Joseph H. Pereira
| |
|---|---|
| Born |
Maharashtra, India
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| Occupation(s) | Social worker Writer Yogi |
| Known for | Social service |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Joseph H. Pereira, popularly known as the Singing Priest, is an Indian Roman Catholic priest, social worker and the founder trustee of Kripa Foundation, a Mumbai-based non governmental organization working for the rehabilitation of HIV patients and people affected by substance abuse.[1] He has been associated with Mother Teresa and B. K. S. Iyengar and is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences.[2] A pupil of B. K. S. Iyengar and a proponent of Iyengar Yoga, he is a certified instructor of the yoga school. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2009, for his contributions to society.[3]
Joseph Pereira was born in a Luso-Indian Roman Catholic family in the suburbs of Mumbai, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra and did his early schooling locally where he had the opportunity to study Sanskrit.[4] He started learning yoga from the age of eleven and, choosing the vocation of a priest, he enlisted himself in a seminary where he was involved with the choral groups there. He continued his academic studies to secure a master's degree Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Mumbai and a certification in counselling theory and practice from the Hazelden Institute of the Hazelden Foundation, USA.[5] While at the seminary, he got an opportunity to meet B. K. S. Iyengar, renowned yoga guru and the originator of Iyengar Yoga, and joined him as a student of yoga in 1968. In 1971, he started participating in the activities of Mother Teresa and a decade later, he founded Kripa Foundation in 1981, with a few inmates, on the premises of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Bandra where he served as the parish priest.[4] The Foundation, which had a modest beginning, grew over the years, presently operating out of 69 centres in India and also has presence in Canada, Germany and USA.[6] The organization works for the rehabilitation of HIV/AIDS patients and the victims of substance abuse and alcoholism and is affiliated to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The centre employs yoga as a means to treat alcoholics and drug addicts.[7]
Pereira teaches yoga philosophy in various Indian institutions including the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences.[2] He is the national coordinator of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) and is a trustee of the Indian chapter of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).[1] He acts as a consultant to the Archdiocese of Bombay in matters related to drug addiction and conducts regular workshops on de-addiction and yoga in India and abroad,[2] for which he has brought out several audio/video CDs such as Wholeness and Holiness, Yoga for the Practice of Christian Meditation, and The Whole Person in Prayer.[1] His students included Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore.[5] He is the author of Yoga for the Practice of Christian Meditation, a guide for beginners of yoga.[8] The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2009.[3]
Catholicism
India
