My cousin and I discovered a place where the mermaids reunited. We noticed that they always returned over there to chat and play. So we had the idea to rent boats and bring tourists to look on the mermaids. Our business is going very well because everybody in the world wants to see such a wonderful show. And it seems we don’t bother the mermaids very much. We thank the Virgin of Zapopan for making us rich.

I wanted to go to the Town Day celebration, so early at the morning, when even the sun had not yet arisen, I went to the river wash my clothes. There I met a nagual with long sharp claws. He went towards me. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe [. . .]

My neighbors’s pigs were eating my cabbages. They were very voracious. I prayed to Saint Francis, and he worked a miracle. So now my neighbor keeps his pigs in pigsty. Thanks.

When I was ill, the death appeared. She approached my bed, and I got very upset, because I didn’t want her to take me, since I was still young. I grabbed the crucifix and started praying to the Lord of the Wonders for protection. The death receded before the crucifix. So I was saved. Thanks for that.

Juana Varela

I dedicate this retablo to Saint Martin de Porres. For a long time, I was drinking, idling about and stealing. I didn’t care about my father’s carpenter shop. So now I became a fakir. I hammer nails not in the timber, but into my tongue and my body.

On the night of November 2, 1982, my girlfriend Lupita and I went to a date to the cemetery, because my mother-in-law didn’t permit to Lupita to have suitors. We were alone chatting, when suddenly some skeletons appeared. They were dancing and playing some instruments. We got scared and promised not to come to the cemetery ever again. Thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe we didn’t get sick and we even get married. So now we’re happy.

Amador Ramirez
El Aguila, Jalisco

Maria R. loved to be asphyxiated by her partner during the sex. She became so addicted to this, that one day he almost killed her. Maria gives thanks to Saint Pancras with this retablo for passing through this stage.

Since I entrusted myself to the Miraculous Virgin, I haven’t had any problems with delivering babies. I had been out of luck before, and many of my babies had been dying. I hope my luck will keep up and I’ll get a raise in the hospital.

I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for giving me the determination to quit my office job and to go to work with my dog in the circus. That’s what I really enjoy to do, so now I’m happy.

Ramon Cabrera thanks Saint Peter with this retablo because he didn’t kill himself when he was waterskiing and bumped into rocks near the beach.

Maria Eugenia Sanchez was kidnapped by her boyfriend. He tied her to a chair and shot her in a shoulder. Maria thanks the Holy Child of Atocha because the help arrived very quickly and now her boyfriend is rotting in the jail.

We went fishing, and our boat started leaking. There were a lot of hungry sharks around the boat. We asked the Virgin of the Rosary for protection, and miraculously we arrived to the shore before our boat sank and we were eaten by the sharks. We thank for that.

With this retablo, Guillermo Morales thanks Saint Agustin because he managed to amass a collection of exotic hats from all over the world.