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August 2011

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In This Issue
Angel of the Amazon
They Killed Sister Dorothy
One Tree at a Time
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Angel of the Amazon
Dot Stang
Sister Dorothy Stang

Known to many as the "Angel of the Amazon," Sister Dorothy Stang was called to mission in Brazil in 1966 to help build a sustainable future for impoverished farmers and their families. In 2007, two years after Sister Dorothy was murdered as a result of her efforts, Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, Calif., established the Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement in her memory. The Center is dedicated to increasing awareness, dialogue and activism around the issues of social and environmental justice.

A Note to Our Readers: "Angel of the Amazon" brings Sister Dorothy's life and death to the stage.
In May 2011, an opera based on the story of Sister Dorothy debuted to sell-out crowds in New York. "Angel of the Amazon" will be performed by the Boston Metro Opera Company in Boston this October.

 

 Struggle in the Amazon
 "The land and forest must last forever."
-- Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, 1931 - 2005               

Continuing to Honor Sister Dorothy Stang        

In the region of Anapu, Brazil -- in the heart of the Amazonian rain forest -- corrupt loggers and ranchers orchestrate land grabs, terrorize populations and flaunt the country's legal system. Anyone, even a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, who thwarts their efforts is in danger. In 2005, Sister Dorothy Stang was shot six times and left to die on a muddy road in the Amazon. Why? She had made enemies of the outlaws by calling attention to their corruption and championing the rights of the forest's indigenous people. Her legacy and love for the people and the Amazon endures. Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Brazil sponsor a 35-mile Annual Forest Pilgrimage from Anapu to the place marked by a cross where Sister Dorothy was killed. The most recent pilgrimage, attended by hundreds of participants, took place at the end of July.

 

They Killed Sister Dorothy

This video, narrated by actor Martin Sheen and produced by Just Media, a Colorado-based nonprofit production company, presents differing viewpoints and complexities surrounding the struggle in the Amazon. Sister Dorothy Stang stands at the center of the story. As a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, Sister Dorothy committed her one and only life to work with others to create justice and peace for all.     

They Killed Sister Dorothy Trailer 
Trailer for video They Killed Sister Dorothy
The Million Tree Project: One Tree at a Time 
Million Tree LogoIn Brazil, the Sisters live surrounded by the rain forest.They are vigilant about replenishing the forest with seedlings as more and more trees are felled and hauled away illegally. The Million Tree Project was established in memory of Sister Dorothy in 2009.Its goal is to plant one million seedlings in the Amazon rain forest. Because the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur is an international congregation, The Million Tree Project is supported by teachers, students, families and business partners in countries across the globe. Won't you help reforest the Amazon? Join forces with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in this important project by donating to our Latin American Projects

Dear Friends;

Amazon Seedlings
Just $15 covers the cost of raising one seedling in an Amazon forest nursery.
Please walk with us. Take the steps that Sister Dorothy no longer can. Your donation to our Latin American Projects will ensure that her work in the Amazon will continue. Since 1804, the Congregation has advocated for social justice by providing education and economic opportunities for impoverished people across the globe. The struggle in Brazil continues.

In Peace and Gratitude,

Sister Leonore Coan  

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Congregational Mission Office