Ohio native Sr. Dorothy Stang will forever be honored alongside other modern Christian martyrs from around the world in a poignant ceremony hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome.
By Kielce Gussie
A courageous religious sister, Sr. Dorothy Stang, who was tragically murdered for her work in Brazil nearly 20 years ago, will be the first American woman to be commemorated in a memorial for modern martyrs in Rome.
Who was Sr. Dorothy Stang?
Born in 1931, Sr. Dorothy Stang became a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Ohio at the tender age of 17. In 1966, she embarked on a missionary journey to Brazil where she fervently advocated for the rights of impoverished settlers and the preservation of the rainforest against ruthless loggers and landowners.
Collaborating with the Pastoral Land Commission, an organization of the Catholic Church dedicated to defending the rights of rural laborers and peasants, Sr. Dorothy was recognized for her unwavering efforts. The Brazilian state of Para honored her with the title of “Woman of the Year” and she also received the prestigious Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Brazilian Bar Association.
However, not everyone appreciated her noble work. Tragically, on February 12, 2005, hired gunmen mercilessly shot Sr. Dorothy, leaving her to perish. She was 73 years old.
A modern-day martyr
Just shy of the 20th anniversary of her martyrdom, Sr. Dorothy Stang will be commemorated in a ceremony organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome. A vial of blood-soaked soil from the site of her murder and one of her sweaters will be enshrined in a permanent memorial at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island—a church dedicated to the countless Christian men and women who have sacrificed their lives for their faith in contemporary times.
A Vigil Mass remembering missionary martyrs held in March 2024 at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Tibertina Island
More than 25 of Sr. Dorothy’s relatives will be in attendance to witness her being immortalized as the first American woman to be included in the memorial at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew.
Words from Sr. Dorothy Stang
Prior to her untimely death, Sr. Dorothy Stang faced numerous death threats due to her tireless efforts to protect the rainforest and advocate for impoverished laborers. Despite the dangers, she remained steadfast in her mission.
She once said:
The Church of martyrs
In light of the Jubilee of 2000, Pope St. John Paul II established the “Commission of New Martyrs” in 1999 to research and identify Christian martyrs of the 20th century. The Commission was based at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island in Rome.
To ensure that the stories of these brave men and women do not fade into obscurity, Pope John Paul II designated the Basilica as a place of remembrance for the “new witnesses of the faith.” He eloquently stated:
