Brazil: Pilgrimage to heart of the Amazon to remember Sr Dorothy Stang

Sister Dorothy Stang

A group of priests, religious and laypeople has completed a long trek to the heart of the Amazon to mark the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Sister Dorothy Stang, who dedicated her life to the people there and the protection of their home, the Amazon jungle - the 'lungs of the world'. The mission, from the Archdiocese of Mariana, in the Prelature of Xingu, in Pará, lasted 15 days.

One of the participants, Father Anthony Claret, said: "Sister Dorothy is present through the struggle of the people. These are people of faith who seek to organize and live the same continuous struggle. And for us who come from the archdiocese of Mariana, that is a great inspiration".

The mission had as its theme "The seed planted germinates: we are Sister Dorothy".

The Pontifical Missionary Society Brazil said the three words that guided the 55 km pilgrimage were: "memory, commitment and hope". The pilgrimage took place during the last week of July and ended in the place where Sister Dorothy Stang was murdered.

The pilgrimage was organized to raise awareness on the need to preserve the Amazon rainforest and remember Sister Dorothy Stang, 10 years after her assassination, the nun in defense of the Amazon forest, the lung of humanity.

Source: Fides

See also: ICN 14 June 2015 - Could Sr Dorothy Stang be a patron of the environment encyclical? www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=27683