When I was leaving “La Pasita” canteen, in Los Sapos neighborhood in Puebla, my mother-in-law chased me with a stick. I thanks, with this retablo, the Virgin of the Solitude because the old lady didn’t catch me.

Catarino Perez, 1949

Isidro Romero was almost caught by his girlfriend’s brothers who wanted to force him to marry her. He’s infinitely grateful to Saint James for they didn’t catch him and he escape safely from such a dangerous trouble.

Puebla, 1917

Miriam was chased by a nagual. Thanks for he didn’t catch her.

I sold a piece of land I didn’t used so much and, with that money, I though of buying cows. When I went to the ranch La Purisima to buy them, I took a shortcut through the cacti. There was a group of bandits who ambushed me. They scared my horse away and asked for the money. But then my dog who’s very clever took the bag with the money and ran away. The bandits went after him, but the dog ran through the most dense cacti. Meanwhile, I escaped and soon found my horse. When I got home my dog was already there with the bag of money. I thank Virgin of Zapopan for this miracle.

When I was five, a turkey ran after me in the yard. It bit me and chased me up to a tree. It was gobbling loudly and shaking its horrid thing. I prayed my Guardian Angel, and my mommy saved me from this monster.

We were taking our chickens to the town to sell them, but on our way we were chased by a bull escaped from the corral. Only by the Virgin’s miracle he didn’t gore us, because the chicken ran away and one of them flew right to the bull’s snout, it grabbed him so the bull couldn’t see anything, and we ran to a house where they let us stay until they caught the bull. Then we picked up our chicken and sold them for a good price.

Artemio Garcia and his buddy were coming back from the sowing when suddenly an angry bull jumped out on them and took up a tremendous chase after them. The buddy even forgot about his bad leg. He thanks Saint Charbel for this damned bull didn’t get them.

Puebla, 1917

1914, coming to Puebla, the federals were close on my heels. I entrusted myself to Saint Martin the Cavalryman and could escape safely so they didn’t catch me. I thank for this great favor.

Toribio Alvarado

Irena and Rosa went to the market together. Suddenly an enormous bull came from an alley. He was probably escaped from its corral. He was in bad humor and began to chase the woman. They entrusted themselves to Saint Quiteria for they didn’t want to die being gored. The bull started to snort, and they got more scared. Rosa threw out her basket with vegetables, and the bull stopped chasing them and began to eat spinach and carrots. Irena and Rosa thank for they were saved.

An angry bull ran after Joaquin and Lara Ramirez. It escaped from the San Pedro ranch. The children prayed the Virgin of Zapopan, and the animal stopped chasing them and began to eat plants from the fence. Señora Ramirez offers this retablo on behalf of her children.

July 7, 1941

A fighting bull escaped from his corral and ran into us. The animal began to chase us, and my son Simon who is very clumsy and stumbles over his own shadow fell down. I implored Saint Quiteria so she would save him. And when the animal was about to attack my son, a cowboy came and lassoed the bull. My poor son was saved from being gored.

A bull started chasing Ramon Mendoza. Running away, Ramon climbed up a tree, but the bull hit the tree so hard the whole tree shook. Ramon thanks the Virgin of San Juan for the tree was an apple-tree so he could eat apples all that time while the bull was waiting for him down. The bull stayed all day, and only when the dark came some workers helped Ramon. He thanks for that because his legs and arms got numb and he couldn’t stay any longer at the tree.

August 15, 1972

I was taking my children to the school. We decided to use a short-way—through the Estrella rancho. Suddenly a giant bull started chasing us. My children jumped over the fence, and I, being very fat, couldn’t do it. I prayed to the Virgin of San Juan and by pure miracle I felt light as a feather. I jumped on the fence at ease although it was painful to fell over the fence because all my weight came back to me right away. Nevertheless, I was saved from the bull, and I’m thanking the Virgin.