joseph’s High School, Ooty to the respective dioceses, the taking over of St John’s High School, Bellary for some years at the request of the Bishop, the shifting of the location of St Joseph’s Indian High School, Bangalore, and constituting the Commerce Section and Evening Section of St Joseph’s College, Bangalore into independent colleges.
Conscious that Scholastics were the `hope of the future’ as he would say, he took a keen personal interest in them: he strove to widen their horizon of interests and to inculcate missionary zeal in them by having them take degrees in the vernaculars, and assigning some of them to newer fields of studies like Agriculture, Mass Communications, Counseling, Computer Mechanics, and apostolate among urban Hindus and Muslims.
In all his yeas of responsible work, he did not spare himself, but poured himself out in dedicated service, with never a break. All this, with the continual effort to adapt himself to ever changing times, and in particular, to carry his brethren with him, the constant travelling, particularly during the last year of his office to visit his brethren, contributed to a decline in his health.
JC Pereira was giant of a man, He was gentle yet an astute administrator, the only one in those years to become the Rector of Papal Athenaeum from our province. As provincial, he launched the important work of the mission in Nagaland and took us to North Karnataka; both are thriving missions now. It is to his credit that he sent many men abroad to do Ph.D. and courses like agriculture. Being a great soul, he has left his mark on the province, the places where he worked and most of all in the hearts of many. Here is a revealing extract from a tribute paid to him in the KNL of June 1972 when he laid down office as Vice-provincial. “Some of his remarkable qualities deserve mention: However critical a situation, he always preserved his calm, trying rather to understand than to assert his views. He stooped to conquer whenever yielding did not imply compromise of principles. One could notice that he was inclined to say a ready YES rather than a cold NO. An endearing side of his personality was his readiness to see the humorous side of things shown by the ready laughter that rippled all round him. His was a positive approach to life. “
Already a few months before laying down office as vice-provincial he looked a bit run down and was growing pale, and suffered at times from giddiness. It was for this reason that he asked for a period of rest before taking up any new assignment. But he did not regain his vigour even after a holiday in the hills. He was being treated for anaemia, and there was every hope of his being his usual self again, when unexpectedly he had a heart attack on 24th November. He was anointed, and he received the sacrament with devotion, and went to the Lord at night. Fr Cyril had just finished his term as Provincial a few months earlier. He was given his next destination to MSJ; his luggage had gone ahead of him; but before moving to the place, he wanted to have a medical checkup and had been admitted to St Philomena’s. No serious health problem was reported. On the eve of his death, Fr Norbert D’Souza from the Indian High School and the Socius, Fr Richard Sequeira, took a walk to the hospital after supper to pay him a visit. To their utter surprise they found him in rigor mortis, and they quickly reported the matter to the Head Quarters. His sister, a nun of St Charles Congregation too was informed. That was Fr Cyril’s last day.
Everybody was stunned by the news: all too suddenly Fr John Cyril Pereira was taken away from us. He had always been of robust health, very active and full of good cheer; and although during the past year he was experiencing a decline in his wonted energy, God’s summons came very unexpectedly with a heart attack. Fr Cyril answered the summons very peacefully, and slept in the Lord at 9.10 p.m. on November 24, 1972. He was in the 65th year of his age; it was his 43rd year with us in the Society.
On hearing the sad news of his death, Fr Vincent O’Keefe, one of the General Assistants, on behalf of Fr General, sent a condolence message: “I was much grieved to learn from your cable of November 25 of the death of Fr John C. Pereira ….The Karnataka Vice province and the Indian Assistancy have lost an able member in his death. All along he endeavoured to give of his best, first as Professor and Rector of St Joseph’s Seminary, then as Rector of the Novitiate and of the Papal Athenaeum, Poona, and finally as Provincial. Please accept my sincere condolences…”
Many a tear welled up in many a grateful heart; Fr Cyril had won the respect and love of many in the long years he had been entrusted with responsible offices in the Society – he was a man with a large heart, and loved those entrusted to his care. The large number of people who attended the funeral, including the two carloads of poor people who came all the way from Mangalore, is indicative of the love and esteem he was held in. The Funeral Mass was on the 25th in St Joseph’s Boys’ High School chapel, with 30 of his confreres and others concelebrating, and Archbishop Arokiaswamy presiding over the Eucharist. Fr Francis Rebello in his funeral oration spoke of his sterling qualities and the great work he had done for the Province. His mortal remains were laid to rest in the Jesuit cemetery at Mount Saint Joseph.
Truly in his death the Society – and our Province – lost a very precious person. The Society had always counted on him for much, and assigned him to very responsible tasks: and he responded with a spirit of loyal dedication and a keen sense of duty. The first of these assignments came to him soon after his tertianship in 1945 when, while being on the staff of St Joseph’s Seminary, he was appointed
The feelings of many of those in the Province towards him could be summed up in the words taken from a letter addressed to Fr Cyril by the Karnataka Scholastics in Pune, which arrived on the day of his death. “This letter comes to you loaded with our good wishes and promise of prayers for your speedy recovery. You have an important role to play in the Province. The Society needs you, the Province needs you, but in particular we the Scholastics need you. So, please take good care of yourself and come back to us restored and refreshed. Be your old self again: sturdy, strong and cheerful…..Nothing would give us greater pleasure, Father, than if you come and stay with us here in D N C for some days after your recovery….”
Fr Cyril did not live to read the letter. God called him to Himself to take rest in his heavenly company.
- by Fr Richard Sequeira, SJ
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