WASHINGTON (March 30, 2005) – The chairman of the bishops' International Policy Committee has commended the author of a congressional resolution honoring the work of Sister Dorothy Stang among the poor farmers of Brazil's Amazon rain forest. Sister Stang was assassinated February 12.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, of Pensacola-Tallahassee, said that Sister Stang was assassinated because of her "advocacy for the poor."

"Sister Dorothy Stang was well known for her tireless work on behalf of the poor and largely landless settlers in the Brazilian rain forest that was under constant threat from unscrupulous loggers and rangers," said Bishop Ricard. "I wish you every success in gathering a large number of co-sponsors for H.Con.Res. 89, the concurrent resolution you introduced on March 9."

The resolution honoring Sister Stang noted that she "lived her life according to the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame [de Namur]: making known God's goodness and love of the poor through a Gospel way of life, community, and prayer, while continuing a strong educational tradition and taking a stand with the poor people especially women and children, in the most abandoned places, and committing her one and only life to work with others to create justice and peace for all." The measure currently has 24 co-sponsors.

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