“Dr Olinda Pereira Completed Her Mission on Earth & She’ll Continue Her Work in Heaven’- Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha in His Homily, during the Funeral Ceremony/Prayer Service held for the departed Soul of Dr Olinda Pereira at Roshni Nilaya School of Social Work Auditorium on Monday 1 June at 3.30 pm, joined by loved ones who had gathered to bid adieu to their beloved Late Dr Olinda Pereira.
Mangaluru : Dr Olinda Pereira always stood out of all people by her cute character and her big heart, her smile and friendship those of us who got to know her were very lucky for having crossed paths with her, but now our beloved friend Dr Olinda has God by her side- the thousands of people who were near and dear to her, and her friends and well-wishers who thronged the Roshni Nilya School of Social Work to pay their last respect since two days ( from 11 am- 7 pm on 31 May and 7 am- 3 pm on 1 June) , showed how much she was loved and liked by all. Mourners were there grieving, some on the verge of breakdown. Such was her aura and magic,that Dr Olinda had created as a Educationist, Mentor, Social Worker and much more.
Her mortal remains lay here in a refrigerated glass casket as she looked beautiful in her Daughter of the Heart of Mary Congregation Saree, serene in death and totally at peace! You can learn more about her journey, her achievements and her life narrated in my tribute article published in Mangalorean.com. (Ref: Tribute To My Dearest Friend Dr Olinda Pereira- a Mentor, Social Worker, Role Model, Educationist-Sadly Missed!) Today, 1 June all her dear and near ones gathered to remember who in life was a great person, whose memory will accompany us forever through her teachings and the moments we had the opportunity to share at her side. Everyone had gathered to express their sincere condolences to her relatives and the Sisters of her Congregation at Roshni Nilaya, and ask God to receive Her soul in His glory. Arrangements were so well made by the Sisters and staff of Roshni Nilaya along with other volunteers, that the whole atmosphere was tranquil, everything was smooth and executed with finesse – befitting the departed soul.
It is very beautiful to have fun alongside our friends, but there are times when we also have to say goodbye to them with a lot of grief. Always, in our lifetime a friend leaves this world and we have to be strong to withstand this. And that was exactly the case with the demise of a beloved friend of all, Dr Olinda Pereira. Clearly we are not the only ones who suffer, Her loved ones and those who are closest to Her experience a lot of grief. We all know that Dr Olinda has just departed to another life, and we will have to remember Her at every moment as She were an exceptional person, however we all gathered to bid adieu/farewell, knowing that She will take care of our paths here on Earth.
Now that Dr Olinda is in the glory of the Lord, we know that She is very peaceful, because here on earth She always did good and strived to be happy every day of her life, and we hope to see Her again, we will always remember Dr Olinda. Right now the sorrow fills our hearts, but now that Dr Olinda has departed we cannot stop bringing up Her name, because She will be missed for all that She taught us and for all those beautiful moments that She made us live with Her, now she have to rest in peace, our dear friend. We know that we will not find someone like Her again, so happy, so motivating, in good times and in bad times always drawing a smile and always there to support and help anyone- we will always remember Dr Olinda.
Prior to the the Bishop conducting the funeral ceremony, the mourners had gathered at the auditorium for prayer service which was held from 2 pm- 3 pm, including singing of hymns for the departed soul. Bishop Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha was joined in the funeral ceremony by Fr James D’souza-the Parish Priest of Valencia Catholic Church of St Vincent Ferrar. In his Homily the Bishop said, ” They say that death separate us, but in fact it also unites us more closely in the Body of Christ. In the light of the Paschal Mystery of Christ, Dr Olinda’s death is, in fact, the entry into the fullness of life. In this light of faith, we feel even closer to our deceased Sister: death has apparently separated us, but the power of Christ and his Spirit unites us in an even deeper manner. Death does unite us and not divide us. It invites us to join in unity and honour the dead”.
