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Salesian Scholar-Psychologist Fr. Peter Lourdes Dies at 101, Donates Body to Medical Science

29 May 2026

Obituary, Salesian Family,

News reported by: Fr C M Paul SDB

Fr. Dr Peter Lourdes, a distinguished Salesian priest, psychologist, educator, and former Principal of Salesian College Sonada, passed away on 28 May 2026 at Park Clinic Hospital, Kolkata. He was 101.

A solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated at Nitika Chapel, Kolkata, where Fr. Lourdes had resided since 1989. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Salesian Provincial Fr. Sunil Kerketta and attended by fellow Salesians, clergy, religious, former students, and well-wishers who gathered to pay tribute to a man whose life was marked by scholarship, pastoral dedication, and service to humanity.

Church leaders and colleagues highlighted that Fr. Lourdes’ final act of donating his body to medical science was a fitting culmination of a lifetime spent crossing conventional boundaries in the service of others. Motivated by a desire to contribute to medical education and research, he drafted a will voluntarily requesting that his body be used for academic study. In accordance with his wishes, his mortal remains were handed over to Calcutta National Medical College immediately after the chapel service on the same day.

Fr. Lourdes made history as the first Indian-born Principal of Salesian College Sonada, Darjeeling, serving from 1967 to 1970. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in strengthening the institution’s academic and pastoral mission while deepening its engagement with the Indian context. He later served as Programme Director and Head of Psychology at the National Vocation Service Centre, Pune, where he became a pioneer in psychological formation and training for clergy and laity.

An accomplished author, Fr. Lourdes contributed significantly to pastoral psychology and spiritual formation through his writings. His notable publications include The Human Face of Clergy (1989), The Hem of His Garment (1996), Wow Jesus (2014), and The Clash (2016).

His resilience became widely admired during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having recovered from the virus at the age of 94, he inspired many when he hoisted the Indian Tricolour on Independence Day, 15 August 2020, shortly after his recovery.

Born on 19 March 1926, Fr. Lourdes was part of the first batch of students at Don Bosco School, Liluah, in 1937. He later pursued advanced studies in psychology at the Salesian University in Rome and a Master's in Somatic Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Loyola Chicago. At the time of his death, he had completed 82 years as a Salesian and 72 years as a priest.

Remembered for his intellectual brilliance, pioneering vision, gentle spirit, and unwavering commitment to human development, Fr. Peter Lourdes leaves behind a legacy that transcends education, psychology, and pastoral ministry. His final gift to medical science stands as a powerful testimony to a life devoted entirely to the service of God and humanity.