Welcome to A Saint for Justice and Peace. Explore contemporary justice issues and the lives of Saints that bear witness on the topic.

A HOLY PERSON FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
SISTER DOROTHY STANG

Born 1932, Dayton, Ohio; Martyred Feb 12, 2005

• She joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Cincinnati in 1949 and went with them to northern Brazil in 1966. In the early 1970s she volunteered to accompany families who were resettling further north in the Amazon jungle.
• She helped the settlers develop more sustainable farming methods for jungle soils, set up small Christian communities and cooperatives with each settlement using 20% for farming and leaving 80% for the jungle.
• In these efforts she was supported by the Pastoral Land Commission of the Brazilian Bishops. Sister’s efforts to help the poor and landless brought her into conflict with the greed of ranchers and loggers who use brutality and corruption to seize any land they want, (clearing about 9,000 square miles a year), while ignoring or destroying land titles and property held by poor small farmers and cooperatives.
• Sister was threatened several times but never ceased her mission to the poor and landless. She was eventually murdered near Boa Esperanca while carrying food and clothes for several families that had just had their crops and homes burned down by hired hoodlums. 
• Sister was shot down while reciting the Beatitudes to her killer. She was one of four workers for the poor murdered during a four day period. As a result of her killing the Brazilian Government has made huge areas of the Amazon into parks forbidding ranching or logging and promising to help poor farmers to obtain and hold land titles.
• It remains to be seen how much notice the ranchers and loggers take of these new initiatives but it may be that Sister’s sacrifice has at last brought a measure of justice to the poor and the land of Brazil.

SEE

1. Do we see anywhere in Canada, maybe on a smaller scale, examples of greed and contempt for any one who stands in the way of the satisfaction of that greed?
2. Are we aware in our own lives of the point at which legitimate need, pleasure or profit turns into greed and anger against any who oppose us?
3. Is our use of our land in Canada sustainable in the long run?

JUDGE

1. Do we remember the need for stewardship with ALL of God’s gifts?
2. What non violent actions can or should we take to curb our own greed and then that of others?
3. Do we remember in our own lives the preferential option for the poor required of us by Christian charity and the Social Doctrine of the Church?

ACT

1. In our democratic country, vote always for the person or party with the strongest commitment to helping the poor at home and abroad.
2. Work on our stewardship of God’s gifts - recycle - do everything to lighten our footsteps on the land.
3. Participate in some Social Justice or charitable organization.
4. In local, national and international matters speak always against abuse of power and in favour of the poor and their needs.
5. Support with prayer, encouragement and money our missionaries who work not only to bring God’s word to the poor but to help them gain some modicum of justice in their lives. In the diocese of Saskatoon let us think especially of our people in Brazil.

Image header from Communion of Saints Mural by Lillian Brulc.

Biographic material comes from a variety of sources including Catholic Encylopedia, Catholic Online and Wikipedia.