The Bishop further said, “While death unites us, we are joining with body of Jesus Christ, therefore it is a moment of sharing of joy, and time to celebrate, for we are united by God with Him. In the hour of death, we pronounce the final ‘here I am,’ united with that of Jesus, who died entrusting his spirit into the Father’s hands. Our earthly pilgrimage ends at the house of the heavenly Father, and only there is the finish line, rest and peace. While Dr Olinda has done so much in the field of education and social work, we should follow her as our role model. Everyone speaks good about her, because she was a person who mixed with people irrespective of caste or creed. She has accomplished her mission on Earth, and she will now continue her work in heaven. Let us all pray much for Dr Olinda’s departure so that Her soul can rest in peace with God, and now we are very sad but God will give us the strength to cope in the best way, we will remember Her with great joy, although she should have never left. May Her Soul Rest In Peace “
Following the eulogy by Sr Phiolmena D’souza- the Provincial of India Province (South) of Daughter of the Heart of Mary Congregation, and after the Bishop concluded the funeral ceremony, the body was taken to Valencia Church Cemetery, where around twenty people were allowed for the last rites, due to guidelines of Covid-19 pandemic. The last rites were done by Fr James D’souza-the parish priest of Valencia Church along with Fr Arun Lobo-the Director of Mangaluru Diocese Counseling Centre. Even though the skies were full of dark clouds, it never rained until Dr Olinda’s body was laid to rest. May Her Soul Rest In Peace!
Among the near and dear ones who joined in Final Funeral ceremony were – Prof. Veeda Sequeira, President, Daughters of the Heart of Mary, India, Province South; Sr Philomena D’souza-Provincial; Sr Juliet C J and Sr Janice Mary-Principal and Vice Principal respectively of Roshni Nilaya; Fr Santhosh Kamath SJ from St Aloysius Jesuit Institutions, Mangaluru; Fr Victor OFM of Assisi Press; Prof Maria D’costa- Director of Uxcel Institute of Excellence; Sr Olivia AC- former Principal of St Agnes College, Mangaluru, among others. MLA U T Khader also paid his final respect.
In conclusion, today, Dr Olinda Pereira who has left a very deep mark on our hearts, thanks to her kindness, honesty and above all, to her perseverance. Sadness has invaded our hearts and we feel a deep pain, but little by little we will learn to cope with it until the moment in which we will remember Dr Olinda with much love and above all with enormous gratitude for so many beautiful moments She gave us, for everything She did for us and especially for what She taught us, both with Her words and with Her example. She was a great example of struggle and overcoming. Also, she taught us that regardless the size of the problems, we must have value in our hearts and above all an unwavering faith in God to face them.
We will never forget Her and we will preserve Her legacy forever. Let us keep Her wonderful memory as a great treasure in our hearts and honor Her memory throughout our lives. We should remember everything She taught us and strive to be better people according to Her desire. We ask the Lord to give Her eternal rest and have Her in His glory. God, with much faith and hope, we ask you to keep her in your heavenly mansion and we wish one day we will be meeting her again in your presence. Dr Olinda Pereira, You Will Be Sadly Missed!
I end this column with a poem “In Praise Of My Mentor” written by Prof Maria D’costa-the Director of Uxcel Institute of Excellence, Mangaluru in remembrance of late Dr Olinda Pereira, who was Her ‘Mentor and Mother-Figure’-
“I sing to the Lord in profound prayer
For blessing the world with Dr. Prof. Olinda , fair
Whose mission of unbounded love and sacrifice
Started an era, rich and prized !
As a counselor ,this is what I did learn:
To talk less ,listen more, speak with concern;
No rancour, nor ill will did she show ;
She’d often feel bad , humility aglow!
Her simplicity was such, that she was loved very much;
Her genial nature made people keep in touch.
Every offering made ,she would accept gratefully,
To invest in her service projects most faithfully.
For this woman of faith, work was worship!
If she made mistakes, she’d ask for forgiveness.
Though highly revered and respected by all,
Ms Pereira was a beacon, humble, yet tall!
Another like Ms. Pereira can’t easily be found,
Simple to a fault yet world renowned!
To her students and to me, I hear her say
Come live a life for others , I pray “.
