Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 26: Immensely popular among Catholics and non-Catholics alike, Fr Ravi Santosh Kamath is a priest whose name immediately brings a smile and a nod of recognition from all who know him in the small town of Mangaluru.
Fr Santosh’s willingness to be there for anyone who calls on him has made him a problem-solver of sorts.
Add to this his never-ending cheerful spirit and commitment to help others, it’s hardly a wonder that he is the proverbial ‘people’s priest’ to many Mangalureans.
Always friend to the youth
The official vesting (Fr Santhosh & grand nephew Fr Ryan)
A friend to the old
As a young priest
60 year of joining Jesuit life
Community celebration of 60years of Jesuit life
Sibling Sr Ann Imelda AC - 50th year of celebration in Kolkata
Fr Ravi Santosh Kamath will complete 50 golden years of his priestly ordination as a Jesuit on March 27.
Personal details
Fr Ravi Santosh Kamath was born in Kuntal Kambla, Bajpe on October 5, 1939, the eighth among twelve siblings. Christened with the name Ronald Pereira, he is still affectionately known as ‘Ronnie’ by his close family members. He completed his schooling at the Bajpe Church School and then continued his education at St Aloysius College, Mangaluru. His keen academic mind and desire for knowledge led him to obtain a post-graduate degree in Philosophy and Psychology in Dharwad, followed by a diploma in foreign languages at the Karnataka University. Blessed with a natural flair for languages, he is fluent in many of them be it Latin, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu, Kannada, Hindi, and English.
Personal details
Coming from a family of priests and nuns, it is not surprising that Fr Santosh was chosen by God for a divine mission. In 1958 he joined the Jesuit Seminary in Calicut and since then, has not looked back on his commitment and devotion to the Catholic Church and its body of believers. His doctorate in Systematic Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome not only added a feather to his academic cap but also served to hone his expertise as a professor of theology at the Jeppu Seminary in a career that spanned 36 years. Many erstwhile young priests today speak fondly of his mentorship and oratory skills in the classroom.
For several years, Fr Santosh also ran a foreign languages tutorial school by the name of ‘The French Connection’ at the Fatima Retreat House. Fr Santosh’s affinity with the young and old alike is legendary. He has the unique ability to adapt himself to all kinds of people. While the old eagerly look forward to his home visits on regular communion giving days, the young are especially receptive to his ways of communicating with them on a personal level.
Speaking of youngsters, Fr Santosh is happy and proud that his grand-nephew Fr Ryan Rodrigues who is 50 years younger than him was ordained a priest in October 2017. On Fr Ryan’s request, the ‘official vesting’ on the day of his ordination was done by Fr Santosh, an emotional moment for the whole Pereira family as they witnessed the ‘passing on of the baton’ so to speak from grand-uncle to grand-nephew.
On this special day, all his well-wishers and close ones wish Fr Santosh with renewed vigor to continue the good work God began in him several years ago. May God be with him in his onward spiritual journey and may he continue to be a shepherd to his flock in Mangaluru and beyond.