Sr. Faustino and his wife Maria give infinite thanks to the Lord of Chalma because their pig kept her piglets. There was a strong epidemic in the village killing all the animals. For this favor they bring this ex-voto.

October 25, 1980
Villa del Carvon

When my daughter comes out to play her flute, all the cats from the neighborhood follow her like enchanted. It’s all like in that story about the piper and the rats, only with cats. I thank Saint Francis because as soon as she stops playing the cats go back to their homes and don’t stay with her. Otherwise, we’d have no idea what to do with so many cats in the house.

My rooster El Dorado came out from a fight badly injured and couldn’t heal. I prayed Saint Anthony the Great to make a miracle of healing my rooster, and few days after it was recovered. My rooster became even stronger than ever and the week after won over El Pinto, which was a very fierce rooster. Now my roster is the best in the region, and I dedicate this retablo for that, with devotion.

Macario Trujillo ~ Guanajuato, Mexico

Juanita Romero loved to dress up very provocatively, and one day she was almost raped in the park. She thanks Saint Rita because the policeman came in time and saved her. She promises to not dress like this when she walks alone.

I thank Saint James the Apostle for my girlfriend didn’t end our relationship after finding out that I’m a stripper. I was hired once to dance striptease at a bachelorette party. I couldn’t imagine that the bachelorette was a friend of my girlfriend and she invited her. Now my girlfriend is really happy because she can always have private dances.

Roman N. \ Puebla

When I came back home after visiting my mother I saw some martians in my bedroom. They were drunk with lemonade. It seems that the lemons had had alcohol effect on the martians and they were in deep sleep. When I scream out of fear, they woke up and escaped through the window to their spaceship. On their way they picked up all the lemons from the trees. I thank the Virgin of San Juan for the martians didn’t do anything to me.

We went to visit our friends. My buddy and I drank tequila while our wives were gossiping about the people in the village. We were coming back late and saw the devil chasing us, of course because we had been bad. In fear we implored Saint Michale the Archangel, and he came to save us from the demon because he knew we weren’t bad people but just that night. The Archangel scared the devil and his horse away and sent them back to hell.

Arturo L. traveled to Thailand and there, in a brothel, he met the woman of his dreams. He thanks Saint James with this retablo for he managed to convince her to leave her job and come back with him.

It was still night when I went fishing in my boat. Suddenly I was caught by a giant octopus who grabbed me in its deadly embrace and tried to pull me out of the boat. The Virgin of Guadalupe came to help me—she sent seagulls that began to peck the octopus. The octopus let me free trying to save himself from the seagulls and went to the bottom of the sea. I thank for saving my life.

I thank Saint Benedict with the present retablo because my husband’s secretary resigned. She was a very young and beautiful woman and she dressed very sexy and provocative. I was afraid my Rafael would give in to temptation. Now I feel much safer with the new secretary–a much more conservative woman.

Dolores Sotomayor \ Aguascalientes, Mexico

I thank, Virgin of Guadalupe, for helping me to come back from this trip which happened to me the other day when green duendes came to question me about Trix rabbit and where he had hidden the chocolate chips.

My land became dry and infertile. I was in despair for not be able to harvest. One day the devil presented before myself and showed me how he can make a dry mound became green and flourishing. He said he could make it with all my lands in exchange for my soul. I was thinking about my family, and it was very tempting. But I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for I could resist the temptation. My resistance prevailed with the good rains coming to my land and making it green again. I give thanks.

My daughters and their cousins went to the garden for some fruits but accidentally touched a wasp honeycomb which was hanging on a bottom branch. The wasps were furious, and they flew after the girls. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because she miraculously protected them and the wasps didn’t sting the girls nor the dog that was walking with them. The girls ran over very much frightened and without fruits, after such an accident.