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Sr. Dorothy, SNDdeN, is pictured in a 2004 file photo in Belem, northern Brazil. The nun was 73 when she was murdered Feb. 12, 2005.

Local Church celebrates martyred nun’s legacy

The memory of Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Dorothy Stang continues to enrich the lives of those who knew her in the Phoenix Diocese. 

On Feb. 12, the fifth anniversary of her murder in Brazil, and throughout that weekend, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Most Holy Trinity School and the Brazilian Portuguese community plan Masses to remember Sr. Dorothy.

Prior to Sr. Dorothy’s mission to Brazil, she spent 13 years in Phoenix at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School as a teacher and principal. On Feb. 12 in conjunction with their regular Friday 8:30 a.m. Mass, Most Holy Trinity Catholic School plans to include a special component to the Mass in remembrance of Sr. Dorothy. The public is invited to attend, said Mike Brennan, the school’s principal. According to Sr. Janice Bohn, SNDdeN, sisters and associates plan to attend the Mass along with Sr. Dorothy’s brother David Stang at Most Holy Trinity Parish, 8620 N. Seventh St.

Later that day, at 6:30 p.m., St. Matthew Parish will host a celebration of Sr. Dorothy’s life and work. The celebration includes a presentation by her brother who, according to Sr. Maria Celia Molina, SNDdeN, “visited Sr. Dorothy in Brazil and knew of her vision and dreams for an equitable use of the earth’s resources.”

The Brazilian Portuguese community organizes a Mass on the second Sunday of the month from September through May at 3:30 p.m. at St. Andrew the Apostle in Chandler. The Feb. 14 Mass will be in memory of Sr. Dorothy and will be followed by a potluck social. Crosier Fathers Thomas Enneking and Robert Rossi will concelebrate the Portuguese-language Mass.

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For additional information on the Brazilian Portuguese Mass, e-mail comunidadecatolicacocalpaz@yahoo.com.