Saint Barbara

I loved swimming underwater and diving right to the bottom to see what an incredible life boils down there. I felt like a mermaid in my dominion. But one day, I caught up in the algae while enjoying swimming underwater. I tried to get out but only tangled up myself more. I felt pain in my lungs. Just when I thought I was going to die I saw a light and got free. I know it was Saint Barbara who get me out, and I thank for it.

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When I lost my job my wife and I had to move to my mother-in-law. It was a true hell because she was very mean—she kept us as her servants and even forced me to massage her feet. I thank Saint Barbara for I finally found a job and we moved out. Now we are happy again.

Narciso Paz
Veracruz, Mexico

I dedicate this retablo to Saint Barbara for giving me the inspiration to create my own miniature village in the sale of the great Giorgio de Chirico.

Retablo by

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My brother Luis was given cookies with peyote. I didn’t know what was inside, and, since I was hungry, I ate three cookies. After that I had terrible hallucinations with demons. I though I was sticked to the ceiling. I thank Saint Barbara for I didn’t die or go crazy.

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My boyfriend was a sailor. I used to go to the sea cliff to see if his ship is coming back. One day I slipped and fell into the sea. I was stunned after the falling and went to the bottom of the sea. I was spluttering. Suddenly I saw mermaids. They took me and pulled to the surface. There I could breathe. It was Saint Barbara who sent me them for help. I thank her for this marvelous miracle.

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Less than three years had passed from our wedding when my husband got lost in a sea storm. I was left all alone with my baby. To provide for us, I—without knowing anything about the fishing— took a boat, a net and went to the sea having prayed to Saint Barbara. Thanks to her help I got good fish in my net. I sold them and kept fishing. Little by little I studied all fishing tricks. I thank the saint for this miracle.

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The Martinez sisters, Graciela and Alicia, were so beautiful that one day when they were coming back home through the cemetery, the dead men came out their graves and followed the girls flirting with them and giving them compliments. The girls, however, got scared and ran away. But the dead kept following them. So then the sisters prayed to Saint Barbara, and she appeared protecting them from the skeletons. The saint ordered the dead to go back to the cemetery, and the disappointed skeletons walked to their graves. The Martinez sisters thank the saint for this miracle.

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With this retablo, the trapeze artist Maximino Casas give thanks to Saint Barbara for protecting him during his debut in the Chispa circus. He was very nervous and, in spite of practicing a lot, was afraid of falling down. But everything went well.

San Luis Potosi, Mexico

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I was swimming and got tangled in algae. I couldn’t get out and there was no air to breathe. Then Saint Barbara appeared and sent dozens of fish which began to swim around me in the opposite direction the algae twisted. It helped me to get free. I came to the surface and recover my breath. I thank the saint for saving me.

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Lidia Castro was very proud of her vegetable-garden, but one day it was flooded with rabbits. They ate the vegetables. Lidia tried to scare them away, but no luck. In despair, she prayed Saint Barbara. The Saint scared the rabbits and they didn’t come back.

My husband not only went to live with this bitch Lupe, but also one day he came to take our pig. I thank Saint Barbara I noticed it in time. The saint gave me enough courage and extra strength to not let him take the pig away.

Juanita went to the river to swim and suddenly she saw an enormous crocodile who was staring at her with his little greedy eyes like at a delicious treat. She prayed Saint Barbara asking for her protection. The noise made by ducks come flying distracted the crocodile, so Juanita could escape and get up quickly on the rocks. She thanks for she didn’t end up in the crocodile’s stomach.

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I was swimming when I suddenly felt that someone was pulling me down. I saw two mermaids, they grabbed and tried to pull me to their domain. I felt dizzy because of lack of air. I implored Saint Barbara, and she came to help me. She made the mermaids let me go. I fainted. When I woke up, I was on the beach. I thank for this wonderful miracle that saved my life.

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