The figure of Sor Patrocinio, known as the only seer of a Marian apparition in Madrid, has been the subject of controversy for over a century and a half. Now, journalist and musician Juan Valderrama publishes ‘The Sor Patrocinio Case’, a book that combines chronicle, historical research, and personal testimony to unravel the truth behind the black legend surrounding this religious figure.
An investigation in the Vatican archives
Valderrama, who holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Navarra, traveled to the archive of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican, where he accessed unpublished documents about Sor Patrocinio. According to the author, these papers reveal a grave injustice committed against her and shed light on events that remained hidden for decades. The work points out her main enemies and describes the persecution she suffered, as well as her intense religious work.
A life of faith and service
Sor Patrocinio was not only a mystic but also a tireless founder. Throughout her life, she founded or reformed a total of 19 convents, with the novelty of including in each one schools for girls without resources. Thanks to her work, thousands of little girls were rescued from illiteracy, at a time when female education was scarce. The book emphasizes that, in a context of revolution and secularization, she was turned into a symbol of faith, when the aim was to design a new society by eliminating the God factor from the equation.
A prologue that endorses honesty
The prologue of the work is signed by writer and priest Jesús Sánchez Adalid, who highlights that the book arises from an ‘honest investigation’ and from a personal and spiritual involvement with the figure of Sor Patrocinio. In his words, Juan Valderrama writes ‘from personal involvement and from a concrete spiritual experience’, and above all from the conviction that ‘truth is not the enemy of faith’. This ecclesiastical endorsement gives weight to a work that seeks to rehabilitate the memory of a woman who, according to the author, was unjustly vilified.
A multifaceted author
Juan Valderrama is known for his career as a singer and composer, but he has also maintained a constant interest in communication and cultural dissemination. His curiosity for history and spirituality has led him to participate in television shows such as ‘Cuarto milenio’. With ‘The Sor Patrocinio Case’, he takes a further step in his investigative facet, offering a work that invites us to look beyond the limits of the material and rediscover the figure of a woman who marked the religious history of Madrid.
Original source: www.culturamas.es (published on May 11, 2026)
Photo: Xavier Coiffic on Unsplash
