On January 10, 2025, Sant'Egidio honored the life and legacy of honor Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN at a ceremony in the Church of San Bartolomeo all’Isola in Rome, Italy. Twenty years ago, Sister Dorothy was murdered for her work in advocating for the Amazon rainforest and the rights of its inhabitants. She was 73 years old.
During the ceremony, a small container of blood-soaked soil from the place of her murder and one of her sweaters was added to a permanent memorial at the Basilica, a church dedicated to martyrs of the modern age. Sister Dorothy is the first woman from the U.S. to be recognized with this honor.
Members of the Community of Sant’Egidio, Sister Dorothy's family, friends, students from Emmanuel College and Mount Notre Dame School in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Sister Dorothy's fellow Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur participated in this moving celebration of her impact.
Enjoy this Homily, delivered by Monsignor Fabio Fabene, at the January 10th Mass at San Bartolomeo all’Isola. Watch a recording of the ceremony here.
Luke 4: 14-22
Dear brothers and sisters, the mystery of Epiphany that we are observing in these days is a mystery of light. The manifestation of the Lord that includes the adoration of the Magi, the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, and the Wedding at Cana – these all revolve around the mystery of the light, which is why in the Eastern churches, Epiphany is called the Feast of the Lights. The gospel readings that are proclaimed at daily mass this week could be called epiphanies, because they reveal the Divine mystery of Christ's humanity. There is the multiplication of the loaves that reveals Jesus as the bread of life; Jesus walks on water amidst the storm, revealing him as the Lord of all creation.
Today, as we have just heard in the reading that was proclaimed, the Gospel describes the beginning of Jesus' messianic activity. This takes place in the synagogue of Nazareth where Jesus reads and interprets the prophecy of Isaiah. He applies this prophecy to himself, thus making it a description of his own mission of evangelization. With Christ, the year of grace begins, the Jubilee of which the book of Leviticus speaks, and the year in which we now find ourselves. The consoling spirit of God descends to earth bringing salvation to humankind. Today, we have heard, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This deliverance which Christ has accomplished is especially destined for the poor, for the oppressed, for the blind. They are indeed the most open to the proclamation of salvation, as the entire Gospel narrative shows us.
Throughout history, this “today” of Christ remains current, contemporary for every generation, as Paul VI loved to say. And certainly the church has made and continues to make Christ present in every age. He is the eternal today. In our today, and throughout history of the Church, the Lord has never left us without a sign – the saints and witnesses of the faith – as Jean Guitton affirmed, each one a ray of light, an extension of Jesus. Each one, he wrote, illuminates an aspect of their model, who is Christ. Yes, as Pope Benedict XVI wrote, with their own hues and accents, each one reflects the light of the Holiness of God. One ray of this light is Sister Dorothy Stang. Her witness until death dispelled the darkness of injustice in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, so victimized by the economic interests of the ranchers. In the sweetness of her words and her bright smile, God’s own voice resounded, speaking about the value and the centrality of the person, who comes before every other reality, and must always be defended and protected in the face of economic profit. The land itself, as well as the forest, must be protected and loved because they belong to everyone. In the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis makes a significant contribution to the theme of the centrality of the human as God's creature. He writes that human existence is based on three fundamental relationships that are closely connected: the relationship with God, the relationship with neighbor, and the relationship with the Earth. Sister Dorothy was a radical and effective interpreter of this threefold relationship. She also reminded us that the economy should respect humans’ lives by placing itself at their service and not exploiting them for financial interests. This is a commitment for us believers – the commitment to care for our common home, guarding our brothers and sisters, protecting the people that our sister defended in the face of speculation and the interests of the few.
Her testimony resounded during the special synod for the Amazon. At its conclusion Pope Francis, in the Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia, formulated four dreams, the first of which concerns precisely the struggle for the rights of the poorest, the rights of the indigenous peoples, the rights of the least of all, so that that their voices may be heard and their dignity promoted. For this dream, Sister Dorothy was killed, and the presence in this Shrine of the New Martyrs of her possessions, along with those of so many others, reminds us that as the baptized, we have been enlightened by Christ the true light that enlightens every person, as John wrote in his Gospel. Thus, we are children of the light and Jesus says you are the light of the world, let your light shine before all. And St. Paul reminds us, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
I would like to conclude, Dear brothers and sisters, by quoting a medieval monk who in speaking of holiness referred to a verse from the book of Genesis, writing, “God said there are sources of light in the firmament of heaven to illuminate the earth.” He continued, “Thus the firmament is Christ, its stars are all the saints. Those in fact who during earthly life were rooted in him now enjoy his beatific vision. Just as the stars of heaven, the saints also reflect in different ways the splendor of the Sun. First of all the Virgin Mary, The Star of the Sea, and then for all the other saints who shine differently: red, for the flame of Charity is the light of the Apostles and the Martyrs; the light of the Virgins stands out for its beauty while that of the confessors for its radiance. The saints in short are like the different constellations of the heavens, helping us who are still pilgrims on this Earth to proceed in the journey always oriented toward Christ. Thus we shall be like the Magi, and on seeing Jesus the morning star, we shall feel great joy. It is this joy that, with her testimony, Sister Dorothy imparts to us.
Enjoy these stories highlighting this event:
The Vatican News: First U.S. woman to be included in memorial for modern martyrs
Catholic News Service – Rome: U.S. sister killed in the Amazon honored at Rome 'new martyrs' shrine
