Maria de Agreda: the Lady in Blue

Subject: Maria de Agreda: the Lady in Blue Wed 11 Jul 2007, 6:42 pm

It seemed that she never left the little cell of contemplation which she requested that her parents add onto their home when she was sixteen, nor later, the monastery which she entered and eventually came to lead as abbess. But some believe that Maria Fernandez Coronel, of Agreda in Castille, grew to know Texas very well. Born in 1602 in a united Spain, this young Franciscan sister -- known as Maria de Jesus de Agreda in the religious life, was a woman of extended sight. She wrote a three-volume work -- 'The Mystical City of God and the Divine History of the Virgin Mother of God' -- which still is read and meditated on by devout souls today.

Sometime near the close of her second decade on this earth, Maria entered into visions which transported her into a land sparsely settled and of starkly contrasting terrain. One region of this land was characterized by dense forests and populated by a people known as the 'Ticlas.' During other ecstasies, Maria encountered an arid landscape and seemingly unrelated peoples. To some, she later was said to have been draped in a cloak of blue during her visits. To all, she brought the message of Christianity. When the Franciscan friars began to venture northward during the late-seventeenth century, toward the Indian tribes of New Spain's frontier, they found that in some cases, souls already had been prepared by a Lady in Blue; Mother Maria de Agreda, who never had crossed the Atlantic Ocean by ship in the name of the Catholic faith.

The visits of the Lady in Blue to Texas can never be 'proven.' If believed, they are a product of faith. But wherever their origin may lie in the mind of the perceiver, Maria de Agreda and her visions are a part of the folkloric legacy of Texas, and bring richness to the heritage of our state.

Many have been drawn to the mystery of the Lady in Blue and her visits across the centuries. A. C. Greene wrote at least one column about her in the 'Dallas Morning News;' William E. Syres composed a chapter about her potential 'bi-locations' in his book, 'Off the Beaten Trail;' in the edited work, 'Legendary Ladies of Texas,' eminent folklorist, Francis Edward Abernathy, contributed an excellent interpretation of the sources related to Mother Maria de Agreda in the evangelism of the Indians of Texas. It is from his study that most of the information related above is drawn.

Much now also is available on the Web concerning the Lady in Blue and her spiritual impact on Texas. Below is the link to an informative article:

http://www.texfiles.com/eckhardt/ladyinblue.htm

Holly
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Maria de Agreda: the Lady in Blue Thu 12 Jul 2007, 9:42 pm

Holly you don't believe this do you? Read, somebody is worried if you do. Have you noticed the ads that come up when you click on this post? It sounds to me like a ghost story abd not something to put faith in.

I love you

Madelyn

Subject: Re: Maria de Agreda: the Lady in Blue Thu 12 Jul 2007, 10:01 pm

I'm sorry holly, I should have brought this up in an email. Anyways I know this is something you're probably just reading about. This is in the legends category after all.

Your friend,
Madelyn