By Károly Koller – Brazil
For decades, Sr Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, fought against deforestation and for the rights of small farmers and labourers, in the Amazon region.
The result was that the Sister of Notre Dame de Namur got caught in the crossfires of conflicts of interest and was repeatedly threatened. She was 73 years old when she was killed by an assassin on Feb 12 2005. She died with a Bible in her hand.
“Dorothy’s pockets were always filled with seeds. Nowadays, wherever I go, I hear people say: ‘I got this cocoa plant from Dorothy. This is Dorothy’s palm’. The poor have carried her in their hearts,” according to Sr Jane Dwyer, who worked alongside Dorothy Stang in the Amazon region for many years and continues to do so at the age of 84.
Pockets filled with seeds
Sr Kátia Webster, also an SNDdeN sister, has seeds in her pockets, too.
In addition to her love for people, love for nature was a constant in Sr Dorothy’s life.
“To protect nature and connect with all creatures was the central focus of her spirituality,” said Sr Kátia. “When we plough the land, the harvest should be richer than before. We are not the owners of life.”
Sr Dorothy arrived in Brazil in 1966, when she was 35 years old, to serve people and nature. At first, the American-born sister worked in a small city on the peripheries of the Amazon basin.
Ten years of pilgrimages
Sr Kátia recalls that: “She prepared the countryside for the farmers who had no land. When the military dictatorship drew hundreds of thousands of people to the uncontaminated areas of the rainforest with promises of land, Sr Dorothy decided to follow the migrant workers.”
This migration lasted 10 years and ended in 1982 in Anapú, a small settlement not far from Rio Xingú. Former workers, whom the government had abandoned after they had finished working on big projects, lived in the area.
Sr Dorothy lived at first with a very poor family. “This is our Congregation’s charism: to live with the poor among the poor,” said Sr Dwyer.
Along with her religious sisters, Sr Dorothy established a small mission station in Anapú and supported the people in asking the government for everything it had promised them: schools, health assistance and land to cultivate.
Their demand for land, in particular, fell on deaf ears, because the government preferred large landowners. In the time of need, small farmers planted their fields on uncultivated land and built huts. But the big landowners and loggers claimed the land for themselves.
“They would shoot at them and destroy their houses. Even the police were against us,” noted Sr Dwyer. “But the people resisted and with the help of Dorothy, they forced the authorities to recognize their property rights.”
‘Large landowners cannot lose’
Inspired by Sr Dorothy, families practiced organic farming and lived in harmony with nature. The entire area had to be declared a natural reserve to prevent illegal deforestation. State recognition was granted in 2004 to much joy. However, this resulted in an escalation of the situation.
“Large landowners refuse to lose. They cannot accept defeat. They thought that by killing Dorothy, the people would have fled,” said Sr Dwyer.
On Feb 12 2025, Dorothy Stand was stopped by several gunslingers as she was heading to a new settlement. She was shot to death.
According to a witness, Sr Dorothy had first read a passage from the Sermon on the Mount to her killers: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Death at dawn
“Dorothy died in the morning”, said Sr Dwyer. “The police only arrived in the evening to collect her body. Throughout that time, the people never left her alone: hiding in the bushes, drenched by the tropical rain, they kept watch. No one fled.”
After the funeral, people said, “We are not burying Dorothy. We are planting her.” Twenty years later, the seed has sprouted. There are many more settlements, in which families live in harmony with nature. But the fight continues.
“The last occupation of the land was hard: homes were set on fire, the school was destroyed. There was gunfire at night. When it ended, the residents chose to call their settlement after ‘Dorothy Stang’. They say that Dorothy gives them hope,” said Sr Dwyer. “The people here will never forget her because she gave her life for them.”
Sr Dorothy’s murderers and their clients were arrested and charged, but were released shortly afterwards.
Since her violent murder, there have been 19 murders in Anapú alone because of land. Her case was never investigated further. – Vatican News
