Sister Dorothy Stang : A Modern Legend

By Devin Brown

Sister Dorothy, 73, was born in Dayton, Ohio, one of nine children. She was raised on a
farm in a traditional Catholic family(The expanded story, 2022).She entered the Sisters of Notre
Dame de Namur community in 1948 and professed final vows in 1956. From 1951 to 1966 she
taught elementary classes at St. Victor School in Calumet City, IL; St. Alexander School in Villa
Park, IL; and Most Holy Trinity School in Phoenix, AZ(The expanded story, 2022). After this she
began her ministry in Brazil in 1966 where she found her true calling, to help the poor. This is
ultimately where she would die and become a true modern legend.

Brazil was not her original desired destination. At age 18, she completed her application to
join the Sisters and wrote across the top of the form: “I would like to volunteer for the Chinese
missions.” She never did serve in China(The amazing grace, 2022). During her time as a
missionary she chose to live in extreme poverty in order to help others living in poverty. Her only
choice possessions were: a mix-match of colorful clothing, spartan furnishings, and her bible(The
amazing grace, 2022). “She had a passion for people of all cultures, for social justice,
peacemaking, fairness, and respect for the environment(The amazing grace, 2022).” She carried
her bible everywhere she went and often referred to it as her “weapon”. Sr. Dorothy went to
Brazil for the first time in 1966 with five other sisters. They all spoke little to no Portuguese, so
their first task was to begin at the ministry with learning the language. After learning the language
they were able to establish a new convent at Coroatá in the state of Maranhão, where they trained
lay catechists and gave religious instruction to adults. In time, all of the Sisters became aware of
the social problems troubling this region, particularly the oppression of farmers. Their reaction to
this was to stress the basic tenets of human rights in their lessons and their work took on new
proportions and expanded to new areas in Brazil(The amazing grace, 2022). In her last years
Dorothy’s main goal was to help the impoverished people of local Para, Brazil fight for their right
to their land. Land sharks were taking over and forcing these homesteaders off the land. The
landsharks paid the police and politicians to keep the homesteaders off the land. This land was
promised to these people by the Brazilian government. The government was useless in trying to
fight the landsharks so their only option was to move deeper into the forest and try to avoid them.
Due to the Government starting these projects and removing forest, it caused Dorothy and the
homesteaders to move further in still. In 1982 Dorothy came to Anapu, Para where she worked to
develop a new type of agrarian society that helped farm families from diverse cultures develop
common bonds and learn how to use the soil to sustain themselves and the land. Due to Dorothy's
commitment and work the communities in Anapu were able to live in solidarity and with respect
for the environment. Although Dorothy was working to help these people there was still ongoing
death threats from the landsharks and they often harassed the impoverished people to try to get
them to leave. In February 2005, Dorothy was carrying her bible while she made her way down a
muddy Amazon road to meet a group of peasant farmers whose homes had been burned down to
the ground on the land which the federal government had granted to these farmers. While walking
down the road she could hear taunts from men who were part of the landsharks. They had stopped
beside her as she was walking. As the rain poured, she stopped and opened her Bible. She read to
the men. They listened to two verses, stepped back and aimed their guns. Sr. Dorothy raised her
Bible toward them and six shots were fired at point blank range. She fell to the ground, martyred.

