Mr. Benito thanks Saint Jude Thaddeus because, being drowned in the vice of drinking, he was left without job and dumped by his wife. But he find help in the AA group and could get out this damned vice. He promise not to drink again.

Golondrinas, Mexico City, October 28, 2011

Catarina Ramos was a very timid person, but she learnt to dance striptease and now makes very good money to support her son. She thanks the Virgin of the Solitude for helping her to overcome her fears.

I thank Savitar, god of speed, for giving me enough rapidity to get into a subway before the doors closed. Thanks to him I wasn’t late for school as always.

I dedicate this small retablo to the God of the Park for getting alive from the rusty playground. I got 5 stitches in my leg, I didn’t feel pain but was very scared.

Story of a 10 years old young man

I thank the Virgin of Talpa for giving me the opportunity of studying her retablos and for it was possible, thanks to the generous support of many people, to publish this book about her. I ask God for his intercession and to always look after the priests of Talpa, holy fathers Estrada Sting, Enrique Flores and Salazar Gonzalez, as well as Martha Becerra, don Francisco Arias and mr. Ernesto Valdez.

Prof. Elin Luque Agraz, Mexico City, May 10, 2015

Evarista Rosales dedicates this humble retablo to the Virgin of Juquila for having sent her a “muxe” son. She had no daughters and now she won’t be ever alone because her son would always accompany her, and he is the pride of the family.

Juchitan, Oaxaca, Mexico

Notes:
Muxe is a man who dresses and behaves as women. This tradition originated in pre-Columbian cultures. While muxes may be seen as a third gender, they aren’t considered to be transsexuals.

Saint Pantaleon, thank you for health at times of pandemic but ask Saint Expeditus for help so that they would give us the vaccine or our hands become like this parchment.

My truck threw a rod on the way from Tepeaca to Puebla. It was late night, and I got very scared. I implored Saint James, and soon a villager with a donkey passed by. He towed me for which I thank.

R.G. 1969

I got a message that my grandmother was seriously ill in a neighboring village and that I had to hurry to see her. As it was very late and there was no bus, I decided to walk with my kids. It was a long way, and my son who was still very young, was tired. I was exhausted as well because I had to carry the baby. Then a friendly and beautiful nagual appeared to us. He told us not to worry, that my grandmother was better and we could take a rest. We sat down for a while, and the luminous nagual surrounded by shiny insects told us beautiful stories. Having rested, we continue our journey, and when we arrived my grandmother was much better and very happy to see us. I thank the Virgin for this miracle.

I give infinite thanks to Saint Michael the Archangel for having worked a miracle of delivering me from the clutches of the vice of drugs. Every day I hallucinated that a demon abused my body, and the fear I felt made me take stronger drugs because I couldn’t control myself.

Zulema Buenrostro
San Miguel de Allende, Gto., 1979

Virgin of San Juan, may you be blessed for giving me strength to support my wife while she was giving birth at our house because we couldn’t get to the hospital. With this, we thank you because our baby was born healthy.

Sergio & Lorena
Tacubaya, Mexico City, January 6, 2003

Christopher Swiggum pays to the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo because, after many efforts, I managed to finish my studies in Edgewood College which is the school of evil because it cost me a lot to finish it.

July 10, 2020

Thank you, Virgin, although I have less clients because of the pandemic, I hope to gather money for the Christmas.

Nayeli Camacho