On the afternoon of March 8, Tom Stang, the brother of the late Sister Dorothy Stang, addressed the NDB community in the Moore Pavilion. He shared the story of Dorothy, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, and how he witnessed her transformation into an extraordinary changemaker whose legacy is still being carried out to this day.

Tom started by explaining how God created goodness, as it was what inspired Dorothy to spend 40 years in the Amazon rainforest, spreading her impact every day.

However, she originally felt a calling to promote environmental justice in Dayton, Ohio, where she was born into a family of nine and taught elementary students in Illinois before moving to Arizona to continue teaching.

While living in Arizona, she saw how a bug-killing pesticide known as “DDT” was exposing harmful chemicals to migrant workers. This inspired her to become a reporter, which her brother regarded as the most dangerous profession in the world, and eventually she decided to report in Brazil, where she ended up staying for the next 40 years.

She dedicated those years to protecting both the rainforest and the workers from wealthy ranchers, who cut down trees and burned land for their cattle, which would eventually be sold. Many in Brazil recognize her for helping with sustainable farming methods and protecting their homelands.

Sister Dorothy Stang worked tirelessly until she was assassinated in 2005 at 73 years old. The NDB community continues to honor her contributions to society today, which is why Tom was specially invited to speak to the student body.