I’m infinitely grateful to the Virgin of Guadalupe for protecting me every time I’m going out of my village to sell birds. In this way I support my family. I dedicate this retablo for that.

Ausencio Zarate
Atlixco, Puebla

Some birds gave me food and kept me company in my shipwrecking. Thanks.

Pedro, 1971

We moved to a new place. The land was barren and fruitless. There were no plants, no flowers which I loved so much. I tried to plant something but the soil was so dry nothing was growing. But one day wonderful peacocks came out of nowhere. They had colorful plumage, and some time later a grass and an apple tree grew up on the spot where they started to live. That’s how our petrified garden became a blooming paradise. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for this amazing miracle.

On the day of our wedding, there were a lot of doves at the doors of the church which is a good sign that means many years of happiness. We thank Saint Anthony for his blessings.

That evening we were visited by the birdmen. Thank to the Virgin, they didn’t hurt us.

I never got married. However, my animals became a real family for me. We gather all together in the garden and I read what we like the most—the horror stories. It happens that we get frightened at night after reading all these scary tales. So we stay together to protect ourselves and not to be afraid of threatening shadows. I thank Saint Francis for such wonderful and intelligent animals.

Carlos Romero used to bread fighting roosters. One day a rooster didn’t recognize its master, attacked him, crabbed his face and tore one eye. Carlos thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for recovering. He offers her this retablo and promise to keep himself away from this job.

My daughter was very sick. I prayed to the Virgin of the Solitude. Suddenly I saw a flock of beautiful birds. They flew in the bedroom. I understood that was the Virgin’s miracle. My daughter was glad to see the birds, and she got better. Her illness has gone, and I thank for that wonderful miracle.

Virgin, thank you for saving me from bad black birds.

Maria Mora

Virgin, thank you for saving me from a nightmare with black birds.

Maria

Juanita went to the river to swim and suddenly she saw an enormous crocodile who was staring at her with his little greedy eyes like at a delicious treat. She prayed Saint Barbara asking for her protection. The noise made by ducks come flying distracted the crocodile, so Juanita could escape and get up quickly on the rocks. She thanks for she didn’t end up in the crocodile’s stomach.

I stopped putting my rooster in fights because we both became old. But I suddenly found myself with a lot of debt and had no opportunities to pay them off. So I asked my rooster if he could fight for the last time during the big feast in Palenque and try to win the grand prize. The rooster agreed to do so. During the fight the enormous enemy-rooster tried to kill my rooster. I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe. Thanks to her my rooster won. He got some wounds but he survived. We have payed the debts and there are enough money left for living the rest of our lives.

I thank Saint Anthony because I married a good man who loves me and the animals. He accepted me with my monkey, two dogs, two cats and my parrot. Now we’re all happy on his ranch.