St. Rose of Lima
Gabriel Thelus founded St. Rose of Lima School on October 8, 1998, beginning with one outdoor class of 20 children, one teacher, and one principal. Today, St. Rose of Lima School serves approximately 300 students, led by a principal and eleven teachers, offering education from preschool through ninth grade. For $400 per child, the school can provide a uniform, education, and a daily lunch of rice and beans—often the only meal many children receive each day.
The connection between Sante Total and St. Rose of Lima School is the result of a nearly three decades long journey. It began in the summer of 1998 when current Board Member Eric Delss, then a student at Virginia Tech, visited Gabriel in Haiti. Gabriel, known as Gaby, had previously attended Virginia Tech, where he earned an associate degree in Agriculture before returning to Haiti to serve and improve his community. He remained closely connected to the Virginia Tech Newman Community and invited students to visit his village of Jacsonville (formerly Matabonite) to witness the mission work he was undertaking. Gaby envisioned many improvements for his community and believed that education was the key, as most residents were illiterate.
In 2000, Eric’s mother Carol Delss, assistant principal at Saint Margaret School at the time, proposed a partnership to support St. Rose of Lima School through fundraising efforts. Under the enthusiastic leadership of its principal, Saint Margaret School adopted St. Rose of Lima as its sister school in Haiti, beginning a relationship that lasted 16 years. During that time, between 60 and 100 children were sponsored annually. Several major projects were completed, including a 2004 initiative that raised one million pennies to construct the “Penny Bridge,” allowing students and teachers to cross a river safely without arriving at school covered in mud. Health supplies were sent during the cholera epidemic, and school and dental supplies were provided annually until travel became impossible due to COVID. Funds were also raised to drill for water, resulting in a fountain that now provides fresh drinking water outside the school.
Gabriel visited Saint Margaret annually to speak with students about life in Haiti, while students exchanged pictures and gifts, fostering meaningful connections. Yearly sponsor dinners further strengthened these emotional ties.
After more than 16 years of collaboration with Saint Margaret School, St. Rose of Lima School entered a new partnership in 2016 with The John Carroll School, a Catholic high school in Bel Air, Maryland. Even before formal fundraising began, Gabriel met with John Carroll students, and sponsorship of St. Rose students continued to grow. This partnership culminated in 2018 when nine John Carroll seniors traveled to Haiti. They delivered much-needed supplies and collaborated with St. Rose students on projects such as dental hygiene education and solar-based water purification, creating an enriching experience for all involved.
Following the COVID pandemic in 2020, Gabriel was no longer able to visit John Carroll, though student sponsorship continued to expand. Fundraising efforts also increased significantly, supporting the installation of security fencing and solar panels to provide electricity for the classrooms.
Although formal involvement in education ended in 2006, fundraising efforts for St. Rose of Lima School have continued without interruption. Today, the school operates largely through the dedication of families, friends, alumni of Saint Margaret and John Carroll, and generous donors. Guided by a commitment to social justice, these efforts aim to help build a world in which all people can live more fully human lives. As the partnership with John Carroll comes to a close, support for St. Rose of Lima School is finding renewed energy through the steadfast generosity of its devoted sponsors and the decades-long work of Sante Total in Jacsonville.
Watch Gaby give a tour of St. Rose:
