We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for we have met the love and happiness in this house in beautiful Mexico. We have only pleasant memories of its culture and traditions and it will be forever in our hearts.

Victoir and Erve di Rosa
Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico
August 2002

Notes:
Erve di Rosa is a French artist and a Mexican culture lover. He helped Alfredo Vilchis to create his retablo book.

Graciela Rios rented one of her rooms as a lab to one scientist who worked with animals. One night she heard strange noises in the cellar. She went to look what it was and saw two giant rats. They escaped from the lab and were eating her provisions. Graciela thanks the Virgin of San Juan because she was able to catch those monsters. And she asked the scientist to work only with plants, otherwise she’d kick him out.

I enjoyed reading books in the yard. One day a little girl came by and asked me to read to her. Now I have a lot of children coming by. I read them, and I enjoy it very much. I thank the Holy Virgin because the books and the children alleviate my loneliness.

Thanks to Jesus my wife got up from the bed and let me sleep in peace.

One night the famous martians arrived. Thanks to the Virgin they were nice persons.

I thank Saint Quiteria of Frexeiras for delivering my banana plantation from a plague.

Antonio & Josefa P. Olivera
Quipapa, PE

Teofila R. thank Saint Charbel with this retablo because after many years of suffering, humiliation and bad treatment he managed to get rid of her pimp.

Mexico, 1939

Help me, Virgin of Guadalupe, and heel my leg so I could play soccer again.

Panfila Rodriguez took too many rides at the carousel, she felt dizzy and nauseated. This feeling wasn’t passing so she prayed Saint James and felt relieved right that moment. She thanks for that with this retablo.

Zacatlan, 1920

Anselmo Barrientos was resting after the work in the field. He was drinking pulque when he saw the bony Death. Anselmo wasn’t a young man, but still he had no desire to die yet. He prayed the Lord of Blue Eye. The Lord scared the Death away, and it left Anselmo in peace.

For most of the time, my husband is a very boring man. But I thank the Virgin of Guadlaupe for having heard my prayers. Now, some nights, my husband turns into a red ardent demon at night and stops being boring for few hours. It compensates all the routine days.

Jimena Pacheco
2nd of June 1979, Mexico City

I didn’t expect to inherit corn fields after one of my distant uncle’s death. But my mother gave me an idea to sell sweet corn on the streets. I thank the Virgin of Juquila because the sales are going well and I’m much better as a vendor than as a farmer.

Felipe Carrion
Iztapalapa, Mexico City

The Diana Nuñez’ boss used to demand her to have sex with him in order to keep the job until one day she reported him. She thanks Saint Raymond for her boss is now in jail and she can do her work properly.