Cedric Prakash, (born 3 November 1951), is a Catholic priest and a member of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

(Jesuits) of Gujarat in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He is currently based in the city of

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

Western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Union te ...

. He is well known for his work on

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

, reconciliation, and peace activism, with a focus on advocacy. He is also a prolific writer on subjects related to

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

, communal harmony, environment, contextual spirituality, and the

Constitution of India The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...

. His articles are regularly published in newspapers, magazines, and journals in India and abroad. He is also a visiting faculty in some colleges, universities, and seminaries in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and the

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. Fr. Prakash speaks four languages - English, Gujarati, Hindi and French.

Life

Prakash was born on 3 November 1951, to Cynthia Lobo and Conrad Lobo in

Mumbai, India Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

. He was the youngest of four children. His father was an Engineer in a sister company of

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...

and his mother was a teacher at St. Joseph's Convent, Umerkhadi,

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

. Prakash is a direct descendant of the well-known Mascarenhas family of

Kankanady Kankanadi or Kankanady is one of the major upscale commercial and residential localities of Mangalore city. It houses many highrise buildings and transforming into a highrise hub of Mangalore CBD region along with its major counterparts like Bej ...

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...

. His great-grandfather Dr. Simon Mascarenhas was a reputed physician of the town. His great-granduncle Msgr. Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas ( today a

Servant of God "Servant of God" is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression "servant of God" appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in th ...

) was the

Vicar General A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

of the

Diocese of Mangalore The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore ( la, Diocesis Mangalorensis) is a diocese located in the city of Mangalore in the Ecclesiastical province of Bangalore in India. The diocese falls on the southwestern coast of India. At present, it com ...

and also the founder of the Congregation of the 'Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany’ (Bethany Sisters). Prakash received his early education from Antonio D'souza High School (ANZA), Mumbai, and completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics and Political Science from

St. Xavier's College, Mumbai St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education institution run by the Bombay Province of the Society of Jesus in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affil ...

in 1972.

Work

After graduation, Prakash worked full-time as the National Programme Secretary of the All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF) in

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

for one year. During that period he traveled the length and breadth of the country encouraging youth to serve the poor and marginalized through 'Project Know India'. For a year after that he was based in TAIZE, ( the Ecumenical Christian community)France, as part of a 14-member intercontinental team (equipe) to help prepare the ‘World Council of Youth’ of 1974. He traveled to several European Countries for this preparatory process interacting and encouraging youth towards a more meaningful life in the service of others. On 16 July 1974, Prakash entered in

, the Jesuit Novitiate of the

province of the Society of Jesus. Two years later, on 31 July 1976, he pronounced his

First Vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhism tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of re ...

(of poverty, chastity and obedience) in the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. From April 1977 to May 1979, Prakash as a Jesuit scholastic, did his regency in the tribal area of Bhiloda, North Gujarat. Here he worked extensively in helping to improve literacy levels, health facilities, and the cultural upliftment of the Adivasis who lived in the area. In June 1979, he began his Studies in Philosophy at the Sacred Heart College in Shembaganur (

Kodaikanal Kodaikanal () is a hill station which is located in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long ...

). The following year (1980) this College was shifted to its current location at Satya Nilayam in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, from where Prakash obtained his degree in Philosophy. For one year, Prakash then served as a warden of a residential technical school for boys run by Jesuits in Sevasi, Baroda. From 1982 to 85, Prakash did his studies in Theology.; part of these studies was also held at Vidya Jyoti (VJ), a Jesuit Theology Institute in Delhi. In the aftermath of the targeted violence against the Sikh community in November 1984, Prakash was one of the coordinators from VJ for relief and rehabilitation work for the affected/displaced Sikhs; he was also involved in reconciliation and peace work at that time. On 27 April 1985, Fr. Prakash was ordained a priest in St. Peter’s Church, Bandra, Mumbai by Bishop Ferdinand Fonseca, the Auxiliary Bishop of the

Archdiocese of Bombay The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay is a particular church celebrating the Latin Rite of worship, centred in the Bombay (Mumbai) city of the northern Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The archdiocese has been a Metropolitan see since i ...

