A Precious Stone: Reconsidering Sor Juana’s Enduring Legacy
In the latest issue of Perspectivas, Dr. Theresa A. Yugar invites readers to encounter Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz anew, exploring her faith, theological legacy, and growing recognition within the Catholic tradition.
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“The only precious stone missing from the American Catholic Church’s crown is a Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis.”
— Dr. Theresa A. Yugar
With this evocative image, Dr. Theresa A. Yugar (HTI Graduate, HTI Perspectivas Editorial Staff) invites readers to consider a remarkable possibility:
Could Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, one of the most celebrated intellectual and literary figures of the Americas, one day be recognized among the Doctors of the Church?
Could Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, one of the most celebrated intellectual and literary figures of the Americas, one day be recognized among the Doctors of the Church?
“May God Make Me a Saint”
In June 2026, Perspectivas published Dios me haga santa (“May God Make Me a Saint”), a special bilingual, transdisciplinary volume co-edited by Yugar and Juan Tavárez that explores Sor Juana’s faith, intellectual legacy, and contributions to Catholic theology.
The title comes from Sor Juana herself.
According to contributor and Mexican Sorjuanista scholar Alejandro Soriano Vallès, Sor Juana wrote “Dios me haga santa” hoping that she might one day become a saint, an aspiration that Yugar notes was “reflected in the faith and charity of her final years.” The volume takes that aspiration seriously.
The title comes from Sor Juana herself.
According to contributor and Mexican Sorjuanista scholar Alejandro Soriano Vallès, Sor Juana wrote “Dios me haga santa” hoping that she might one day become a saint, an aspiration that Yugar notes was “reflected in the faith and charity of her final years.” The volume takes that aspiration seriously.
Reconsidering Sor Juana’s Story
As Yugar explains, Dios me haga santa “advances the effort to have Sor Juana recognized as a saint and, eventually, a Doctor of the Church for her contributions to Catholic theology and intellectual tradition.” Drawing on historical evidence, its contributors also revisit “the Black Legend of Sor Juana,” particularly the claim that ecclesiastical authorities oppressed or silenced her.
The result is a collection that invites readers to encounter Sor Juana’s relationship with the Church, her faith, and her intellectual life through renewed engagement with the historical record.
Soriano Vallès celebrates the publication as “an innovative binational effort by scholars from the United States and Mexico.” Drawing on existing historical documentation, he explains, the volume seeks “to bring the true story of the great poet to English- and Spanish-speaking audiences.”
A Legacy Still Unfolding
Dios me haga santa also opens a larger conversation about Sor Juana’s place within the history of the Church.
The latest issue of Perspectivas explores why Sor Juana deserves consideration for that distinction while creating new possibilities for scholarship, dialogue, and reflection on her enduring legacy. For Yugar and the volume’s contributors, the question reaches beyond Sor Juana’s extraordinary literary achievements to the theological and spiritual contributions that continue to invite deeper study.
“To date, no woman from the Americas has been declared a Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis."
— Dr. Theresa A. Yugar
For readers interested in theology, history, literature, and Sor Juana’s legacy, Dios me haga santa offers an opportunity to encounter her anew and to participate in a conversation that is still unfolding.
Join the Conversation
Read Dios me haga santa and explore the scholarship reconsidering Sor Juana’s place in theology, history, and the life of the Church.
Explore Perspectivas →