One night some martians landed on my farm. They got in my room through the window. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for they didn’t abduct me or my dog that didn’t even wake up. One of my slippers is all they took.

My bed became possessed by a devil who arrived every night to sleep in it. And I had to sleep in the living room in a very uncomfortable position because I didn’t know what to do. Until one night my cat saw the devil’s tail and tried to eat it thinking it was a snake. My cat bit it, and the devil jumped out of the bed screaming like hell. After that he never came back. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for giving my bed back because it has such a soft mattress that I bought in Guadalajara.

The little girl Aida Lozano give thanks to the Holy Child of Atocha for the miracle that her cat Furrball returned home. He was lost for 15 days and finally came back after many prayers that Aida had said to the saint, because she loves her cat so much and he’s her best friend.

The Lopez brothers went to the capital. After not finding any job there, they founded a mariachi band. They entrusted themselves to Saint Cecilia, and now they are popular and always in demand. The brothers offer this retablo in gratitude.

I give thanks to the Holy Mother, Virgin of Guadalupe, for healing me from a damn infection that I caught when I went in the hotel with a prostitute.

Martin R.
Merced, Mexico City, 1959

I give thanks to the Saint Michael the Archangel because my sons ran away to the mountains and joined the Emiliano Zapata’s people to fight for our rights. They suffered injustice on the hacienda of a cacique, who thought he was our master and treated them like animals. Take care of my sons because they are kids who deserve to be happy as they should be.

Brigida Perez
Cuautla, Morelos
December 1912

On the Day of the Dead, I was walking through the cemetery when I met a ghost. The ghost started chasing me, so I instantly sobered up from fear. I prayed to Saint Francis to whom I’m thankful because the ghost didn’t catch me and I arrived home alive.

Puebla, 1931

The plants in my garden were withered and didn’t flower. I was sad. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for giving me an idea to play music for my plants. My garden came back to life and flourished. It became full of birds and butterflies. Now thanks to the music, I have the most beautiful garden in the neighborhood.

The teacher Ramona Gonzalez was assigned to a grade in a school filled with insects, animals and garbage. In addition to it, her pupils were stupid and didn’t study at all. The teacher thanks the Virgin of Zapopan because she was transferred to another school where the children are smart and there are no animals and insects.