. In May 1985, Prakash was appointed to work in the remote areas of Umarpada, South Gujarat among the Vasava and Chaudhary

Adivasi The Adivasi refers to inhabitants of Indian subcontinent, generally tribal people. The term is a Sanskrit word coined in the 1930s by political activists to give the tribal people an indigenous identity by claiming an indigenous origin. The term ...

communities. He worked here for the rights of the tribals and their socio-cultural empowerment. In April 1987, Fr. Prakash was appointed the Director of St. Xavier’s Social Service Society (SXSSS). In this capacity, together with a dedicated team he was involved in the inter-related areas of Innovative Education, Community Health, the Organization of people and on environmental issues. He also initiated the Centre for Orientation, Documentation and Research (CORD) and SHANTI, an initiative for inter-religious dialogue, communal harmony and peace. The activities of SXSSS were in the slums of Ahmedabad and in the rural areas of North and Central Gujarat. Prakash was for several years a Counterpart of the US-based

Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 ...

(CRS) for North and Central Gujarat. In June 1992, Fr. Prakash was one of the NGO delegates from India, at the

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. Earth S ...

, also known as the ‘

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. Earth Su ...

’ in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. In September 1994, he participated in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in

Cairo, Egypt Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

. In June 1997, Fr. Prakash participated in the European Ecumenical Assembly at

Graz, Austria Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popula ...

. In the wake of the devastating

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

that hit several parts of Gujarat on 26 January 2001 (and later) Fr. Prakash coordinated an Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Service (EARRS). The platform that brought together several concerned organizations and individuals worked towards the immediate relief and rehabilitation of those affected by the earthquake. Distribution of food and other materials were also undertaken. Fr Prakash was also responsible for receiving directly from the US Government and distributing a huge consignment of relief materials to the affected persons.

Activism and Organizational Leadership

On 2 October 2001, Fr. Prakash founded ‘Prashant’ the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace and was the Director of this Centre till January 2016. ‘Prashant’ was also the Province Office for Integral Social Development (POISD)of the Gujarat Jesuits- dedicated to coordinate developmental, justice and peace works of the province. Fr. Prakash also served as the Secretary of Social Communications – C.B.C.I. (Western Region), National Vice-President – Peoples’ Union for Human Rights (PUHR). For three years (2016-2018), Fr. Prakash was based in

Beirut, Lebanon Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of ...

in the Regional Office of the

Jesuit Refugee Service The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, that they may heal, learn, and determine their own future. Fou ...

(Middle East and North Africa Region) as the Regional Advocacy and Communications Officer/Advisor, working with refugees and

Internally Displaced Persons An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. ...

(IDPs) in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, and

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. In collaboration with St Joseph's University,

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

he headed and in September 2018 completed a path-breaking research study, ‘Journeying Together’, on the situation of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Awards

In 1996, Fr. Prakash was awarded The Anubhai Chimanlal Nagarika Puraskar by the Mayor of Ahmedabad for his contribution to the city of

Ahmedabad, India Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per th ...

. He was also conferred the Kabir Puraskar by the

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

for his work in the promotion of Communal Harmony and Peace in 1995 .In 2006, Fr. Prakash was named

Chevalier of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

, one of the highest French civilian awards, acknowledging his commitment to the defense and the promotion of human rights in India. Fr. Prakash has also been awarded the

Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award was created in 1956 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1956 to recognize Indian researchers in the agricultural field. The award is named after Indian Independence activist Rafi Ahmed Kidwai. Awards ...

presented for Humanitarian Work by the

Indian Muslim Council __NOTOC__ The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) (formerly Indian Muslim Council-USA) is an advocacy organization of Indian American Muslims, with multiple chapters across the United States. The group focuses on advocacy to promote plural ...

, USA in 2003. He also received the Fr. Parmananda Divarkar Award for Communication for Peace in January 2004 for promoting dialogue for peace and inter-community harmony. In 2006, he received the Minorities Rights Award by the

National Commission for Minorities The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been no ...

of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. The

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Henni, John Martin ...

in Wisconsin, USA honored him as the Wade Chair Scholar for the academic year 2009 – 2010. Fr. Prakash was one of the recipients of

Mother Teresa Awards The Mother Teresa Awards, officially called the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice, are international and national awards presented annually to honour individuals and organizations that promote peace, equality and social justice, and a ...

for Social Justice in 2013. On 1 December 2021, Fr. Prakash was conferred the Fr. Louis Careno Award by the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) in

for his courageous contribution to journalism and bold writings on socio-cultural and political issues, especially relating to Christian communalism and

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...

