The Lady in Blue from Agreda, Spain

La Dama Azul

La Dama Azul  -  the beautiful Lady in Blue of the American Southwest  -  is none other than Sor Maria de Jesus of Agreda, Spain. A 17th century cloistered abbess, Maria de Agreda had longed since her childhood to become a missionary in the New World. It was, however, not an option open to young girls of her era. Instead, her family founded a convent in their home, and she donned the veil of a Conceptionist nun.

The longing to become a missionary nevertheless persisted, and erupted in a most unusual phenomenon. In ecstatic prayer after receiving Communion, the young nun felt that she was mystically transported to the American Southwest. There, in spirit, she endeared herself to the Jumano Native Americans, who described her as the beloved "Lady in Blue" who taught them Christianity. All the while, the nuns in her convent testified that she had never left the premises.

Lore abounds in present-day Texas and New Mexico about the Lady in Blue (recently Jumano descendants contacted me about Sor Maria--stay tuned for updates). There, she is known for her inspiration to colonial missionaries and Native Americans alike. Yet, despite the astounding phenomena of her bilocations to America, Maria of Agreda was known in Spain not only known for her extraordinary mystical experiences, but also for her prolific writing, and her 22-year long correspondence with King Felipe IV of Spain.

To this day, her writing and her legacy continues to inspire people around the globe. Follow the links on these pages to learn more about the Lady in Blue, and for the latest on my new biography of her life. In the meantime, for information on this page's image of the Lady in Blue, please see the explanation and credits below.