After her death the world wept and she became a true modern legend. Several thousand
people attended Sr. Dorothy’s funeral.In the month following her murder, four men were arrested
and charged with the murder. President da Silva sent 2,000 troops to the area to quell violence,
while the United States sent FBI agents to Anapu to investigate the killing. Memorial services
were conducted around the world and the Brazilian Ambassador to the United States spoke at a
Memorial Mass for Sr. Dorothy in Baltimore(The amazing grace, 2022). “On March 9, 2005, U.S.
Congress Resolution #89 was introduced, honoring the life of Sr. Dorothy Stang. On December
10, 2008, Sr. Dorothy Stang was awarded the 2008 United Nations Award in the Field of Human
Rights.” She received a humanitarian award from a Brazilian lawyers’ association and officials in
the state of Para named her “Woman of the Year.” She is buried in a grove in Anapu, her grave
marked with a simple wooden cross bearing her name and dates of birth and death. There is a
Notre Dame de Namur celebration of Stang’s life and work that is a week long event. On
Tuesday a panel of speakers will share memories of their treasured sibling and friend. Other
events include a Wednesday screening of the film “They Killed Sr. Dorothy,” followed the next
day by a tour of the campus garden and a candlelight prayer vigil that evening(Abercrombie,
2015). Sr. Dorothy Stang, her alma mater is honoring the beloved “angel of the
Amazon”(Abercrombie, 2015). Since Dorothy’s death there have been many amazing movements
created for the people of Brazil. Notre Dame de Namur University created the Dorothy Stang
Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement in Dorothy Stang's legacy. Founded in
2007, the center is a venue for continuing her work. Students volunteer in a variety of settings:
soup kitchens, schools, medical clinics, Catholic Worker houses, habitat restoration areas, and
homeless shelters. The center uses Stang’s example as a springboard for students into a multitude
of community engagement opportunities(Abercrombie, 2015). It is actions such as these that
show that Sister Dorothy Stang was a true modern legend both in life and in death.

It is clear to see that Sister Dorothy Stang was an amazing, powerful and selfless human.
She was always so kind and those who got the chance to spend time with her were touched
forever. I think it is very inspiring to hear how someone can dedicate their whole life and entire
existence to helping people who she did not know. To be able to feel so strongly about something
like she did is just amazing. I cannot imagine the struggles that Dorothy must have faced by living
in such absolute poverty. We are so accustomed to our cushy lives and do not even realize what
other people go through on a daily basis. She and the people she stayed with in Brazil were
receiving threats on a regular basis and she still chose to stay and help and fight for them. Dorothy
and her fellow sisters lived with the poor and witnessed for themselves how they had become
thoroughly disenfranchised by a military dictatorship intent on enforcing land grabs, supporting
corporations and perpetrating “systemic violence, imprisonment, killings, hunger, dislocation, and
the persecution of peasant leaders and priests who were tortured, jailed and killed(Abercrombie,
2015).” Even though they all knew there was a very likely possibility that they could be killed,
their faith was so strong that it helped them push through fears. Even as Dorothy knew she was
going to die she held true to her faith and allowed it to guide her into the afterlife. Dorothy was a
remarkable figure and is someone who we all can look up to and hope we can help to be a part of
making her death a positive motion. I think Dorothy’s devotion to her faith and her work in Brazil
help to show us that God works in mysterious ways and even though something seems terrible
there is so much good that can be found as well. I can only hope that Dorothy can see all the good
that she has done and caused since her death. I think it is easy to say that because of her many
people will be able to work harder to provide better lives to those impoverished in Brazil and
elsewhere. It is modern legends like her that shine a bright light and show us that if you hold
strong in your faith you can help to make a difference.
 References:

A. H., By, -, Ambria HammelAmbria Hammel is a former staff writer for The Catholic Sun.,
Hammel, A., & Ambria Hammel is a former staff writer for The Catholic Sun. (2017, March
28). Sr.. Dorothy Stang, modern day martyr, to be remembered. The Catholic Sun.
Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.catholicsun.org/2015/01/13/sr-dorothy-stang-
modern-day-martyr-to-be-remembered/

Abercrombie, S. (2015, February 10). Life of sr.. Dorothy Stang celebrated at her California Alma
Mater. National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/life-sr-dorothy-stang-celebrated-her-
california-alma-mater

The amazing grace of sr.. Dorothy Stang: Sisters of notre dame de namur. Sisters of
Notre Dame de Namur |. (2022, January 6). Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
https://www.sndden.org/who-we-are/the-amazing-grace-of-sr-dorothy-stang/