Sr. Dorothy Stang, SND

June 7, 1931 – February 12, 2005

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Dorothy Stang, moved to the Amazon 22 years ago to help poor farmers build independent futures for their families. She was shot to death Saturday, February 12, in Anapu, Para, a section of Brazil's Amazon rain forest.

A citizen of Brazil and the United States, Sr. Dorothy worked with the Pastoral Land Commission, an organization of the Catholic Church that fights for the rights of rural workers and peasants, and defends land reforms in Brazil. Her death came less than a week after meeting with the country’s human rights officials about threats to local farmers from loggers and landowners.

After receiving several death threats Sr. Dorothy recently commented, “I don’t want to flee, nor do I want to abandon the battle of these farmers who live without any protection in the forest. They have the sacrosanct right to aspire to a better life on land where they can live and work with dignity while respecting the environment.”

Sr. Dorothy, 73, was born in Dayton, Ohio. 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. She began her ministry in Brazil in 1966, in Coroata in the state of Maranhao.

Last June, Sr. Dorothy was named “Woman of the Year” by the state of Para for her work in the Amazon region. In December 2004, she received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Brazilian Bar Association for her work helping the local rural workers. Earlier this year, she received an “Honorary Citizenship of the State” award from the state of Para.

Sr. Dorothy leaves four sisters and four brothers. Her surviving sisters are Norma J. Stang of Sacramento, CA; Barbara Richardson of Dayton; Mary Heil of Little Rock, AK and Marguerite Hohm of Fairfax VA. Her surviving brothers are Jim Stang of Dayton; Dave Stang of Denver, CO; Tom Stang of Los Angeles CA and John Stang of Slidell LA.

Burial services were held in Anapu in the Brazilian state of Para.

Sr. Dorothy was a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, an international religious order of about 2,000 women in five continents.

Profile Courtesy of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.