Steve De Quintal – When Kindness Walks

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What follows is a piece written by lusocanada.com founder, Paulo Pereira, for the Portuguese community media in 2013. The article refers to the tremendous achievement of a man of God and of the community, Steve De Quintal, who received the prestigious ‘Jean-Baptiste De La Salle’ award for his work with the neediest and most vulnerable. Mr. De Quintal, an educator who currently works at St. Mary Catholic Academy, in Toronto, was a teacher at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton at the time he received the distinction. Although the piece is from 2013, it still applies today as Steve De Quintal continues to make a difference in the lives of many in the community.

If you speak with someone who has visited Portugal, they often mention the country’s beauty, the wine and the food, but mainly how nice the people are.  This genetic predisposition to be attentive and considerate of others has travelled with us across the Atlantic to Canada and has allowed us to excel in various humanitarian and community endeavours.  One such example of altruism is Steve De Quintal, teacher and guidance counsellor at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School, in Toronto.  The Portuguese Canadian has just recently received the ‘Jean-Baptiste De La Salle’ award for his contribution to the Catholic community.

De Quintal has, through the years, engaged in various projects geared toward the less fortunate. He can be often seen surrounded by teenagers feeding the poor in downtown Toronto.  He has also initiated and aided in the implementation of other programs for his Catholic students and his community.  This decades-long work has not gone unrecognized by the Catholic church which finally officially distinguished him with an award of outstanding contribution.  This presentation was particularly special because it was received directly from the hands of the Archbishop of Toronto, Thomas Cardinal Collins during an event promoted by the Catholic Teachers’ Guild.

This distinction was a surprise to the Luso-Canadian teacher who only found out about it a week prior to the event.  “I’ve gone to the Catholic Education mass that takes place at the end of the summer for years now, and I am aware of the work of the Catholic Teachers’ Guild.  The Principal of St. Michael’s Catholic School, Barry White, is the person who gave me a call a week before the mass.  I spoke with him and said that because of my 5 children I didn’t intend to go.  But he said that I was being recognized with an award from the Cardinal.  My parents were in Portugal and I didn’t have anyone to babysit so I told him: you have to give me some time to see what I can do.  I contacted my aunt who had just come back from Portugal, and so she watched my children.   I went to the mass and after the mass there was a nice dinner.  After dinner, I was presented with the award by the Cardinal”, he recounts. 

While he does not deny feeling “happy and honoured” with the recognition, Steve de Quintal is also quick to point out that this award recognizes the work of all the people who work with him.  “I don’t know if I’m deserving.  I’m very humbled by it and I think I work with a lot of good people…but I get too much credit.  There are so many good people in our School Board who do such great work and I’m kind of behind the scenes.  I’m happy to receive it, I’m honoured, don’t get me wrong.  I said to my wife that there are a lot of other people doing a lot of other things that could have been recognized.  I’m old, and in the old days I used to do a lot more.  Now, with five kids, not so much.  But I feel that it is an award that recognizes the people I work with, and they know that.”

Steve de Quintal is just one example of our integration into Canadian society and of our ability to make a change in our communities.  The teacher and guidance counsellor continues to offer hope and optimism to those who are disadvantaged, a mission that has been contagious in his community.  Among those who help him carry his humanitarian endeavours, there are many young Portuguese Canadians who are getting ready to carry the torch when De Quintal decides to retire from volunteer work….if that ever happens!