1915, Chiautenpan, Plutarco Sandoval met a bull on his way out of a bar. The bull started to chase him. Plutarco thanks the Holy Virgin for the bull didn’t get him and he only shat his pants out of fear.

Filiberto and I went to the mountains, and there we got a strong desire to make out. So we went to bushes, and there while I was stripping down I saw to my fear a pretty big scorpion that came out from under stones. I give thanks to Saint Fracnis of Assisi for it didn’t sting me since it was a venomous one. I promise to be more modest.

Dorotea \ Durango, México

Dolores Ramos thanks the Holy Virgin of Zapopan because her broods of chicken and turkey went very well and now she can buy a cow. She offers this retablo to the Virgin.

The old lady doña Chonita was walking a very big dog that ended up dragging her after him. She thanks Saint Martin de Porres for some young men helped her and she didn’t get hurt very much.

It happened, Holy Virgin, that came out the octopus already cooked.

When I watched the movie “From dusk till dawn” I completely fell in love with Salma Hayek after seeing her dancing with the snake. She became my platonic love. With this retablo, I thank the Saint James the Apostle because after many year of admiring her I finally could see her in person on a red carpet of one of her films. Few minutes I spent near her was the most marvelous moment of my life.

Francisco Ortiz \ Mexico City

When I lived in an apartment my poor cats didn’t have enough place to play and didn’t go out to get some fresh air. I thank the Virgin for I got a house with a patio. Now my beloved cats—who are my company—can lay on the sun and chase lizards.

I had few pots with marijuana to make poultice to treat my rheumatism. One day I thought that smoking it might also help for rheumatism. Although, it didn’t, it put me in very good mood and even food tasted better. So I kept smoking every day until once I saw that my cats had wings and were smiling at me. That day I stopped smoking. My cats turned back to be normal, and now I only prepare poultice with marijuana.

Every time I had to sell my bread on the street, a very angry dog jumped on me. It barked and chased me for few blocks not letting me deliver the bread to my clients. With all my faith, I asked the Lord of the Wonders for help, and few days later the owners of this dog changed the house and took the dog with them. Now I can work in peace.

Dionisio Castro ~ Puebla de los Angeles

My poor cat had a bad luck to be a black one. Being rejected by the people he had developed shyness and had become very insecure—with the female cats as well. Lately he fell in love and completely lost his head over the kitty of our new neighbor. It was painful to see how insecure he was trying to conquer her. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because the kitty responded to him and now they are a happy couple.

Our donkey on which we were carrying oranges to the town for selling fell down the cliff and couldn’t climb back by itself. We thank the Holy Child of Atocha for giving us—to me and my children—extraordinary strength to pull the donkey up and save him. Besides, we love him very much and he’s like our family member.

I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because my dog Casilda accepted stray kittens that came to my garden. The dog even licks them and let them climb on her, so I could give them milk and pet these poor abandoned animals.

My cats suddenly decided to fly around the house. I didn’t like it because it made me think that I was going crazy. I prayed the Virgin so that she’d bring the cats to their normal state. The Virgin made the cats came to reason, and now they walk on their paws like other animals.