Pedro Ramos found a rare disc of the Mexican label Musart in a shop at the Lagunilla market. He thanks Saint Nicolas for this finding although he had to spend big money on it.

Gerardo Morales thanks Saint Charbel with all his heart because he inherited his grad-father’s secret meat recipe which he could use in his small taqueria. It gave a great taste to the tacos, and the clients enjoyed it very much. He dedicates this retablo for such a miracle.

Mexico City

Frida asks the Virgin of Guadalupe that Diego wouldn’t be such a womanizer.

Coyoacan, Mexico City

When I watched the movie “From dusk till dawn” I completely fell in love with Salma Hayek after seeing her dancing with the snake. She became my platonic love. With this retablo, I thank the Saint James the Apostle because after many year of admiring her I finally could see her in person on a red carpet of one of her films. Few minutes I spent near her was the most marvelous moment of my life.

Francisco Ortiz \ Mexico City

Because of rumors my father didn’t accept my boyfriend and even forbade me to see him. But I still met with him secretly. However, one night my father caught us in my bedroom. He was furious, he grabbed his pistol to shoot my boyfriend. I implored Saint Raymond Nonnatus to not let a tragedy happen. The pistol misfired, and my boyfriend managed to escape. Afterwards, I spoke with my father, and he ended up liking my boyfriend. I dedicate this ex-voto for such a great miracle.

Sara Flores — Mexico, 1960

I thank you, White Girl, for pardoning and not taking us, Diego and me, with you on that day of the motorcycle accident when our tire blew out at full speed. Thank you and thank you more, Holy Death, for your protection and for granting us with more time to keep going on a spree with our infinite love—the music.

Gala Xiuhcoatl, Mexico City, 2018

I thank you, Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, for choosing this place to reign with your blessings since that morning of December 5, 1531, when you appeared with your divine message to that Indian the Blessed Juan Diego. We worship you with love, faith, hope and care ever since.

Mexico, Tenochtitlan

With the promise “to be together till death do us apart” the boy Marquitos and his father Jose Antonio Villaseñor took off from Mexico with the illusion of prosperity. In Reynosa, Tamaulipas, together with 70 others people without documents, they got in the trailer of a truck going to Houston, Texas. After few hours of terrible agony, they were found hugging each other but with no life in them like 11 others Mexicans and 5 more Latin Americans. They all died asphyxiated and dehydrated. They were left without mercy by the mean smugglers in the town of Victoria, south of Houston. Morning of May 14, 2003, when I heard these painful news, I entrusted their souls to the Holy Virgin of the Solitude and the Lord of Chalma. I also ask to protect those who escaped the death.

Alfredo Vilchis Roque, Mexico City, 2003

Señora Antonia Maldonado suffered from faints. It happened that during one of this she seemed to see the devils abducting her daughter. She prayed the Virgin with all her heart, and the Virgin made the miracle of stopping these visions and curing her of this illness.

Mexico City, 1942

I, Estefania Aldama, declare that on June 25, 1937, I was giving birth completely alone. In such hard condition I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe with all my heart so she would take care of me and my baby. The Virgin showed me her mercy, and I give thanks to her with this retablo.

Mexico City, 1945

With this humble exvoto I ask the Holy Child Football player so that everything would go well for our national team at the world championship in Russia. So that we wouldn’t end up with penalties, and Ochoa would take everything, and Chicharito wouldn’t fail us, and they wouldn’t penalize us—like in case with Robben when there was no foul—and so we would stay at least till the fifth game to bring some joy to our very devastated Mexico.

Cuahutémoc Márquez \ México

Holy Child of Atocha, thank you for your favors. My lover and I were going to lie in bed when suddenly somebody knocked on the door. I told my lover to hide himself and went to open. It was my partner who came back. Turned out that the cabaret where he had been working as a bartender was shut down. He told me he had drunk a little bit with his pals. He was drunk and he didn’t notice my lover Adrian. The moment my partner wasn’t looking, Adrian managed to escape.

Claudio Venegas
Mexico City, 1962

Nicolasa Gutierrez brings this retablo to Saint Jerome thanking him for his help because she is doing well at her job and earn enough to support her kids and her pachuco.

Mexico, 1949