I thank the Virgin of Mercy for inviting famous modern art collectors to my studio. They took all my sculpture to a gallery in Hermosillo, although they still haven’t paid me a dime.

Leon, May 1963

I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for curing my sheep. They were dying of a horrible disease which no remedy could cure. I prayed to your divine image, and now my sheep are healthy. I offer you this retablo as gratitude.

Juventino
Pueblo Nuevo, 1945

I bring this humble retablo to the Virgin of Guadalupe as my eternal gratitude for helping me to drop this vice of mine. All days long, I was drinking at the bars and saloons losing my life and my health. But I’m healthy now and even have got a job.

Delfino Mendoza
Guanajuato, Mexico

I bring my gratitude to the Virgin of the Solitude for my son’s arm has been cured. He was hit with a lightning when we were gathering woods in mountains and got caught by a storm. I saw his arm getting on fire and immediately entrusted him to you. I dedicate this retablo thanking for the miracle.

Anselmo. August 19, 1931
the Soledad neighborhood, Celaya, Guanajuato

Virgin of San Juan, thank for your favors. A cockfight was going on, and it seemed that my cock was going to win. I cheered him but then suddenly the other cock owner stab me in my eye. My eye fell off and I almost lost it. I thank the Virgin for enlightening the surgeon who worked on me.

Ambrosio Ibarra
Leon, Guanajuato, 1961

I liked my neighbor, and she responded me. But we were secretly seeing each other for she had a grumpy and violent father who didn’t let her to have a boyfriend. One night I climbed to her room to see her, and her father caught us by surprise with a pistol in his hand. I thank Saint Benedict for illuminating me to pretend a sleep-walker. With his divine help, her father believed it, so I saved my skin.

Nepomuceno Diaz
Guanajuato, Mexico

A pretty big black viper came to Saturnino Cardoso, and the horse almost threw me off. I thank.

Guanajuato
October 23, 1938

Virgin of Guadalupe, thank you for hearing my prayers. I didn’t let my sister to meet with Juan because he was known as a womanizer and drunkard. But he wouldn’t listen and decided to run away with him. They sat on a horse. I ran for her and grabbed her arm. The horse jolted and dragged me. A year later my sister came home in despair and with a baby in her arms. Turned out Juan kicked her out.

Paola Salas
Guanajuato, 1949

I bring this retablo as testimony of gratitude to Saint Anthony of Padua who made so that Lolita became my fiancée. I was afraid she’d reject me since I wasn’t of equal position with her. But I loved her so much. Now we’re happy together, and her family has accepted our relationship.

Maximino Cruz
Guanajuato

With all my heart, I’m thanking Saint Anthony of Padua for delivering my son Valentin from a love pain caused by an evil woman who cheated on him. That’s why he was spending all his time drinking. I was heart-broken. But thanks to the divine intervention, my boy is back to work now. He’s calm and peaceful now, and I bring this retablo for that.

Eduviges Salazar
Guanajuato, Mexico

I thank the Holy Death for her favors. What a fear I got when I was told that my son was found in a grave with other people. I saw a newspaper article about this. And that moment, my boy came home. I felt so happy. He wasn’t home for a few days, and I though he’d really died—one of the corpses looked a lot like him. My son went with his friends to Veracruz without telling me.

Margarita A. G.
Guanajuato, 2008

I was a very gossipy woman. Every time I went to the market it was about gossiping around. But one day, as soon as I arrived at the market, I felt a strong sulfur smell. Then I had a horrible apparition with wings and horns. Oh my God, it was the devil himself. Frightened as hell, I would never gossip again nor would I talk badly about any person. Thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Gudelia Ramirez,
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
January 7, 1959

I’m infinitely grateful to Saint Anthony of Padua for giving me the talent of singing. Thanks to my beautiful voice and my serenades, I made my pretty Rosita fall in love with me. She is a very romantic person, and she loves when I’m singing under her balcony.

Jorge Alfredo Solis
Guanajuato, Mexico