Father Octávio Berti Júnior dies at 63 in São José do Rio Preto

Father Octávio Berti Júnior, a prominent Catholic priest and spiritual leader in the Diocese of São José do Rio Preto, passed away at the age of 63 on Friday, October 23, 2026. He died at the Hospital de Base following a battle with cancer.

Born in 1962, Father Berti was ordained as a deacon in 1991 and as a priest in 1992. His ministry included service at the Santa Cristina Parish in São Paulo and the São Pedro Virginal Parish in Belgium between 1994 and 1998. Upon returning to São José do Rio Preto in 1999, he served several parishes, including Santa Luzia, São João Batista, the Santuário das Almas, and Menino Jesus de Praga.

In addition to his parochial duties, he held a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology and served as the director of the Institute of Theology at the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of São José do Rio Preto from 1999 to 2021. Archbishop Antonio Emidio Vilar and the Archdiocese expressed solidarity with his family following his death.