In the year of 1982, in the City of San Antonio, Jamie Eddy and his friend George Karutz, were home alone with Jamie’s younger brother, Prescott. The boys read that “Super Glue creates an incredibly strong adhesive bond that is nearly unbreakable”. Loctite cyanoacrylate broke the Guinness World Record by lifting a car weighing more than 5 tons with just 9 drops of adhesive. Jamie and George, eager to test the adhesive strength, glued young Prescott to the toilet, where he was discovered by Mr and Mrs Eddy upon returning home later that afternoon. In an effort to quell Prescott’s tears, Mrs Eddy served him ice cream while Mr Eddy raced to the hardware store to procure the necessary solvents to unseat him. Jamie, fearing the worst, petitioned San Felipe Neri, the patron saint of ludicrous pranks and Saint Bartholomew, the patron saint of dermatology, for assistance. He knew his prayer had been heard when the bond was broken and Prescott was emancipated. James Eddy painted this retablo to commemorate the miracle which occurred 39 years ago. Executed this ninth day of February 2021 in the City of San Francisco.

In the year of 1980, in the city of San Antonio, a young Jamie Eddy was afflicted with a spate of intense nosebleeds. His mother tried the usual home remedies, humidification, ointment, nasal spray and ice packs but they all failed to stop the hemorrhaging. The doctors performed chemical and electrical cauterization, painful procedures which Jamie endured with unflinching bravery, but they too failed to quell the torrent of blood. With little hope left, and even less blood, young Jamie petitioned Santa Teresa de Avila, the patroness saint of nose bleeds. He knew his prayers had been heard when the river of blood slowed to a trickle and then stopped altogether. James Eddy painted this retablo to commemorate the miracle which occurred 41 years ago. Executed this seventh day of February 2021 in the City of San Francisco.

We felt horror and anxiety of dying suffocating because of lack of air and terrible heat, locked up inside the trailer for more than four hours from Laredo to San Antonio, Texas. We made two holes with a knife to breathe a little bit because there were 70 of us, immigrants going to the United States in search of job. I thank the Virgin of San Juan because I managed to arrived alive to the destination. I pray for those who didn’t—let they rest in peace.

Immigrant, August 2017