Stang’s shooting death Feb. 15, 2005, in the Amazon attracted wide press coverage and inspired the award-winning documentary “They Killed Sister Dorothy.”
Parishioners of St. Raphael Church, and now St. Raphael/St. Joseph, began supporting Stang in the 1980s, when St. Raphael became a sister parish to St. Lucy’s parish of Anapu, Brazil.
Murray, the sister of comedian and actor Bill Murray, steeped herself in Stang’s 73-year life for the project, reading, watching documentaries, visiting family members and co-workers and listening to tapes of Stang’s voice.
“I was told that if they didn’t hear ‘yippee’ or ‘pow’ or ‘yikes,’ ” it wouldn’t seem like Stang, Murray said.
She relied on Sisters from Stang’s order to chose the wig, glasses and other accessories.
With the help of a retired Northwestern University theater professor, Murray trimmed four hours of material to about 90 minutes, tapping into some of the enduring themes of Stang’s life, including a childhood love of gardening that grew into a love for the Amazon.
“What is distressing,” Murray said, are reports from Anapu: “The Sisters are still right there with the people and they say forest is melting away.”
Murray hopes that keeping Stang’s spirit alive will inspire those who walked and talked with her to continue her work.
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