[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 69 (Monday, May 23, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S5807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37--HONORING THE LIFE OF SISTER DOROTHY 
                                 STANG

  Mr. DeWine submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 37

       Whereas 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, and was murdered on 
     Saturday, February 12, 2005, at the age of 73, in Anapu, 
     Para, a section of Brazil's Amazon rain forest;
       Whereas Sister Dorothy, a citizen of Brazil and the United 
     States, 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;
       Whereas Sister Dorothy's death came less than a week after 
     her meeting with Brazil's Human Rights Secretary about 
     threats to local farmers from some loggers and landowners;
       Whereas, after receiving several death threats, Sister 
     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.'';
       Whereas Sister Dorothy was born in Dayton, Ohio, entered 
     the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur community in 1948, and 
     professed final vows in 1956;
       Whereas, from 1951 to 1966, Sister Dorothy taught 
     elementary classes at St. Victor School in Calumet City, 
     Illinois, St. Alexander School in Villa Park, Illinois, and 
     Most Holy Trinity School in Phoenix, Arizona, and began her 
     ministry in Brazil in 1966, in Coroata, in the state of 
     Maranhao;
       Whereas, last June, Sister 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, and earlier this year, 
     she received an ``Honorary Citizenship of the State'' award 
     from the state of Para; and
       Whereas Sister Dorothy lived her life according to the 
     mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame: making known God's 
     goodness and love of the poor through a Gospel way of life, 
     community, and prayer, while continuing a strong educational 
     tradition and taking a stand with the poor, especially poor 
     women and children, in the most abandoned places, and 
     committing her one and only life to work with others to 
     create justice and peace for all: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress hereby honors the life and 
     work of Sister Dorothy Stang.

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