Maruja’s heart raced as she held the newborn in her arms. The Mother Superior took the child away. His or her fate is unclear. But the experience put a seed in Maruja’s mind. Suddenly, she felt a pull toward the outside world. But, devoted to the Church, she did not want to break the vows she’d sworn when she became a nun. Over the next few years she wrote letters to the Vatican requesting official permission to start a new life. Finally, she was given the papal blessing to come down from the mountains and out into the world.
