Renowned Catholic Evangelist and Spiritual Adviser to Mother Teresa dies at 89

Fr. Gino Henriques, a Redemptorist priest known across Asia and Oceania for his healing rallies, charismatic preaching and evangelisation ministry, died on May 12 at Woodlands Hospital in Singapore. He was 89.

The Chancery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore announced his death in a notice dated May 13, describing him as a priest deeply committed to preaching retreats and promoting discipleship among clergy, religious and laity.

Fr. Henriques belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists. He is survived by his younger sister, Belinda Soares, who lives in Canada.

Widely associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, Fr. Henriques became one of the region’s most recognisable Catholic evangelists from the 1980s onward. He served for nine years as chairman of the National Service Team for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India and was also known as a spiritual adviser to St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata.

In 1986, he was appointed to lead the Asia-Pacific office of Evangelisation 2000, an international Catholic movement focused on renewing missionary outreach ahead of the new millennium. He later served as International Director of Evangelisation 2033, continuing efforts aimed at evangelisation and spiritual renewal throughout Asia and Oceania.

Based in Singapore, Fr. Henriques travelled extensively conducting retreats, missions, healing services and large charismatic conventions in countries including Malaysia, Singapore, India and the Philippines. His gatherings often drew thousands seeking healing, spiritual renewal and a deeper encounter with the Catholic faith.

In Malaysia, especially, Fr. Henriques became a familiar figure during the rise of Catholic charismatic renewal movements in the 1980s and 1990s. Churches, parish halls and convention spaces were frequently filled beyond capacity whenever he conducted missions or healing rallies.

Through ministries linked to Evangelisation 2000 and Lumen 2000, he emphasised personal conversion, the work of the Holy Spirit and missionary discipleship. Many Catholics across the region credit his preaching and healing ministry with influencing their spiritual journeys and vocations.

Known for his energetic preaching style and emphasis on healing and evangelisation, Fr. Henriques belonged to a generation of missionary priests who travelled tirelessly across borders in the decades following the Second Vatican Council, helping shape charismatic renewal movements throughout Asia-Pacific.

The wake is being held at the Church of St. Alphonsus, popularly known as Novena Church, at 300 Thomson Road, Singapore. Public visitation began on May 13 and will continue until noon on May 15.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at Novena Church on Friday, May 15, at 2:30 p.m.

In its statement, the Archdiocese of Singapore extended condolences to the Redemptorist congregation and Fr. Henriques’ family, while inviting the faithful to remember him in their prayers and Masses.