Our grandmother Margarita entrusted us with her animals while she went to Puebla to visit our aunt Juanita. But the spoiled grandmother’s pig Rosita escaped from me and my brother through our negligence. We couldn’t find her, and we entrusted ourselves to Saint Francis of Assisi, because our grandmother had a bad temper and she would be furious. Thank to the saint we found the pig near by the village and we caught her.

At the end of the 200th anniversary year, I came back to my land. There I met a stray dog, in which I saw bad intentions. It was approaching to bite me. As I saw its fangs, I, Gil Gutierrez Sanchez, prayed to the Lord of the Lightnings, who having heard me playing on guitar and heard my prayers and protected me from the malicious beast.

Jesus taking the way into and/or out of Bethlehem or into and/or out of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as told by the great prophet Zecariah… But… why a donkey instead of a superlative warhorse?

I crashed into a wall. Thanks to the Virgin for nothing bad happened with me nor with my piglets. Although the truck was seriously damaged.

I thank the Holy Heart for saving me when I fell off the horse.

Serafin was a very shy person. But the Virgin worked the miracle. So when I passed near by the stables I heard how he told his horse about his love sufferings and how he really loved me. [...] We’re going to get married.

When my son Juan’s horse died I couldn’t imagine he’d grieve so deeply. He climbed on the stable roof and refused to come down to eat and to sleep. Thanks to the Virgin of Zapopan his godfather Carlos gave him a colt. My boy became happy again and started to eat. I offer this retablo to the Virgin.

I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because my lions obey me without any problem. Thanks to that I have a success performing in circuses all around the country.

September 25, 1957

May 25, 1953, we went to baptize our Luisito. The bus broke down so we had to ride horses. We were in rush, so we rode full speed. My horse stumbled on rocks. We thank the Virgin of the Rosary because nothing happened with the baby at the falling. We still baptized him, and he’s all right.

I dedicate this retablo to St. Martin the Cavalryman for helping me to find another job, because before I worked wearing the hamburger costume. It was so heavy and stuffy, that I fainted a lot. But the most humiliating part was that not even the dogs respected me. But now I have a quieter job.

Feliciano Godinez
Monterrey, Nuevo León

Pascual Rosas gives this ex-voto to the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving me from the highland bull’s corn when I was attacked by him near the dry well. I was going to the Rodriguez’ ranch when this was happened.

Our cupboard was invaded by rats. And our cat became so lazy that he didn’t catch them and slept all day long. I prayed a novena to the Virgin of San Juan because I was frightened that rats could bite us and eat all our food. The Virgin were kind enough and work a miracle. All rats disappeared exactly in the last day of my prayers. I thank for this.

Some tourists hit a poor donkey who had been lost and were wandering alone. But they thought it was the Hernandez brothers’ donkey. They took him to the vet and paid a compensation to the brothers. The brothers thank the Virgin of San Juan because now the donkey is feeling well and also they have bought another one with the compensation money. So now they have two donkeys to carry wood and fruits to town.