ROSALIA’S TOUCHING SURPRISE
With her husband Arthur by her side, Rosalia arrived in Canada in 1967. They chose Ontario for their bright new life in a new country.
The couple loved children. They had six of their own, and then welcomed seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Rosalia became a teacher, of course, and her students still speak about her kindness.
Rosalia was passionate about education, children, and helping people living in poverty. By becoming a Chalice sponsor, she was able to combine those passions and make a significant impact on the lives of the children she supported. When it came time for her to prepare her will, she left legacy gifts to causes she cared about. When it came to Chalice legacy giving, Rosalia never directed them to a particular country or region – she was happy to give to anyone in need. Earlier this year, we learned that Rosalia had passed away. Her daughter got in touch with Chalice, letting us know that her mother wished for her legacy gift to help children’s education and nutrition, anywhere in the world. The team at Chalice knew exactly how to use it. Rosalia’s gift contributed to our African School Farms and Food Security program, which supports sustainable agriculture and school lunches in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Ghana.
When Rosalia’s family learned where their mother’s gift went, they were thrilled. It was perfect, they told us, because Rosalia was from Kenya! The Chalice team was surprised and pleased – Rosalia had never mentioned where she’d grown up, and her surname suggested Portuguese heritage.
As Pope St. John Paul II said, “In the designs of Providence there are no mere coincidences." Everyone at Chalice was touched that they could be God’s instruments in this way. Wilson, one of Chalice’s planned giving specialists, expressed that it was his honour "to fulfill those intimate wishes which might not have been expressed on paper but were certainly held in Rosalia and Arthur’s hearts.”
Rosalia’s generosity left a legacy of hope to children and families in a country close to her heart. We pray that her soul rests in eternal peace.