Raul Contreras and Gaudencio Blanco pay the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo for saving them from death in the desert. For this favor, they pay with this.

Tijuana, 1960

Adriano Castillo, the guitarist of the rock band “The Black Cats”, got his hair on fire at the end of a gig when the sparklers at the end of his guitar exploded. He was very frightened. He thanks Saint Augustine for his face didn’t burn and he just lost part of his full head of hair.

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

I’m a big fan of “Hellraiser” movies. But one night I was walking down an empty street, and Chatterer, one of the cenobites characters in the movies, appeared to me. I thank Saint Michael the Archangel because, although he tried to catch me, I managed to escape. I don’t know if it was a product of my imagination or real but this experience scared me a lot.

Ramon Telles — Tijuana, Baja California

Thank you, Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, because my left ankle that I injured in Tijuana got healed.

Blue Demon

Virgin of Guadalupe, thanks for you favors. With great pain in my heart but this was my decision—I had left my husband. I love him very much but I couldn’t live like this. I had to obey his orders and let him beat me with sexual objects to get him satisfied because he is a sadomasochist.

Maricarmen Dario
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, 1968

I, Cristian Nava, pay with this retablo for delivering me from animals that got in my room. They scared me a lot because I’m all alone and so fragile.

Tijuana, 1972

I give infinite thanks to Saint Augustine for having met a good man who loves me and wants me as I am. He’s just made me a marriage proposal, and my past as prostitute didn’t affect him. Because of my type of living, I didn’t imagine I’d find love, and now I’m very happy with the opportunity to have a family.

Selene R. ~ Tijuana, Baja California

I thank Holy Child of Atocha for helping me to keep my great secret. In reality it’s my wife who is the boss in our house and I’m just a henpecked husband. If it became known, it would damage my tough image among the fans and I’d be a joke for my fellows wrestlers. I bring this humble retablo.

The wrestler Black Storm
Tijuana, Baja California

My husband left me, and I was left alone with three little kids. I didn’t have any relative who could help me, so I had to become a prostitute. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Saint Pancras because with this job I managed to go on, and I’m not ashamed of it because I’m giving my children education and preparation I didn’t get.

Vanessa S. ~ Tijuana, Baja California

Since childhood I’ve been a fan of wrestling. My idol is Rey Mysterio. I give infinite thanks to Saint Jude Thaddeus because when Rey came to my hometown to fight I could see him from the first row and even took a photo with him which shows what a humble and modest person he is. Now I admire him even more.

Tijuana, Baja California

When I was a child, I was very insecure because of my obesity. Other kids joked about me, and it made me more depressed so I kept eating and gaining more weight. I thank Saint Clare for making me to reconsider my life and straighten it. With exercises and willpower, I’ve become a healthy and confident man, and even got lucky with women.

Leopoldo Carranza \ Tijuana, Baja California

One night, after leaving work I went to a bar with my colleagues and drank nonstop. There I met a stunning woman whom I invited to a hotel. I was very excited for being able to score her. I give infinite thanks to Saint Sebastian because, although I was pretty drunk, I realized—before spending a night together—that it was a man dressed like a woman. I promise to be more careful when I’m having fun.

Adrian Gutierrez \ Tijuana, Baja California

Juanito Corona dedicates this retablo to the Virgin of Guadalupe because El Santo won over Blue Demon at the Arena Mexico. Beside that, El Santo pared for my legs surgery for which I eternally thankful.

Juanito from Tijuana