I started my interest in the documentation of graves as part of my being a member of the Roman Catholic Cemetery Commitee of St. Patrick's Church, Bangalore. While I was peacefully doing the cross check with the Cemetery Records and the actual graves in the Cemetery, this one grave stood out, and made me more than curious to find out who this person was who died about 100 years ago, had a "martyr" inscripted on her grave, and yet nobody seemed to know anything about the "Pereira" family to which she belonged. This became an obsession with me and I did everything to get to the bottom of the mystery. Having been Blessed with God's Grace during the investigation, I finally got the documentation together and some friends came forward to help me post the same on the Net. I did not know what was "html" and used to prepare the original script, the first version of "Word Internet Assist"!!. Read on, you are sure to enjoy the journey back into time.

A word like "Martyr" always conjours up the vision of burning at the stake, arrows, beheading, bloodshed, and all the violence that is so casual in today's cinema, that the effect has become pretty mundane. But curiosity, and whispers and word of mouth amoung the more stable elderly people held the concept of a traditional martyrdom. Then one wonders how in the City of Bangalore, the well established British Colonial seat of the South of India was a "martyr" created, no! it couldn't be, it just did not fit the scene. But there in bold and time spanned over a 100 years was the words put down by a man who was of a character that intellectual and spiritual tomfoolerly would be totally frowned on, as he started a great Society called the Mythic Society, that all people joined who were interested in knowledge. But then, Who? Yes, Who Was this Cora Pereira? that everyone was talking about, and with one person obsessed with finding out?

In the days of old, when any event that was not seen by the people earlier, was treated as a "Miracle", be it electricity, sound recording, steam engine, and almost every invention that could be used by man. There were skeptics, even today we have them, welcome to all, but still there are areas and happenings that one feels that just a wee bit was not natural, and an influence was used. Ofcourse, I am not trying to prepare you for a "Twilight Zone" or "X-Files" session, or perhaps a freak show, or religious propergander trumpet. I am giving you what I felt and what I experienced, and to me that was the Miracle, for it changed me from inside out, and made me think why ask the question "Do Miracles Occour?", when I ought to know better!

When the investigation reached a dead end, knowing full well that the people who witheld the information were protecting their interests misunderstanding my intentions, it was a force that guided me to one person to another and another, each with a small piece of the puzzle, and finally it was the revealed through the firm scrawly hand of a Nun of the Good Shepherd Convent, who wrote in the Congregation Annuls in the year 1896 about the incident of "Martyr", the girl Cora Pereira, who was once a student of the Convent, and who apparently had one "Aunt" a Nun, and also had an astonishing effect on the Congregation. The writing shows that Cora's Love for Service for God was Stronger than human relationship.

After a search of three months, the facts revealed a small twist to the expected outcome. No dramatism was perceived with the "Martyr" concept, as many questioned. There were a few areas that needed to be carefully weighed before making judgements, but till today, there is still an air of mystism about the whole episode. Cora Pereira can be summerised as an ordinary person, who's actions created a wave 100 years after her death. It is open to anyone's speculation as to what they want to draw to make a conclusion. What we felt we have put down, and I have not edited the original script of the body of the documents, so it is for you to enjoy and your thoughts are your own. Should you like to share some of your insights, or even information, we are most grateful to receive the same from you. The Chapter Title "The Stone that Shook Foundations" is ambigious as it revealed the many faceuts that came to light about so many people who were involved, were interviewed, were disturbed, were curious, and jealous, few did respect the girl for what she did, and as I am maintaining the grave, many visitors do come to the cemetery and place a few flowers, and hold a silence of their thoughts. I am indebted to His Grace, Archbishop of Bangalore, Alphonsus Mathias, Fr. Ronnie Prabhu, formerly Rector of St. Joseph's Institutions in Bangalore, now Provincial, Sr. Anita Hodges, sgs, Archivist of Good Shepherd Convent, and my friend Sydney Mendens, the dynamic Secretary of the Parish Council of St. Patrick's Church Bangalore.

Documentation consists of three areas, namely a "Roll Call of Honour", A Biography of Rev. Fr. Antoine Mary Tabard, by the Late Rev. Fr. C.Browne. Next, the "Pereira Family History" , birth, deaths, marriages, details from graves, and finally Some of the "Correspondence" during the Research. Latest "Updates" on the Family. The Original Document was sent by e-mail to Massimo who kindly put the story about Cora "The Eucharistic Bride" on his home page, however, the Contents of this document are also contained on this Home Page.

Further to this investigation on Cora Pereira, other interests started, such as documentation on Cemeteries in Bangalore, War History, and Colonial British Bangalore. One of the greatest achievements as a team of dedicated persons got together a list of graves that have survived the ravages of time from 1808 till today in the "Agram Cemetery", and which contains so much of history. Being connected with Bangalore, it is understandable that other "Links" are given mutually to other Net Surfers, so that they can enjoy much more of the City, and a wider coverage to India. Should you feel that there are great Pages on Bangalore and India published on the Net, please feel free to send me an e-mail to check out and add to the links.

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The Pereira Family Plot in the R.C. Cemetery, Hosur Road, Bangalore

Thought for the Day:" Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, Fon in the manner their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did they fathers to the false prophets." Holy Bible: Luke 6:20-26