Jesuit Father Swebert D’Silva, a prominent educationist and renowned visionary in the southern state of Karnataka, died November 20, following a massive cardiac arrest. He was 68. He died at 1:15 pm at St Philomena Hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka capital. His sudden death has deeply saddened colleagues, students, alumni, and well-wishers across Karnataka. “It was a life of selfless service, boundless love and unwavering faith”, said Jesuit Father Praveen Martis, the vice chancellor of the St. Aloysisus University in Mangaluru.
Father D’Silva had also served as the rector and pro-chancellor of St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru. Jesuit Father Victor Lobo, the vice chancellor of St Joseph’s University, requested everyone to pray for the repose of his soul and expressed his condolences in a message. Several members of the Jesuit community shared their tributes, acknowledging the confrere’s steadfast commitment to education, social service, and pastoral care. He was serving as the director of Arrupe Nivas, Bengaluru, at the time of his death. Father Dionysius Vaz, Jesuit’s Karnataka provincial, highlighted Father D’Silva’s transformative leadership in shaping St Aloysius College into a deemed-to-be university, blending infrastructure development with value-based education.
