Sister Dorothy Stang to be immortalized
Sr. Roseanna Murphy
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
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Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, was walking along a dirt path to a meeting of poor farmers in the middle of the Amazon Forest on Feb. 12 of 2005. She wanted to assure them that they had a right to the land where they had built their bamboo shacks. Those shacks had been burned by men paid by wealthy ranchers to "get rid of those people" so they could take over the land and raise more cattle.
The exploitation of the forest, its destruction and the murder and brutality against the poor farmers had fired Sr. Dorothy to work for justice and the rights of the poor for 39 years in Brazil. She was in the way. She had reported illegal logging and the burning of homes to the police.
Her name was on the death lists of several ranchers despite the fact that she was awarded the 2006 Humanitarian Award by the Brazilian Bar Association, had been called the Woman of the Year by the state of Para where she lived, had been made an honorary citizen of Brazil, and was given an award for her work by the Brazilian bishops.
As she reached the crest of the hill, two gunmen stepped out to block her path. She greeted them kindly and began to speak to them about the rights of the farmers. She spread out the map she was carrying showing the land was designated by the government agency charged with providing protected reserves for the poor.
For about 15 minutes, she spoke to the two men whom she knew had been hired by the wealthy ranchers. One of them asked if she had a gun. She smiled and pulled her Bible out of her plastic bag saying, "This is my only weapon." Then she opened the Bible and read from it ending with, "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God."
Then one of the men reached for his gun and shot her at point blank six times. She fell forward, her body lying in the mud and rain for five hours. The farmers were too afraid to go near her for fear that they would also be killed.
News of Sr. Dorothy's death was broadcast all over the world. The president of Brazil sent 2,000 troops into the area to quell any violence that was threatened against the poor. They stayed in the area for nearly five months, as the killing did not end with her death.
The exploitation of the forest, its destruction and the murder and brutality against the poor farmers had fired Sr. Dorothy to work for justice and the rights of the poor for 39 years in Brazil. She was in the way. She had reported illegal logging and the burning of homes to the police.
Her name was on the death lists of several ranchers despite the fact that she was awarded the 2006 Humanitarian Award by the Brazilian Bar Association, had been called the Woman of the Year by the state of Para where she lived, had been made an honorary citizen of Brazil, and was given an award for her work by the Brazilian bishops.
As she reached the crest of the hill, two gunmen stepped out to block her path. She greeted them kindly and began to speak to them about the rights of the farmers. She spread out the map she was carrying showing the land was designated by the government agency charged with providing protected reserves for the poor.
For about 15 minutes, she spoke to the two men whom she knew had been hired by the wealthy ranchers. One of them asked if she had a gun. She smiled and pulled her Bible out of her plastic bag saying, "This is my only weapon." Then she opened the Bible and read from it ending with, "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God."
Then one of the men reached for his gun and shot her at point blank six times. She fell forward, her body lying in the mud and rain for five hours. The farmers were too afraid to go near her for fear that they would also be killed.
News of Sr. Dorothy's death was broadcast all over the world. The president of Brazil sent 2,000 troops into the area to quell any violence that was threatened against the poor. They stayed in the area for nearly five months, as the killing did not end with her death.
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