Letter 311. To Father Gracian, Toledo, about the middle of February, 1580

Father Ambrosio and St. Fohn of the Cross. Matters concerning the Reform. Isabelita.

Jesus be with your Paternity. OU must know that Fray Ambrosio? is here, waiting to speak to Fray Gabriel who is coming to fetch us:3 he certainly seems to me both good

Father Mariano for omitting to forward the papers to your Paternity which I entrusted to him. God forgive him! The Prioress and sisters ask for your prayers. May God repay your kindness to us by giving you what is best for you, and much grace amid all these disturbances. Your Paternity’s unworthy daughter, Teresa de Jesus.

CCCXXI Prefatory note.

On March 18, two days before leaving Villanueva, while examining the well that was being dug for the convent, St. Teresa received such a violent blow from the windlass that she fell to the ground. She got up cheerfully as though nothing had happened, but the bystanders believed that she owed her life to St. Joseph on whose feast the accident occurred. The blow caused so dangerous an abscess to form that the nuns expected she would die. However God cured it, and the Saint was able to start for Toledo which she reached on March 26, Saturday in Passion week. On Maundy Thursday, a stroke of paralysis threatened her life and was followed by violent fever and heart attacks which made it impossible for her to resume her journey until June.