Sister Eve and the Blue Nun
Page 26
Eve put her arm around the young monk. “And you will always be my little brother,” she said, giving him a hug. “Always.”
FIFTY-EIGHT
The church was full at St. Anthony’s in Isleta and the service was long, with several priests offering remarks and the archbishop delivering the sermon. Eve made the trip by herself after the Captain decided not to join her. She drove her motorcycle down to the pueblo from Madrid, enjoying the summer breeze and the opportunity to be back in the saddle of her old Harley.
She sat near the back with a couple of the women from the pueblo that she knew from other worship services they had been in together, and she was able to pick out Anthony near the front with the other monks from Pecos. He seemed at peace, even though she knew he still felt great shame for what he had taken from the church. They had been in contact with each other frequently since the murder, and she knew he was working at the pueblo mission many hours, trying to make up for what he had done.
Eve glanced around the sanctuary, noticing the fresh paint and the many renovations Anthony had made. The service was the blessing of the papers written by Sister Maria that had been returned to the pueblo. There had been a lot of speculation about where the writings would land, but in the end, they had been returned to where they had first been discovered. Eve suspected that the archbishop had not been pleased by the final decision made by the pope himself, but in true submissiveness he was offering his blessing and a rather long-winded exposition on the importance of the nun’s writings and the importance of the pueblo mission churches to the Catholic Church at large.
Eve was surprised to have received a phone call in recent days from the diocese telling her that the archbishop had actually selected her to be on a special committee chosen to read and translate the writings of Sister Maria. She was greatly honored when she received the call, and she thought about it quite a lot, but after a few days she chose to refuse the opportunity. She’d had her own experience with the Blue Nun, and she decided that experience was enough for her. She did not need to continue to read or study the experiences of others.
When the service was finally over, Eve was heading out the door to the parking lot when a familiar voice called out from behind her. “Sister Evangeline.”
She turned to find Detective Earl Lujan coming in her direction. He was wearing traditional Native American clothes, brightly colored sashes, a kilt, and moccasins. He was carrying a stick adorned with feathers that Eve knew was a prayer stick used during religious ceremonies as well as during other events in the pueblos. She had noticed the group of Pueblo representatives sitting together near the monks from Pecos but had not recognized him.
“Hello,” she said, realizing that they had not seen each other since the Pierce trial. “You look different,” she said. “Nice,” she added and then felt embarrassed at having made the compliment.
“Thanks,” he responded. “You’re not staying for the feast?”
Eve turned to the parking lot to locate her bike, knowing she had not expected the service to last so long. She had told the Captain she wouldn’t be gone for more than three or four hours. “I really don’t know many people, and I need to get back to Madrid.”
“You know your brothers from the monastery,” he said.
“Yeah, I do know them.” She took a breath, realizing she needed to explain to the detective what had happened in Pecos, the departure of the sisters, and about her recent decision regarding her vows.
“You know me,” he added, interrupting her explanation.
She blushed.
“I do,” she said. “Look, I need to clear something up.”
“You’re a nun and you’re not sure you want to stay a nun. You have a motorcycle, which apparently they let you keep at the monastery and take with you since you’ve been away.”
She was surprised and didn’t know how to respond.
“And you’re very good at solving mysteries and yet you feel guilty for not loving the religious life.” He shrugged. “It’s a quandary, really.” And he smiled. “My people feel that all the time. Are we Catholic or are we traditional? Do we have Mass or do we have a feast?”
He turned and watched the people walking out of the church. Eve followed his line of sight. There were priests and monks and laymen and those in Native wear and those in contemporary clothes. Hispanic, white, and Native, all coming out together, heading over to the picnic tables near the parking lot.
He turned back. “But here’s the thing. There’s no quandary today. No struggle or inquisition. Today is about putting something back where it belonged, returning something to its people. Today there is Mass and there is a feast. So you attended Mass, and now you’ll attend the feast. Come and celebrate. Come and enjoy today.”
She waffled. “I told my father I’d be home before dark,” she explained.
“I’ll make sure you’re on the road before dark,” he answered.
She hesitated. He was not making this easy for her.
“They have red enchiladas, green chile stew; they have sopapillas.”
“Sopapillas?” she said, grinning. “Well, why didn’t you start with that? Of course I’m staying if they have sopapillas.” And as she headed in his direction, she caught a glimpse of something blue just beyond where he stood. It was there for just a second and then disappeared.
“Did you see that?” she asked.
He glanced behind him in the direction she was looking. “What?” he asked.
She turned to the detective, realizing the burst of color was gone, and shook her head, her heart light. “Nothing,” she answered. “Just thought I saw something.”
He smiled. “I hope it was something good.”
“Very good,” she replied. “It was something very good.”
And they walked back to the church together.
SOURCES CITED
Lance Chilton, Katherine Chilton, Polly E. Arango, James Dudley, Nancy Neary, and Patricia Stelzner, New Mexico: A New Guide to the Colorful State (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984).
Jay W. Sharp, “The Blue Nun—Maria Jesus de Agreda: Mystical Missionary to the Indians,” in Texas Unexplained: Strange Tales and Mysteries from the Lone Star State (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you know about the Blue Nun? Had you ever heard of her?
2. What happened at the monastery that created even more confusion for Eve in her discernment process about whether to remain a nun? Do you think she should keep her vows or go in the direction of her father’s work?
3. How might the news of this newly discovered correspondence lead to the beatification of Sister Maria?
4. What are some of the qualities of saints? Had you ever heard of bilocation as a spiritual gift?
5. What do you think was the relationship between Vice Superior Oliver and Eve? Do they respect and care for each other? Is he a good leader at the monastery?
6. Why was the blue cape significant in this story?
7. Will Detective Lujan and Eve end up as a couple? Does he really understand her struggle? What do you think she feels for him?
8. How has working as a private detective with Captain Jackson changed Eve? Does she see the world differently?
9. Do you think Captain Jackson has a preference as to what Eve decides about keeping her vows or working with him?
10. What are the aspects of being a nun that Eve loves and misses? What are the aspects that trouble her? What do you think she will choose to do?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
God is good. All the time. That’s what they used to say every Sunday at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheboro, North Carolina, when I served as their pastor, and it has come to be a mantra for me. I am grateful for the goodness and faithfulness of God every day of my life.
I am indebted to the wonderful team at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, especially my new editor, Becky Monds; Karli Jackson; and the excellent copy editor, Deborah Wiseman. You women rock! Thank you also to all those who help market and publicize the book. Your work means so much! Sally, as always, I could not do it without you.
Friends and family, thank you for your continued support and love. I am blessed to have such caring and encouraging people in my life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynne Hinton is the New York Times bestselling author of Friendship Cake and The Art of Arranging Flowers, along with sixteen other books. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. She has served as hospice chaplain, church pastor, and retreat leader. Lynne is a regular columnist with The Charlotte Observer. A native of North Carolina, she lives with her husband and dog in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Visit Lynne’s website at www.lynnehinton.com
Facebook: LynneHinton-Books