Blood of Martyrs

[Johan Maurer]

February 21 2005 at 5:31 PM Johan   (Login Reedwood)

Forum Owner

From Washington Post story about Sister Dorothy Stang (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40503-2005Feb20.html)

"A lot of people like sharing their memories of the white-haired woman they called 'Irma Doroty,' who was originally from Ohio. She moved to the region in the mid-1970s and shifted the focus of her work from education to environmental issues in the 1980s. People remember how Stang loved pancakes, how they used to see her riding her bicycle around town, how humorlessly inept she was at color-coordinating her wardrobe.

"They remember how she used to hold the Bible in both hands in front of her and tell them it was the only weapon she needed. According to witnesses, she began to read passages from the Bible as her killers shot her. About 2,000 people attended a service for her Tuesday in the rain forest clearing where she had asked to be buried."

 

Licia Kuenning 

(Login LiciaKuenning)

Who was this woman? February 26 2005, 3:10 PM 

I clicked on the link but then found I needed a login and password to access the Washington Post. Don't want to get involved in that. If the message about this woman was worth posting, isn't it worth giving us some idea directly (as distinct from via a link) as to WHAT SHE WAS SAYING?

Licia Kuenning

 

Johan

(no login)

Re: Who was this woman? June 29 2005, 11:53 PM 

I posted a more complete account of this story in my personal weblog. See "The Sword of the Spirit."

Johan

 

Licia Kuenning 

(Login LiciaKuenning)

Still no meaningful information! June 30 2005, 6:11 AM 

Johan, when you first posted about Irma Doroty, back in February, and I couldn't get access to the source you provided, I suggested you give us a little information about who this woman was, and why you found her relevant to this forum.  I also asked that you say a little directly rather than just giving a link.

You apparently didn't think it worthwhile to provide more than a link to something you had written in February, saying it would give a little more information--so, okay; since it took you 4 months to get back with even that much of an answer, I guess you are not very interested either in Irma Doroty or this board.  You've also ignored my suggestions about how you could move it to a more workable host.  I wonder how many people still read it.

Nevertheless I clicked on your link, and here's what the website to which you sent me says about the woman in question:

   Testimony no. 3: "A lot of people like sharing their

   memories of [Sr Dorothy Stang,] the white-haired woman 

   they called 'Irma Doroty,' who was originally from 

   Ohio.  She moved to the region [the state of Para in 

   Brazil] in the mid-1970s and shifted the focus of her 

   work from education to environmental issues in the 

   1980s.  People remember how Stang loved pancakes, how 

   they used to see her riding her bicycle around town, 

   how humorlessly inept she was at color-coordinating 

   her wardrobe.

   "They remember how she used to hold the Bible in both 

   hands in front of her and tell them it was the only 

   weapon she needed.  According to witnesses, she began 

   to read passages from the Bible as her killers shot 

   her.  About 2,000 people attended a service for her 

   Tuesday in the rain forest clearing where she had 

   asked to be buried." 

   Sources: (3) Monte Reel, "Murder Galvanizes Nun's 

   Cause," Washington Post, Monday, February 21, 2005.

But what was she on about? "Environmental issues" might mean any of a number of things--and you don't give us the slightest clue.  Whatever it was apparently upset some people in Brazil, since someone shot her; but you describe the perpetrators only as "her killers," and don't say what interest group they represented or why they killed her!  "Environmental issues" are not usually the occasion for murder, though some instances might be found--but it would have to be an issue that hurt people on both sides--and I for one am not up on environmental controversies in Brazil!  I assume she was not killed for her love of pancakes, her use of a bicycle for transportation, or her poor color coordination.

Only when I got to the "Sources" acknowledgment did I even find out that Irma Doroty was a nun, and that she had a "cause"--well, I guess the preceding information might have implied that she had one, but I still don't know what her cause was.

Licia Kuenning