I thank Saint Anthony for giving me enough strength to hit this bastard who tried to rape me in the balls. I was able to save my honor.

Señorita Soledad Castillo Garcia
Mexico City, 1973

Holy Shroud, thank you for your help. I was leaving my house to go to put some money in the bank. That moment, a man came out a car and open the trunk. He showed me a drawn plan and asked me about one street. He saw that I was carrying documents in my hand. Suddenly, another man grabbed me, gagged me and pushed into the car. They were beating me on the way and took all my money. I thank for I wasn’t killed.

Sofia Moreno
Mexico City, 1966

I thank the Holy Child of Luck for saving my son Luis from dying when he choked with marbles. I bring this retablo for that.

May 21, 1965
Mexico City

Enrique Espinoza, among other people who were at the center of Mexico City that day at noon, became a witness of an unusual incident. An UFO flew over and hanged 100 meters up in the air for whole three minutes. It was possible to see every detail of the flying saucer. The people were so frightened, and now they give thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo.

Mexico City
July 29, 1965

Virgin of Guadalupe, I entrust my son to you. Look after him because he’s very drunk and fighty.

Tacubaya, Mexico

Gregorio Rosas thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving him. I was taming a lion in the circus and he got angry and attacked me. But you, Holy Virgin, protected and saved me.

Mexico City — October 25, 1977

Juaquin Meares brings this retablo. Very angry flying animals got to my house and I’m so lonely and gay but kicked them out.

Mexico, September 9, 1977

Virgin of San Juan, thank you for your favors. I thank because my adorable Nuco has returned to me. He dumped cause of a misunderstanding but one year later he has come back. We went for a iconic with our friends to celebrate it, and afterwards we visited the temple to exchange vows to love each other till death do us apart.

Dario Magana
Mexico City, 1971

Maria Juaquina Jimenez thanks the Holy Child of Atocha with this retablo for he made so she finally met the painter Frida in person and got her autograph.

Mexico, 1945

It happened in 1970, in San Lorenzo Tezonco. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for our corn crop. In spite of strong frosts the year, it was very abundant. We were praying to you as we do every year, and now we thank.

Romula and Simon

1939, my wife got pregnant and I had no job at the time. So I became a shoeshiner and that way I met Frida, the artist. Having found out about my problem, she helped me. My wife gave birth to the baby, and I’m infinitely thankful for this to the Virgin of San Juan and to Frida.

Mexico City

We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for we have met the love and happiness in this house in beautiful Mexico. We have only pleasant memories of its culture and traditions and it will be forever in our hearts.

Victoir and Erve di Rosa
Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico
August 2002

Notes:
Erve di Rosa is a French artist and a Mexican culture lover. He helped Alfredo Vilchis to create his retablo book.

Teofila R. thank Saint Charbel with this retablo because after many years of suffering, humiliation and bad treatment he managed to get rid of her pimp.

Mexico, 1939