Antonio Pantoja gives thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving him from death when a lion attacked him during his lion taming act in the circus. He brings this retablo in gratitude.

January 6, 1985

My stove had been possessed by the fire devils. Every time when I started cooking they tried to burn me causing big flames. I prayed to Saint Paschal Baylon to take these devils away from me. Following his advice I asked father Jose to bless my firewood. After that the devils left and didn’t return.

The Death took me on her horse.

We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for letting us find our donkey. So it wasn’t stolen form the place where we had left him tied while we were doing shopping.

Alberto Aguilar thanks Saint James with this retablo for receiving good money for three foxes he captured. These foxes caused damage on a ranch, and Alberto now is going to let them free in a distant place.

Rafael Diaz were drinking in a bar when robbers arrived. He thanks the Virgin of Juquila with this retablo because they didn’t check his underware where he hid his half-month pay.

UFO arrived to the ranch and took the animals but then brought them back.

My raging brother-in-law hit me and put my hand into the press to punish me for laying my hands on his sister. I’m thanking Saint Patrick for this lesson and promise to mend my way.

I give many thanks and dedicate this retablo to the Virgin of Carmen because my restaurant was going to be bankrupt when I got an idea to prepare a new dish with ground beef, potatoes, poblano pepper, tripe and vegetables. I put a price of 5 pesos on it, drink and coffee included. Now we can’t stop cooking, and we have became the most famous restaurant in the whole Queretaro. Thanks.

Nicolas Perez thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo because he successfully performs pre-hispanic dances in Teotihuacan.

I offer this retablo to the Lord of Chalma in a sign of gratitude for protecting me from a bull that I got in corrida and which happened to be very angry. I thought it would end badly for me on the bullfight-ring.

Porfirio Moctezuma
Oaxaca

We suffered from a terrible hallucination. Thank goodness nothing bad happened to us.