Virgin of Guadalupe, thank you for hearing my prayers. I didn’t let my sister to meet with Juan because he was known as a womanizer and drunkard. But he wouldn’t listen and decided to run away with him. They sat on a horse. I ran for her and grabbed her arm. The horse jolted and dragged me. A year later my sister came home in despair and with a baby in her arms. Turned out Juan kicked her out.

Paola Salas
Guanajuato, 1949

Holy Heart of Jesus, thank you. I was extremely sad and desperate. My nerves were broken. All because my wife left me and took our child. I got drunk and went to Xochimilco—there my wife and I had met. I began to think about our son. Finally I decided to kill myself and jumped to a channel. I didn’t know how to swim so I thought I would drown quickly. But I was saved. Realized what happened, I ask the Holy Heart for forgiveness.

Plutarco Lopez
Mexico City, 1965

Virgin of Guadalupe, I dedicate you this retablo thanking for saving my life. I went to gather hay at my field. I had gathered many bags of it, when I met the Mejio brothers. We had some quarrels since their sister was my fiancée. They tried to kill me spearing me with my own hay fork. Thank goodness, don Alejo was passing by. He saw me and helped to get home.

Sabas Robles
Chalco, State of Mexico, 1958

Virgin of Juquila, thank you for your favors. I was going from Oaxaca in direction to Puebla. Suddenly a trailer braked in front of me, and I couldn’t stop in time and hit it. I hurt my legs and my forehead, but miraculously, I survived. They observed me in the hospital and let me go three days later. I dedicate this retablo to the Virgin of Juquila.

Demetrio Garcia
Oaxaca, Mexico, 1960

Malverde, protect us from our odious enemies. Chapo patrols his territory since there are some rumors about the enemy gang snooping around. We don’t want any surprises. We have few men down already, and besides that, we have to beware of the army.

Los Diarios, 2005

Thank you, Virgin of Guadalupe, for saving my son Julio. I sent him to take money from my friend. He didn’t come back for a long time and I went to find him. To my surprise, I found him lying on the ground. He had been attacked and shot. I dedicate this retablo to the brown-skin Virgin for saving him.

Felipe Lopez
Pachuca, Hidalgo, 1964

Saint Thomas Aquinas, thank you for your favors. My bull broke the rope and went away. I was looking for him. When I finally found him grazing and tried to lasso him, he attacked me with his horn. Then my father came—he knew I went for our stud bull. Thank to my father and Saint Thomas the bull didn’t kill me.

Grecian Garcia
Tlaxcala, Mexico, 1969

Holy Child of Atocha, thank you for your favors. My wife went for shopping. I was waiting for her and fell asleep in the hammock. At my sleep I felt heat. When I opened my eyes there was fire all around the house. I ran to the well for water but it was too late—our house was made of wood. I’m sure it was my wife’s stepbrother. He was going all angry ever since my father-in-law gave us his lands.

Felipe Hernandez
Tabasco, Mexico

I thank the Holy Death for her favors. What a fear I got when I was told that my son was found in a grave with other people. I saw a newspaper article about this. And that moment, my boy came home. I felt so happy. He wasn’t home for a few days, and I though he’d really died—one of the corpses looked a lot like him. My son went with his friends to Veracruz without telling me.

Margarita A. G.
Guanajuato, 2008

Virgin of San Juan, thank you for your favors. It’s been two days since I found my xoloscuintles. It was a bit from the street who told me that he’d seen the dogs. He told me they were hiding in an abandoned house after some other dogs chased them. I thank the Virgin for finding them. I couldn’t live without them.

Maruja Linares, 1967

Holy Child of Atocha, thank you for your favors. When my ex-boyfriend and his current lover were entering the hotel, I yelled at him “Boyfriend stealer!” and to hurt more called him a cheap rotten ass faggot. He got angry, grabbed my hair and scratch my face. The I felt a hit in my back. Four days later, I went to the doctor. They made an x-ray and found out a needle in my body. I needed a surgery, I had a suppuration and a high fever. I thank for coming well through the surgery.

Ruben Mendez
Mexico City, 1980

Saint Jude Thaddeus, thank you for your favors. My cousin Pedro from north came to visit me. The next day, we went for a walk around those places we used to wander around when we were children. I decided to climb a rock but fell in a hollow and fractured my leg. My cousin took me home. I thank Saint Jude for helping me to heal my injuries.

Telesforo Jimenez
Tepostlan, Morelos, 1969

Holy Child of Atocha, thank you for your help. I went to the sea to test my surf-board. I was catching the waves when suddenly I got cramp. My surf taken by the waves floated away from me. I tried to reach the rocks, but the waves smashed me into them. However, thanks to my Holy Child everything ended up well. I was saved by two boatmen.

Ramiro Castro
Puerto Escondido, 1969