Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda was supernaturally transported from her convent in Spain to the lands of the Jumanos peoples, to the southwest of the New Mexico Colony. Fray Alonso de Benavides learned from a group of Jumanos of her miraculous manifestation to them.
During the tenure of Fray Benavides, the account of Sor María de Jesús began to gain notoriety. Sor María inhabited a convent in Spain but experienced a mysterious and miraculous journey to minister among the Jumanos people of the plains to the west of the New Mexico colony. When Franciscan missionaries reached the Jumanos people, they told the priests that they had already heard of the Catholic faith from a woman dressed in blue.
Catholics continue to remember and share the story of Sor Maria de Jesus, also known as the Blue Lady. Her reported experiences with the Jumanos people provide a source of faith for believers. From a historical perspective, the sermon found at this link emphasizes the deep devotion of early Spanish settlers in New Mexico, the continued legacy of Catholicism in the region, and the difficult situations that Native peoples found themselves in relative to the missionaries’ conversion methods. As you watch the video, consider the speaker’s background and audience. How does his status as a Catholic priest shape the way he presents the story?