The Miracle

Teresa thrives within the convent of Miraflores, enjoying daily duties while pushing the limits of her sisters' patience. She sings worldly love songs to the other postulants and reads secular tales, yet her devotion to Christ and Mary remains evident. Her presence is cherished, even as she proves to be a handful for her superiors.

British troops march through the town and the convent is offered as a hospital for the wounded by the Mother Superior. Teresa notices the handsome Captain Michael Stuart and feels a stirring attraction she cannot quite name. Their budding connection foreshadows a romance that will challenge her vows.

Michael recovers and asks Teresa to marry him, a notion she hesitates over yet cannot ignore. She runs after him when he departs, and they share a kiss, with Michael proposing a secret meeting at the town inn if she wants to leave the religious life. The possibility of abandoning her vows now looms as a real choice.

In prayer, Teresa seeks guidance, but none comes. She strips off her postulant habit and flees into the night to meet Michael. The Virgin Mary statue suddenly comes to life, dons the discarded habit, and quietly takes Teresa's place at the convent as a thunderstorm rages outside.

With the statue missing, a prolonged drought grips the countryside, ruining crops and testing the townspeople's faith. They believe the Virgin's intercession has manifested through the miracle, and the absence of the statue mirrors the land's distress. The drought endures for years, seemingly tied to the convent's mystery.

The French return to ravage the land and Teresa is nearly raped by a sergeant. A group of Gypsies rescues her, led by Guido, who also has Michael's watch, hinting at Michael's fate. Teresa's faith is tested as she confronts the idea that Christianity has failed her.

Michael is captured and later escapes a prison camp to try to take Teresa to England. He learns that Teresa has become the Bride of Christ in the convent, and when he finds the Virgin Mary impersonating Teresa in a nun's habit, his hopes collapse and he leaves in despair.

Believing Michael dead, Teresa falls for Guido, the Gypsy leader. Carlito's envy leads to betrayal; soldiers raid the camp and shoot Guido, among others. Enraged, La Roca, Carlito's mother, avenge her sons by killing Carlito and banishing Teresa from the camp, while Flaco becomes her protector.

Teresa travels across Europe and becomes a celebrated singer, eventually catching the eye of Madrid society. She flirts with Cordoba, a famed bullfighter, and is pursued by Count Casimir who finances her career; the bullfighter is gored in the ring and dies, despite his affection. She also leaves Casimir's commissioned portrait in despair when she departs.

On a ball prepared for British officers in Belgium, Teresa and Michael unexpectedly meet again. She wonders whether his memory of her nun's habit is real, while the missing statue of the Virgin Mary unsettles both of them. Wellington's officers summon the field, and Michael asks Teresa to pray for him.

Teresa prays for guidance and resolves to return to her true vocation, deciding to let Michael's fate rest in God's hands. She leaves a note with a priest and departs with Flaco, while Michael seeks spiritual counsel and accepts the painful necessity of letting her go.

Back in Salamanca, the drought has persisted for four years since the statue's disappearance. Teresa prays in the chapel as the Blessed Virgin returns to her pedestal, blessing Teresa and the town. A thunderstorm erupts, the drought ends, and the people celebrate with the singing of Ave verum corpus.