Death Comes for the Archbishop

by Willa Cather

In their travels through this momentous and affecting terrain, Latour and Vaillant encounter miracles (for example, Latour’s answered prayer at the cruciform tree, or the account of the miraculous appearance of the Virgin to Brother Juan in the 16th century that led to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe) and dramatic historical accounts of the early church in America (such as the legend of Fray Baltazar at Acoma, whose congregation rebels against his tyranny). They personally experience events that seem the stuff of legend, for example, on the “lonely road to Mora” when, desperate for a place to rest in poor weather as night falls, they stop at the sole house, only to encounter an “evil-looking fellow” and his cowering wife: the latter will be their savior, and they in turn will become hers.