1935, in San Bernardino, my son Bartolo was riding on a carousel and flew off of his seat. When I saw him flying like a dung beetleI prayed to Saint James. Thanks to him my son only got his mug scratched.

Nicolasa Ruis

I thank the Virgin of San Juan for my son didn’t fall in the canyon. He held on and then his grandfather helped him.

June 8, 1948

When my husband was alive he loved playing cards. Starting the Day of the Dead, he began to come back home with three other ghosts. They played cards and drunk beer. I was scared of having dead men in the house. Thanks to my prayers to the Virgin of San Juan and three requiem masses they have rested in peace.

Doña Cleo

Cleansing
Love spell
Break-up spell
Evil eye
Fortune-telling
Healing

I dedicate this retablo to the Virgin of Guadalupe. In San Jesus Choluapan, I dedicated myself to deceiving the people fishing their money out. I was a fortune-teller and I did the evil work. But most things I said were lies. One day don Teofilo tried to kill me because my prediction didn’t work out. But I prayed to the Virgin and got saved.

Cleotilda Suarez

Jose Suarez was repairing a wooden bridge and suddenly fell hanging with his head down in the river. He thanks Saint James for somebody saw it and saved him in time.

My wife was very angry when I woke up late. She used to beat me with a rolling pin or pull the blanket off so I’d freeze and get up. But since my late grandfather left me a lot of money her character got softer. She doesn’t get angry anymore and doesn’t try to pull me out of the bed, so I can sleep as long as I want. I thank Saint Michael the Archangel.

Señor Pantalion thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for his pig kept her piglets after an epidemic that killed all the animals in the village. He thanks because the pig didn’t get sick.

Villa del Carvon, 1958

Luis Ramirez went to safari, and one day he was attacked by a rhinoceros. He brings this retablo thanking the Lord of the Wonders for he managed to run to his jeep.

We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for meeting each other and for joining our life paths by an unforgettable wedding. Everybody whom we love and who love us were with us that day. And even a flock of doves flew in to celebrate our present and future happiness. That is a good omen.

Joaquin S. thanks Saint Martin the Cavalryman for the success he had with his bicycles shop where he sells all brands and models.

My daughter is so small and light, that one windy day she opened her umbrella and was taken up in the air by a strong wind. I’m grateful to the Holy Child with the Ball for protecting her. She landed softly and didn’t get hurt, although she was floating very high.

I married a nerd. I would have never thought that our life turned out to be so fascinating. I thank Saint Anthony for giving me such a clever husband. Every day with him is a surprise. For example, he invented a helicopter-bicycle, which we ride flying over the town and fields. We are very happy together.

A bull started chasing Ramon Mendoza. Running away, Ramon climbed up a tree, but the bull hit the tree so hard the whole tree shook. Ramon thanks the Virgin of San Juan for the tree was an apple-tree so he could eat apples all that time while the bull was waiting for him down. The bull stayed all day, and only when the dark came some workers helped Ramon. He thanks for that because his legs and arms got numb and he couldn’t stay any longer at the tree.

August 15, 1972