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10 Things to Know About Philip Pereira
The Campus Ministry staff member on music and more.
Campus Minister for Music & Liturgy Philip Pereira joined the Stonehill College community in 2015.
Campus Minister for Music & Liturgy Philip Pereira is involved with many different programs at Stonehill College; however, Lessons & Carols, staged annually during this Christmas season, has always been his favorite.
“The music we use is so familiar and so loved by the people who come,” he said. “It just means so much to the students, too. We get so many different people involved. It’s nice to see that come together, especially when we share that service at a local parish. Other churches have been so receptive to us. They love what we bring.”
As the Stonehill community spends this time of year enjoying all that the Chapel Choir has to offer under Pereira’s leadership, here are 10 things to know about him.
St. John the Baptist in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the first church in which Pereira played. Now closed, the house of worship was once the oldest Portuguese parish in North America.
1. His musical tastes are wide-ranging. Pereira has worked for the College since fall 2015. Over the years, he has infused the Chapel Choir’s setlist with a variety of hymns. “My goal is to expose the choir to everything from the Catholic Church’s rich heritage of liturgical music to more recent contemporary-style hymns utilizing drums and guitar,” he said. “And we have a talented student ensemble who are up to the task and make it seem as if there’s a full orchestra at every Mass.”
2. His troupe is globe-trotting. Pereira creates unique performance opportunities for students. Recently, he organized the Chapel Choir’s recent pilgrimage to Italy where students and alumni sang at some of the most sacred sites in the world, including St. Peter’s Basilica. “To be in places we have seen, heard and read about all our lives had a tremendous impact on all who went on this journey,” Pereira said.
3. His family is musical. Pereira first learned to play the organ at five years old. “Back then, I couldn’t even reach the pedals,” he remembers. Pereira’s older siblings and father also play the organ. “Even though I’m the only one of my siblings who held on to music and turned it into a profession, my parents always placed an emphasis on music education when we were younger,” he said.
4. He’s been taken out to the ball game. Prior to joining the Stonehill community, Pereira served as music director at St. Michael’s Parish in Fall River, Massachusetts. Under his leadership, their children’s choir sang both the American and Canadian National Anthems at Fenway Park before the Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays game on May 11, 2010.
5. He authored an ad. The Chapel of Mary at Stonehill and Fenway Park are not the only places where Pereira’s musical talents have been showcased. Several years ago, he wrote and performed a radio jingle called “Just Leave It to Steve” which could be heard on Fun 107 in the Southcoast. The ditty was used to help advertise the services of Steve Medeiros, a local real estate agent.
Pereira enjoys the music featured in video games like "The Legend of Zelda."
6. He was in sync with his former bandmates. Pereira was a member of two different bands, The Nebulas, an instrumental surf rock band, and a Portuguese cover group called Band Faith. “We performed a mix of Portuguese and English dance hits,” he said. “I have fond memories of using my Korg Triton to sample the orchestra hits on ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ by NSYNC.”
7. He is a first-generation American. Pereira’s parents emigrated to the United States from São Miguel, an island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, in the 1960s. He has traveled there to visit his extended family, including Vasco Cordeiro, his second cousin who served as president of the Azores from 2012 to 2020. “We got a tour of the palace the last time we went to São Miguel,” Pereira said. “It was quite the experience.”
8. He is a devoted husband and father. Pereira and his wife Stephanie recently celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary alongside their daughters Natalia and Christina. The pair met by chance on a cruise from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2009.
9. He is a gamer. In his free time, Pereira enjoys playing video games, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch. As a musician, he always appreciates the soundscapes featured in games like this. “As a child, I would record my favorite Nintendo tunes on a cassette and listen to them on repeat as I plunked out the melody,” he said.
10. He wants students to pay it forward. Reflecting on all his musical experiences, Pereira hopes that his work inspires others to share their talents with the world. “I want to help students develop a love for liturgical music,” he said. “I hope they continue seeking out liturgical ministry in some form and share what they’ve learned with another choir in the future.”