Vatican recognized her as a Martyr!

How did an American nun become one of the most powerful symbols of the Brazilian rainforest? This video tells the story of Dorothy Stang, originally from Ohio, who spent 40 years in Brazil living by a radical belief: that the forest is God’s house and humans are its guardians.

She helped local families develop sustainable settlements across 60,000 hectares—an area roughly the size of Chicago—showing that it is possible to live off the forest without destroying it. However, her work brought her into conflict with powerful interests seeking to exploit the land for illegal logging and cattle ranching.

In 2005, Dorothy Stang was killed on a dirt road after dedicating her life to protecting both the forest and vulnerable communities. Her final act was to read from the Bible about justice. In 2019, the Vatican recognized her as a martyr of integral ecology, affirming her legacy that defending the poor and defending the Earth are inseparable acts of faith.

Today, the forests she fought to protect still stand as a testament to her vision and courage.