# Jerry Rosario

Jerry Rosario (Tamil: ஜெரி ரொசாரியோ; born 2 October 1952) is an Indian Jesuit priest (from the Tamil Nadu area), a theologian, a pastor, spiritual counselor, a writer, a social activist, a motivator, a civil lawyer, a retreat- facilitator. And also, founder-director of five movements (DHAANAM for human donations, JEPASA for socio-pastoral animation, IGFA for Ignatian spirituality, FOJET for the former Jesuits in tamilnadu and MANITHAM for political analysis and action)
He has completed a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Rural Development Science, an MA in Political Science, Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in Bangalore, PhD in Political Philosophy with Theology. He is a faculty-member of the Dhyana Ashram, Chennai.

## Socio-Pastoral Activities

Jerry has done 23 years of insertional and involved services among the dalits, rural and slum poor. He has a doctorate in political theology. Other studies and searches have made him a pastor, professor, motivator, spiritual counselor, social analyst, writer and retreat facilitator. He is also a civil lawyer.
He is well known to many as "barefoot priest," because he has given up wearing footwear in solidarity with those dalits and poorest who are deprived the right to wear it by caste-ridden traditions. He is a visiting professor in 37 institutions and has lectured in 43 countries so far.

## Periyarism

Fr. Jerry Rosario has a doctorate in Periyarism. The philosophy of Thanthai E.V.Ramaswamy Periyar, who undertook a political analysis of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, and had birthed a "Self-respect movement" in Tamil Nadu and in other parts of South India. '

## Author

Books authored by Fr. Jerry Rosario have been published through Vaigarai Publications and other publishing houses. Dr. Jerry has so far authored 94 books, of which 28 books are in English and 66 are in Tamil. Seventeen of his books have become textbooks for Students of various autonomous colleges and universities. To date, nine students have completed their M.Phil researches based on Dr.Jerry’s thoughts and defended their theses in various secular universities. Three have gone ahead with doctorate research on Dr. Jerry's books.
Jerry is also Founder of movements which are JEPASA (Jesuit Pastors of South Asia), for socio-pastoral animation; DHANAM, for human organ donations; MANITHAM, for political analysis and action; and IGFA (Ignatian Family), for cosmic Ignatian spirituality, FOJET for the networking with former Jesuits in tamilnadu.
Jerry donated his O-Rh Negative Blood218 t
ts oDeber 2023321. He ranks first among the highest number of blood donors in India. He has also signed relevant documents, civilly known as the 'Living Will', expressing his will to donate his vital organs and body after his death to the needy and also for medical research. He incidentally authored a book named Dhaanam in Tamil. This book explains different type of human donations, i.e., blood donation, eye donation, stem cell donation, bone and tissue donation, body donation, organ donation. Its English version is titled A Present for the Future. A website, Welcome to Dhanam Movement, by the Dhaanam movement dedicated to the promotion of human donations has been operaing from 2096.