Fr. Lancy Pereira was a man who was fascinated by the deep mysteries of life, strove to understand them and encouraged others to make their own explorations. His life was one relentless quest to get deeper into the mystery of life and God, a quest best expressed in his books ‘The Enchanted Darkness’ and ‘Death, the Final Freedom’.
Lancy was intellectually gifted and takes his place in the long tradition of Jesuit scholars who blended faith with scientific pursuits. He had an incisive mind that could quickly separate the essentials from the peripherals, arrange the facts logically and build up a convincing case for his point of view. Along with intellectual depth, Lancy displayed great versatility. He had a great range of academic interests and was also a keen sportsman and an accomplished violinist. At St. Xavier’s College, he was the driving force behind the Life Science department, the Caius Laboratory, the Malhar festival and the Indian Music Group. A true all-rounder indeed!
There was a nurturing side to Lancy that emerged only after you knew him well. Once you earned his respect, he would then be ready to lift you up to see the large picture and discover your own potential. In this way he became a guiding star to many a professional who wanted to blaze new trails in his/her own field. The quest for God was the main driving force of Lancy’s life. His explorations in different fields all threw some light on the Divine Mystery, but left him hungering for greater clarity. In this quest, he often encountered darkness and uncertainty, but there were also moments of magic and enchantment. We are grateful that he has shared those moments with us. We rejoice that Lancy now experiences the enchantment of being one with the Divine Mystery.
- Luke Rodrigues, SJ
