Creighton Mourns the Death of Fr. Pereira

The Rev. Anand Pereira, SJ, MS’10, EdD’12, a former member of the Jesuit community at Creighton University and a leader among the Jesuits’ work in the Kohima Region in northeast India, died June 9 after suffering a sudden heart attack. He was 56.

"Fr. Pereira touched so many lives here at Creighton, and will be remembered not only for his commitment to the Jesuit vocation but for the many connections he made between Creighton, St. John's Parish and the Omaha community and his home country in India," said Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. "We hold his family, friends, and fellow Jesuits in our prayers as we mourn his loss."

Fr. Pereira earned a master’s degree in counseling from Creighton in 2010 and was in the first cohort of graduates from Creighton’s Interdisciplinary Leadership doctoral program in 2012. He was inducted into the Creighton chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society, in 2010.

His connections to Creighton span some 18 years and include his graduate studies and work organizing groups of students and faculty from Creighton and parishioners from St. John’s Church to visit and serve in various capacities in northeast India. As a result of his work, the CLC group from St John’s Parish is currently committed to introducing the CLC movement in the Jesuit parishes of the Kohima Region.

Since 2023, Fr. Pereira had been serving as the superior of the Arunachal Mission of the Jesuits in northeast India, and had recently been appointed regional superior of the Kohima Region by the Most Rev. Arturo Sosa, SJ, the superior general of the Society of Jesus. 

Fr. Pereira joined the Jesuits in his hometown of Bangalore, India, in 1986 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. Before coming to Creighton for his graduate studies, Fr. Pereira served as director of the Center for Integral Development in India, a nonprofit organization addressing social justice issues. During his tenure, he focused on the empowerment of women and youth. He also served as coordinator for Jesuit Youth Ministry in northeast India; director of the Pastoral Training Center, training lay people for leadership in the Church; principal of a high school; and a pastor at various parishes.

During his time in Omaha, Fr. Pereira served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Magdalene Church and chaplain for the Magis Catholic Teacher Corps at Creighton. 

After earning his EdD from Creighton, he was appointed superior of St. Paul’s Jesuit Community in Phesama, India, also serving as the region consultor and region coordinator for formation. From 2017 to 2019, he served as principal of St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School in Moirang, Manipur, and, in 2019, was appointed superior of Jesuit House Community and region development director in Guwahati, Assam.

A farewell prayer video was posted by the Jesuits of northeast India.