. Fr. Prakash received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations (FKCA - a premier umbrella organization representing 33 Konkani Catholic Associations in India and overseas) on 5 June 2022 for his work as a human rights and peace activist and his service to the marginalized communities in India.

Publications

In October 2018, the Loyola Press Chicago published a brilliant coffee-table-style book ‘Sharing the Wisdom of Time’ by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

and Friends. One of Fr. Prakash's real-life stories is featured in it.

has written a warm personal response in the book to Fr. Prakash's testimony.

Gallery

File:Fr. Cedric Prakash on the day of his ordination by by Bishop Ferdinand Fonseca of Bombay on 27th April 1985 at St. Peter's Church, Bandra, Mumbai.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash on the day of his ordination by Bishop Ferdinand Fonseca of Bombay on 27 April 1985 at St. Peter's Church, Bandra,

. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash with immediate family relatives and friends on his on 'FIRST VOWS DAY' 31st July 1976 in Ahmedabad.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash with immediate family relatives and friends on his on 'First Vows Day' 31 July 1976 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash with Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the then Superior General of the Jesuits in Chennai June 1980.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash with Fr.

Pedro Arrupe Pedro Arrupe Gondra, SJ (14 November 1907 – 5 February 1991) was a Spanish Basque priest who served as the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 1965 to 1983. He has been called a second founder of the Society, as he led the Jesu ...

, the then Superior General of the Jesuits in Chennai (June 1980). File:Fr. Cedric Prakash being detained whilst protesting against the bulldozing of slum tenements in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in May 2000.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash being detained whilst protesting against the bulldozing of slum tenements in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in May 2000. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash with Swami Agnivesh in Ahmedabad on 2 October 2007.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash with

Swami Agnivesh Swami Agnivesh (born Vepa Shyam Rao; 21 September 193911 September 2020), was an Indian social activist and the founder of Arya Sabha, a political party based on the principles of Arya Samaj.

in Ahmedabad on 2 October 2007 File:Fr. Cedric Prakash with Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, the former Superior General of the Jesuits in Beirut on July 11th 2016.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash with Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, the former Superior General of the Jesuits in Beirut, Lebanon on July 11th 2016. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash receiving the 'Kabir Puraskar' from President Shankar Dayal Sharma in November 1995.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash receiving the 'Kabir Puraskar' from President

Shankar Dayal Sharma Shankar Dayal Sharma (; 19 August 1918 – 26 December 1999) was an Indian lawyer and politician from the state of Madhya Pradesh who served as the ninth President of India, from 1992 to 1997. Born in Bhopal, Sharma studied at Agra, Allahaba ...

in November 1995. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash receiving the Legion d’Honneur from the Ambassador of France to India on 14 July 2006).jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash receiving the

Legion d’Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

from the Ambassador of France to India on 14th July 2006. File:Fr. Cedric Prakash briefing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee about the attacks on the Christians in the Dangs (January 1999).jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash briefing Prime Minister

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee (; 25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician who served three terms as the 10th prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months fr ...

about the attacks on the Christians in the Dangs (January 1999) File:Fr. Cedric Prakash with Pope Francis in Vatican on 7th December 2019.jpg, Fr. Cedric Prakash with

in Vatican on 7th December 2019. File:Fr. Prakash receiving the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by FKCA in Bangalore on 5th June 2022.jpg, Fr. Prakash receiving the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by FKCA in Bangalore on 5th June 2022. File:Felicitation memento presented to Fr. Prakash by the 'Bangalore Jesuit Educational Society' on 8th June 2022.jpg, alt=, Felicitation memento presented to Fr. Prakash by the 'Bangalore Jesuit Educational Society' on 8th June 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prakash, Cedric 1951 births Living people Activists from Karnataka 21st-century Indian Jesuits Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Mangaloreans 20th-century Indian Jesuits