Indian Church Mourns Jesuit Journalist and Educator Father Myron Pereira

The Catholic Church in India is mourning the death of Jesuit Father Myron J. Pereira, a respected journalist, writer, educator and cartoonist who made a significant contribution to Catholic media and communication education in the country. Father Pereira died on September 30, 2026, at the age of 80. He spent three decades teaching mass communication at the Jesuit-run Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC) in Mumbai and served as the institute’s director from 1998 to 2009. A prolific writer, Father Pereira authored three novels, three collections of short stories and a book on cartoons. He also contributed regularly to UCA News as a columnist. His contribution extended beyond journalism. He introduced a two-credit Mass Communication lecture course at the Pontifical Athenaeum, Jnana Deepa Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Pune, helping students engage more deeply with communication and media. Colleagues remembered him for training generations of young people in journalism and mass communication while emphasizing values such as truth, fairness and neutrality. He was also known for using cartoons to comment on contemporary realities within the Church and society. Father Pereira played an important role in Catholic publishing as the editor of Jivan, the Jesuits’ monthly magazine. Fellow Jesuits credited him with expanding the magazine’s coverage and engaging readers with a wider range of contemporary topics. He also contributed to JESCOM India, the Jesuit communications and media network, the Province Information Office, the Province Communications Commission and Jesuit Parivar magazine. Church leaders and Catholic journalists described his death as a significant loss for Catholic media in India. His work combined journalism, writing, education and creative communication to address social realities and contribute to the Church’s evangelization mission. Born on November 24, 1945, in Bandra, Bombay, Father Pereira joined the Society of Jesus in 1961 after completing his tenth grade. He studied philosophy at Jnana Deepa Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Pune, theology at Vidyajyothi College of Theology in New Delhi and earned a master’s degree in mass media in the United States in 1978. He was ordained a priest in 1975. Through decades of teaching, writing, editing and creative communication, Father Myron Pereira left a lasting mark on Catholic journalism and media education in India. His contributions continue to be remembered by the Church community and the many students and readers influenced by his work.