Letter (number unidentified). To Dona Maria Vela,’ Avila, Burgos, the end of March, 1582

The Saint thanks her for asking her great-uncle, the Archbishop of Burgos, to grant permission for the foundation of a Discalced convent in that city.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit ever be with your Honour, Dofia Maria.

HE letter was given to your relative, His Grace the Archbishop of Burgos, by the prelate of

1'This letter was first published in the Bolletin de la Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Tomo Ixviii, cuad. 5, by Don Bernardino de Melgar, who gives a photograph of the original letter in his possession. He shows that it was written by St. Teresa during her stay at Burgos between Jan. 26 and the foundation of the convent on April 16, the probable date being between March 18 and 31. i

? Don Bernardino states that the only person of this name residing

Palencia, Don Alvaro de Mendoza, his great friend, as you asked might be done in order to beg for his licence for this undertaking. His Grace the Archbishop was not in Burgos at the time, as he was staying in the monastery of St. Jerome, so that the letter was delivered to him there. After having read it, he declared that he would grant the permission, and that he knew me from having been my fellow citizen in that city (Avila), where his illustrious ancestors and mine (who are now with God in heaven) were fast friends: he added that he would do everything you asked.

His Majesty will reward your sefioras for the share you are taking in the foundation of another house in which souls called by Him can pray for at Burgos was Dofia Maria Vela, a novice at the Real\Monasterio de Bernardas de Santa Ana. She was renowned for her sanctity and will probably be raised to the altars of the Church before long. Dofia Maria, born near Avila in 1561, entered the monastery with her sister Isabel in 1576 and was professed in 1582. Her fasts and observance of silence were so austere that she was exorcized at least twice at the request of the community, who believed that she was possessed. Like St. Teresa, Maria experienced ecstasies, visions, raptures, and acute bodily sufferings. She was denounced to the Inquisition several times but always received a favourable judgment. Her spirit was examined by many Jesuits, Carmelites, and eminent priests, While Father Julian de Avila was her confessor, he made her write an account of her life. For nine years she was novice-mistress. While playing the organ at High Mass, Dofia Maria was told that her mother had just died. Calm and outwardly undisturbed, she continued her task until bidden under obedience to retire to her cell where she found her aunt and sister in deep grief. At her death, Sept. 24, 1617, the bishop of Avila, with the nobles and townsfolk, insisted on going to her cell to bring down her body for burial before the altar of the monastery. Five years afterwards her body was found to be incorrupt. Her epitaph terms her the muger fuerte, «strong woman,’ by which name she was known in the city,

TO DON ALVARO DE MENDOZA_ 303 you, so that you may dwell with Him in glory dire@tly you quit this life. Amen. Your Ladyship’s unworthy servant, Teresa de Jesus, Carmelite.

CCCCKXXIV