On January 10th, NDB held a ceremony for Dorothy Stang in the invitation lab. Epuichen provided lunch and ice cream during the ceremony because it was Dorothy Stang’s favorite.
Initially, students were going to have the opportunity to tune into a livestream from Rome to watch a ceremony honoring her life’s work. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties in Rome, they were unable to watch the live stream. Despite this, students could watch a video provided by HIA about Stang’s life and her impact.
After the video, students heard from Sister Carol, who not only worked with Stang before she was assassinated but was immensely involved in honoring her life mission. Sister Carol worked with international sisters to establish Notre Dame schools worldwide. As part of her presentation, she highlighted the growth of the number of sisters and Notre Dame schools around the world by pointing to sticky notes on countries such as Peru, Brazil, and other countries in Africa, North America, and Asia.
In addition to sister Carol’s testimony, Amy Jobin, the Spiritual Life director, talked about Stang’s life and history, such as her work in the Amazon rain forest. Two other staffulty members, Arlene Empleo, Associate Head of School for Student Services, and Rebecca Girard, a science teacher, emotionally spoke about when they traveled to Ohio to visit a museum about Stang that had recently opened. They showed the photos they took from the museum, such as timelines, Stang’s diploma from Notre Dame University, and her high school diploma.
Staffulty were not the only ones who described their connection to Stang. Juniors Maise and Anna Street, Finley WilkeHiland, and Allison Yue shared their experiences in Boston, meeting with other Notre Dame High schools and discovering how they honor the mission of the Notre Dame sisters, the ways they support their own communities, and attended a conference learning about Stang’s life.
“It was just a good reminder that, we have our community in Belmont, but we’re also part of a larger community across the nation and across the globe,” Yue shared, reflecting on the importance of the trip.
Sophomore Caroline Zerella is part of Hallmark in Action, which helped plan the ceremony for Dorothy Stang.
Caroline thought that his event was highly interesting and it’s a good way to learn more about Dorothy Stang. Caroline shared how Dorothy Stang inspires her, stating, “She really inspires me to go outside of my comfort zone a little bit because she was from Ohio, but she also went to all the way to the rainforest”
Hosting a ceremony like this is of great significance to NDB, as the school incorporates many elements of Catholicism into its daily practices. However, it is still essential to recognize the figure, Dorothy Stang who inspired the creation of Notre Dame schools worldwide, including NDB.
