Sr. Dorothy Stang Cross and Ask for the Strength to Carry the a Life for the People and All Creation Suffering of the People

Option REFLECTION for the poor

“I light a candle and look at Jesus on the Sr. Dorothy Stang cross and ask for the strength to carry the A life for the people and all creation suffering of the people. Don’t worry about my safety. The safety of the people is what’s “If we strip our- important.” selves of all our ex- Sr. Dorothy Stang tras that consume so much of our time and thoughts…our left-over time is no longer col- speculators, and agribusiness owners in the region. As ored and it is no longer hard to give a Gospel - response.” mentalists, and farmers account were becoming more Sr. Dorothy Stang frequent. The murders were calculated to eliminate opposition to land grabbing by moneyed interests, to eliminate those who were empowering and educating Dorothy Stang was born in Dayton, Ohio, one of nine the peasants, and to intimidate these peasants. children in a farming family. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur community in 1948 and taught elementary classes at schools in Illinois and Arizona. Sr. Dorothy also organized students to teach and minister to migrant workers after school hours. -

“We can’t talk about the poor. We must be poor with the poor and then there is no doubt how to act. We need to be poor with the poor and reappropriate a kind and ten- der relationship with Mother Earth.” “I have to be with these people. If it means Sr. Dorothy Stang my life, I want to give my life.” Sr. Dorothy Stang - organization that promotes the rights of rural workers and peasants and defends land reform in Brazil. The she was on her way to a community meeting. Recog- rich natural resources of the Amazon rain forest were nizing why they were there, she took her Bible from attracting loggers, ranchers, land speculators, and her bag and began to read the Beatitudes: “Blessed agribusiness owners, while indigenous farmers were are those who hunger and thirst for...” The gunmen losing land and the rainforest was being destroyed. - named Sr. Dorothy 1989 “Woman of the Year.” She was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Brazilian Bar Association for her efforts with rural workers.

Sr. Dorothy was posthumously awarded the - man Rights. some of those responsible for Sr. Dorothy’s - ues. An award-winning documentary, “They Killed Sister Dorothy,” follows the trial of rainforest of Brazil. The struggle for the rights of indigenous peasants and efforts for the sustainability of Prayer in honor of Sr. Dorothy Stang - The blood of the martyrs - tion. This land is in the Anapu region where May Sr. Dorothy Stang's life as well as her death become seeds of a renewed And deeper understanding Of your call to solidarity told the country’s bishops that the defense And for your creation Brazilian church but of the whole society.” - Amazon rainforest author, the document included insights on the Resources To a deeper commitment perils facing the Amazon and its indigenous Explore a website people due to illegal logging, widespread about Sr. Dorothy. In your suffering world So we can become Visit the movie site More engaged in working for “They Killed - Sister Dorothy.” ment came up again during World Youth Day Discuss the movie May Sr. Dorothy Stang with EFJ’s guide. Rest in peace indigenous tribes at Rio de Janeiro’s Mu- See more resources And may her life’s work nicipal Theater and pledged support for their about Sr. Dorothy. rights and homeland. This South American Sr. Katherine Feeley, SND life for.