At the Christmas party in the neighborhood I went to put some liquor in my punch. Since I was already tipsy I got into the piñata event and was kicked in the head. I give thanks to Saint James the Apostle because I got only the lump. I promise not to drink so much.

Serapio Esparza
Oaxaca, 1968

Isidro Martinez and his fiancée were lying under a tree and were talking about their coming wedding when suddenly the lightning struck the tree. Miraculously the lightning didn’t hurt them. They only had their hair slightly burned. They thank the Lord of Blue Eye for the protection.

July 4, 1962

One night I was selling cold beer at the wrestling arena. I was distracted and didn’t noticed that the wrestler Superpig jumped off the third rope and almost fell on me. I thank the Virgin of Juquilia because I stepped away in time. Otherwise he would have squashed me.

Severino Guzman
Oaxaca

Jasinta Romero brings this retablo to Saint Nicholas because her puppy got better after her godfather’s mule had stamped on it.

Puebla, 1930

The young man Raul Sarmiento ate a lot of dry chili peppers in order to impress his fiancée. He had a choke from it. He thanks Saint James for nothing serious happened and promises never to do it again.

The Felipe Gonzales’s horse was scared by a viper and in spite of all Felipe’s efforts fell down from the cliff. Only thanks to the miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe they didn’t hurt themselves and didn’t brake the bones.

Leopoldo Morales fell down in the well and nobody searched him until the night because he was mute and no one noticed that he wasn’t around. His mother, doña Luz, thanks the Virgin of San Juan because her son didn’t drown and is already recovering from pneumonia.

Antonio Pantoja gives thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving him from death when a lion attacked him during his lion taming act in the circus. He brings this retablo in gratitude.

January 6, 1985

June 28, 1972, Paquito Gonzalez dropped the pan with boiling apple confiture. He got terrible burns, and his mommy, doña Luz Castrejon de Gonzalez, entrusted him to Saint Paschal Baylon in order to cure the boy with his divine intervention. She thanks the Saint for the miracle because her son was lucky and got better marvelously quickly.

Thank you, Lord of Lightnings, for saving me when I fell and hurt my head. I, Tiburcio Morales, thank you.

Puebla — January 8, 1939

Felipe Morales decided to do some stunts on the motorcycle but he crushed into his own house. He gives thanks from the bottom of the heart to Saint Charbel, to whom he entrusted himself, because he got only property damage and didn’t hurt himself.

Virgin of San Juan, thank you for protecting us when the mine collapsed. We pay you with this exvoto.

Timoteo and Zacarias
Pachiquilla — December, 12, 1937