Vishwas Trust mark I-Day and 92nd B-Day of their Founder Dr Olinda Pereira

Vishwas Trust mark I-Day and 92nd B-Day of their Founder Dr Olinda Pereira

Mangaluru: Turning 92 is a major milestone birthday. And 15 August was indeed a great Day, since it is a celebration of a triple feast: Catholics celebrated the feast of the Assumption of our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; the 71st Independence Day of India; and above all, it was a day of joy for Vishwas Trust for the Elderly to celebrate the 92nd Birthday of nonagenarian Dr Olinda Pereira. On this day, 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, Catholics truly had to celebrate as the First Reading from the book of Revelation tells about “the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head”. On 71st Independence Day, we truly had to celebrate the beauty and diversity of our country; and above all on this Golden day, family members, well-wishers and friends truly had to sing the ‘Magnificat’ with Dr Olinda as she completed 92 years of her arrival on earth, and stepped into her 93 year. In seven more years, she will be a centenarian-WOW!

As always Team Mangalorean which is closely associated with Vishwas Trust had covered all the events conducted by them, including the birthday celebrations of their founder, Dr Olinda Pereira- but this year even though Team Mangalorean was missed on their invite list for the grand occasion, but as they say better late than never, on 16 August, me along with Fr Cedric Prakash Sj (nephew of Olinda) visited Vishwas Trust, and Dr Olinda who was happy to see me said”You didn’t come for my birthday, Why?”- oh well, I had to explain to her “Why……”??

Anyways before going further into this article, Team Mangalorean would like to extend heartfelt birthday wishes to our dear friend Dr Olinda Pereira by saying, “Throughout your life, you’ve made it your mission to be loving, kind, gentle and true. Mission accomplished! Now, our mission is to shower you with our love and gratitude. At 92, you’re not old or young. You defy description. You’re a time-tested classic! You seem to be more carefree in spirit and younger at heart with every passing year. To us, you sparkle like a brilliant gem. And the years have not diminished your special glow — they’ve only made you more luminous. This is the perfect occasion to celebrate you and your life. You are more than our role model-you are our heroine!”

“May you have a 92nd birthday that gives you even more reason to sip from the elixir of life.Hoping your 92nd birthday, like your lifetime, is full of love from family and friends, unbridled joy, unforgettable moments and, ultimately, happy memories. May you only know the joy, peace and health that comes with a life well lived. Happy birthday wishes to the most incredible, most inspirational, most captivating 92 year old we have ever known. May your 92nd birthday be the first of many days that bring you invigorating dawns, long afternoons, exquisite sunsets and brilliant full moons! You feel and act decades younger than you actually are. You must have been blessed with the spirit of someone half your age. We know the road has been long, with many unexpected twists and turns, but I hope that the rest of your journey is a walk in the park on a beautiful, sunny day. Congratulations on reaching this amazing milestone! Happy 92nd birthday!”

Prior to the celebration of Dr Olinda’s birthday, the flag hoisting to mark 71st Independence Day was held at Vishwas Trust, joined by the Trust members, staff, friends and well-wishers. It is learnt that people attended the function in large numbers and everyone had a wonderful time. The food, company and speeches were all terrific. The crowd was predominately of mixed ages, from Seniors in their 70 s/80 s to youth in their twenties. Also joined in the celebration were- Dr Olinda’s nephew Fr Cedric Prakash Sj (a human rights activist, currently based in Lebanon and engaged with the Jesuit Refugee Service(JRS) in the Middle East on advocacy and communications. Presently in Mangaluru on vacation for few days); Bernadette D’souza (her niece from Bengaluru); Germaine Saldanha (niece) and Pranstine (nephew In-Law) from Mumbai.

The toast on this prestigious 92nd birthday of Dr Olinda was raised by her friend Phyllis Maria D’Costa. Following a grand celebration to mark I-Day and Vishwas Trust Founder’s 92nd birthday by cutting the birthday cake, a solemn mass was offered at Roshini Nilaya by Fr Cedric Prakash Sj along with Fr Dionysius Vas-Rector of St Aloysius College-Mangaluru for Dr Olinda Pereira, and also for the Final Profession of Sr Mareena Joseph. Fr Cedric in his homily stressed on the three interrelated dimensions of the day Fidelity, Freedom and Fortitude

And as they say “You’ve come a long way baby!”- Wow 92! Ya, you’re amazing Dr Olinda! Enough of that… I want to talk from my heart, and extend my thoughts on you on your prestigious 92 B-day. Dr Olinda-You are a very special woman. Your qualities, capabilities and your infectious laugh have shown many to be strong persons with a warm, kind and loving heart. Olinda as a Daughter of the Heart of Mary, has in more ways than one, tried to imitate Mary, her model in O-wnership, L-eadership, I-nteriority, N – urturing, D-edication and A-vailability. Through her exemplary life, we all know, she has meant so much to so many people all these years from the time she made her first profession in the wake of Vatican II exactly fifty six years ago. As we celebrate the beauty and significance of 15 August, let us thank the Lord in a very special way for giving us three Golden GIRLS in our life: Mother Mary, Bharat Mata and Dr Olinda Pereira

