Rafael Sanchez thanks the Virgin of Juquila with this retablo for the big banana crop this season, although two men were hospitalized after being bitten by banana spiders.

I give thanks to the Holy Wrinkled Child for helping me to kill the chupacabra that was eating my sheep and almost ravaged my ranch.

Lupe Jares, 1996

Señora Librada brings this retablo for the miracle of saving my cow. Hoof-and-mouth disease killed a lot of animals in the town of Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosi. But I entrusted my cow to Saint Francis.

1945

The Lopez brothers went fishing, and the sea snake appeared to them. They were petrified with fear. But their dog, that always went with them, started to bark and to grunt. The snake got scared and swam away. The brothers give thanks to the Virgin of Zapopan because the snake didn’t hurt them.

With this drawing your slave Juan Luis Rubert wants to thank you, Saint Francis, for the miracle. My dog Sandy bit the doña Mariela Luisiana del Corral’s big toe. I cared about the wounded woman with all my devotion, in your constant presence, Saint Francis. At that moment her husband arrived and witnessed this scene. He got furious and killed the dog but left Mariela Luisiana del Corral to me for ever.

Cuernavaca, Mexico
December 2013

There were some apple trees near the river, and the apples had ripened. We went to gather them before they fall to the ground. When we were coming back with baskets full of apples the terrifying encounter happened. We met two skeletons of revolutionaries on our way. One of them was zapatista, the other one was his companion-adelita. They went with their horse. When we saw them we entrusted ourselves to the Virgin of the Rosary. The skeletons passed by and didn’t notice us. Later we found out that they had been waiting in ambush since the Revolution and that day they inspected around. We thank the Virgin because if we had said one world they would have killed us.

Adelita is a type of woman warrior who accompanied a revolutionary during the Mexican Revolution. The term derived from the popular revolutionary song “La Adelita”.

I have a dog who loves me and keeps me company. And I give her food and take care. I’m very happy. And now, when she’s had seven puppies, I’m seven times happier. I thank Saint Francis for this happiness.

Teodoro Corrales gives thanks to the Virgin of San Juan for healing his sheep because they were very sick.

My husband was a heavy drinker, and God punished him with hallucinations. One day the hallucinations were so horrible and he saw strange monsters chasing him. He entrusted himself to the Virgin of Guadalupe, mounted the mule and left the village. God led him to the capital, in a place where several months later with Virgin’s help he was cured. He came back home cured from his madness, and he doesn’t drink anymore.

1939

My sister and I went swimming. Suddenly we were caught by a giant octopus. It grabbed us with its tentacles and dragged us into the depth. I felt that our lives were in danger, so I prayed to Saint Barbara. She helped us blowing a lot of bubbles that distracted the octopus. He let us free, and we swam to the shore. We thank for saving our lives.

The devil made my horse stumble, and I fell and hit my head on the rocks on the road. After that I continue to see the devil for many days. The devil mocked me, and I saw him even with closed eyes. So I prayed to the Virgin of Zapopan, and she made this vision disappear. Now I see normal and see no devil.

I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving my life when the elephant got mad in the circus. I prayed to you, and you saved me. I made this retablo for the miracle.

Fidel
November 11, 1967
Union Circus

An eagle used to take my pigs. But one day when it caught my piglet, I got so mad, I started to kick it with the broom and then I threw the broom into it. I hit it so hard, that the eagle dropped his pray. I thank the Virgin for the piglet fell into the drinking trough and didn’t get hurt. And the eagle never came back.