I went to see Pancho, and on my way back I was attacked by a dog. It tried to bite my face and threw me down on the ground. I implored the Virgin of San Juan with the Lord’s Prayer because it seemed the demon himself attacked me Then the dog ran away and left me lying down. I didn’t have any scratch. Then I found out that the dog had rabies. I thanked and I promised to dedicate a retablo for delivering me from such disgrace of being beaten. Otherwise, it would’ve given me rabies. I bring this testimony of what happened to your feet. May you be blessed, Holy Virgin.

Your Petra Murillo
San Juan de los Lagos
December 8, 1955

Since my cousin came to live with me, she was constantly flirting with my boyfriend. She used to put her mini-skirt every time he was coming to me. I’m thanking the Virgin of San Juan for my cousin moved back to her town and my boyfriend never payed her attention. I’m feel myself calm and happy now.

Azucena Godínez
Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala

Almost all women in our family have beards. That’s why my sister and I thought that we were going to be circus phenomenons until we retire and then we would marry weird ugly men like our aunts did. Our circus routine had a big success because besides wearing beards we were very cute and funny. But we weren’t happy. One day thank to the Virgin of San Juan we found out about depilation. We got rid of our beards and married handsome men. We do not work in circus anymore.

I was always followed by the dogs when I went out. I thought it happened because I went to the market and they wanted some food. But then I noticed that they followed me anywhere. Maybe because I care about them, talk with them and sometimes, if I can, I leave them something to eat. I thank the Virgin of San Juan for having a way with dogs.

Virgin of San Juan, thank you for your favors. It’s been two days since I found my xoloscuintles. It was a bit from the street who told me that he’d seen the dogs. He told me they were hiding in an abandoned house after some other dogs chased them. I thank the Virgin for finding them. I couldn’t live without them.

Maruja Linares, 1967

Seferino thanks the Virgin of San Juan because on his way back to the village he found his cow which had been lost for 15 days lying down. He dedicates this retablo to the Virgin’s honor and ask for the cow’s health.

El Hielo, State of Mexico
May 3, 1990

One night I camped on the mountain. Then some extraterrestrials appeared. First I was scared, but then I felt calm and peace. Meanwhile, the martians were running across the forest looking for plants. When they were gone, the fear came back to me and I ran out of there to the tavern in the nearest village. I thank the Virgin of San Juan for the extraterrestrials didn’t abduct me.

My husband suffered from narcolepsy and fell asleep everywhere. I felt so embarrassed in front of our guests, and I was afraid he would lose his job. But thanks to my prayers to the Virgin of San Juan my husband got miraculously cured. I thank the Virgin <…>

Pancho M. thanks the Virgin of San Juan for saving him from dying when he was kicked in the chest by a horse. In that horrible moment he implored to your honor and now offers this retablo.

Jalisco, 1984

Daniel thanks the Virgin of San Juan for his buddy didn’t notice him hiding under the bed when he cuckolded him with his wife. Daniel is very sorry and swears to not do that again.

Tacubaya, Mexico City, 1999

I made a very delicious cake for my daughter Marcela’s commitment dinner. But unfortunately my younger children are very gluttonous, so they ate almost the entire cake. But luckily—and forgive me God!—my daughter’s fiancé got measles, which he caught from his little sister. The dinner was canceled. And I’m immensely grateful to the Virgin of San Juan because the parents of the fiancé are very stiff and haughty and I didn’t know how to deal with such an embarrassing situation.

My bedroom was filled with rats. They used to come out at night so I was scared to go to the bathroom to not let these animals enter my bed. Since my cats are vey lazy, they didn’t hunt the rats. Thanks to my prayers to the Holy Virgin of San Juan, I got an idea to borrow my neighbor’s cat. He wiped up all rats in one night. My cats were ashamed, so now they patrol the house from time to time. And I do not have rats anymore.

I thank the Virgin of San Juan for my son didn’t fall in the canyon. He held on and then his grandfather helped him.

June 8, 1948