Now let me give a background on the life and journey of Dr Olinda Pereira through these long ninety two years- Dr. Olinda Pereira and one would picture her only as a pioneer in the field of education or women empowerment. Always engrossed in her work, she has the will and the way to serve Humanity. Her special interests are in the Women’s development and one can see that from the numerous associations she has associated herself with. She has been the School Assistant at St. Mary’s High School and was earlier the Founder Principal of School of Social Work Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru. She was also the Director of the Institute of Social Service, Prabhat Tara, in New Delhi and her love for the Elderly has encouraged her to start and be the Director, Vishwas Trust (Home Based Care for the Elderly) which is rendering yeoman service to the elderly.

Talk about her contribution to women and it would definitely run into volumes. Being a silent worker, she believes in helping without acclaim. One very notable feature of her contributions to the Catholic Women of India is that she was instrumental in organizing the Council of Catholic Women of India. This has been a great move and has helped the catholic women of India to come together under one forum to discuss the pressing issues that pertain to women development and also interacts with the world body of International Catholic Women (WUCWO). Dr. Olinda Pereira has been responsible for developing a syllabus in Women’s Studies in the M.S.W. Course and for attempting to set up a Women’s Studies Centre. True to her commitment, she wishes every women march forward to progress. In her years of public service Dr Olinda has contributed immensely not only to the people of Mangaluru but to all over the country. She has received several honours and recognitions because of her selfless work.

Olinda Pereira was born on 15 August 1925 in Mangaluru she had her Ph.D. Mysore University, Mysore; M.A.., Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.; B.T., St. Ann’s College of Education, Mangaluru; and B.A., St. Agnes College, Mangaluru, (Madras University). She was later a Internee, Institute of Women’s Studies, Manila, Philippines- 1996; Administrative Assistant, Provincial House, Nairobi, Kenya: 1991-1994; Director, Institute of Social Service, Prabhatara, New Delhi: 1985-1990, 1997-1998; Exchange Professor- School of Social Work, McMaster University, Hamilton Canada. 1978, 1979, 1984; Principal, College of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya 1961- 1984; Member of National Committee on Women in 1979

Dr Olinda Pereira is a recipient of various awards namely : Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award, McMaster University, Hamilton 1979; Women Achiever Award – St Agnes College 1997; Sandesha Award for Social Service: 2002; Rachana, Woman of the Year: Mangaluru Catholic Chamber of Commerce 2008; Woman of the Year Award – Mangalore University 2009; Veera Rani Abbakka Award for work in the field of Social Service -and Outstanding Manager Award 2011-Mangaluru Management association; and many more.

Dr Olinda Pereira who is a person of courage, strong faith, values, ideals, love, and years of wisdom makes her who she is. She always stands up for what is true and what is right and knows what is truly important in life. I feel she is indeed a blessing from God, and I respect her with love and gratitude. She has helped shape up many families, their ideals, and beliefs, and through her example of steadfast, fervent and humble and friendly touch, Dr Olinda has been an inspirational role model for her family/other families, relatives and friends. Her spiritual life bears witness to the joy of loving, the dignity of every human person, the value of little things done faithfully and the surpassing worth of faith in God. We all should simply adore her qualities and ideals, thereby accepting her as a role model in our lives.

In conclusion let me end this column with the words of Fr Cedric Prakash Sj on his Aunt- ” She is a woman of deep faith and ever since I was a little boy, I realized that she possessed this sterling quality in great abundance. The faith she is imbued with is a triple one – faith in God, faith in others & faith in herself. When one goes through what she has achieved in these 92 years, one will easily realize that all this would not have been possible if she was not a woman of faith. The second quality which strikes me is her fortitude. In spite of the many challenges she has had to face, she has persevered and come out from every situation even stronger. Being born on the day we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, I cannot but help feel that the faith and fortitude which Mary possessed has rubbed off in good measure on my Aunt “.

Dr Olinda thanked all those present saying all her achievements were only because of the wholehearted support of many collaborators and friends from all over. The staff of Vishwas and the MSW student volunteers from Roshni Nilaya and St Aloysius College spared no efforts in ensuring a happy and eventful day for all gathered and particularly for Dr Olinda. “Happy birthday to someone who can teach a 20-year-old how to be young. Wishing you all the joy and peace you want out of life as you celebrated your 92nd birthday, Dr Olinda” -from Team Mangalorean.