Señor Paulino Sanchez thanks the Holy Child of Atocha. I found my son Felipe who got lost with the sheep in the mountains. I prayed to you to help me find him safe. Now, after having found him, I’m offering this retablo.

October 23, 1940

Dear Saint Christopher, protect me today in all my travels along the road’s way, give your warning sign if danger is near so that I may stop while the path is clear, be at my window and direct me through when the vision blurs from out of the blue, carry me safely to my destined pace, like you carried Christ in your close embrace. Amen.

Neda Contreras

In one eruption he unites birth and death. He is not man, he is not a god either. He is not me, he’s more than me, his belly is the labyrinth in which I find myself, being him. That is a monster. — Andre Masson

We stood terrified, staring at the devil dog with a man’s face. We froze for only a moment before we took off running, screaming and arms flailing back to the safety of my best friend’s home. His mother had warned us not to go out after dark, but we thought she was just a crazy bruja (not an evil one, more the healer type) and of course we didn’t heed her. She had an excessive need to protect her children from Evil. For this reason she seemed to invite it. Upon reading her home we exclaimed what we had seen. Immediately she made us kneel as she prayed fervently to St. Michael for his protection and she blessed us with holy water. I thank him for saving us but we couldn’t be consoled.

1983 — Ruben Urrea Moreno

I took my children to visit my grandmother who lived far away from the village. Night caught us on our way back, and I decided to take a shortcut through the forest near the river. There hundreds of bats came on us beclouding the Moon and we were very frightened. I was scared the bats would bite my children and suck their blood. I prayed the Virgin of the Rosary, and she protected us till we got home. I thank for her protection.

We live far from the town, and my little son had no kids in the neighborhood to play with. One day he told me he got a friend. I thought it was an imaginary friend, but then I saw, to my surprise and fear, that it was a big nagual whom he played with. The creature looked friendly but any way I felt scared and prayed to the Virgin asking for help. The help came when the daughter of our close neighbor Don Romo came to live with him with her three children who made friendship with my son. The nagual got scared with so many people and didn’t approach my son again. Next year my son will go to school, and he’ll have many more friends.

The brothers Arnulfo and Armando were playing pirates, and one hit another’s eye with the sword. WIth this retablo, they thank the Holy Child of Atocha for nothing serious happened and it’s alright now.

To the Virgin of Guadalupe I give thanks for having recovered my first place in the school that I had lost since Juanita came, but now I’m the best once again.

March 5, 1967

My son Raulito swallowed a spider that seemed to be a very poisonous one. Only by a wonderful miracle of the Holy Virgin of San Juan nothing serious happened to my boy and he only got a stomach pain for a little while.

May 3, 1959

My Pepito was a very naughty boy. He didn’t like to study at all. His teacher couldn’t stand him and was about to expel him from the elementary school. I thank Saint John Bosco because my boy changed a lot. Now he’s studying. Al least he scored 6 points in the exam, so he might pass to another grade, after three attempts.

Jacinta Rodriguez / Tlaxcala

My children were splashing near the riverbank, and the little one slipped and fell into the current. Our dog reacted immediately and jumped to save her. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for having sent us such an intelligent and loyal dog. All our family can rely on him and we love him very much.

My husband left me, and I was left alone with three little kids. I didn’t have any relative who could help me, so I had to become a prostitute. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Saint Pancras because with this job I managed to go on, and I’m not ashamed of it because I’m giving my children education and preparation I didn’t get.

Vanessa S. ~ Tijuana, Baja California

Thank you Virgin of Guadalupe for my son and I are together again. We were separated by the zero tolerance policy—he was sent to Texas and I was deported. I asked to protect him and to let me come back for him. And that happened 49 days later.

Grateful Honduran, 9–8–2018

My son Paquito lied to me saying that he ate good and healthy food that I packed him for school lunch. But in reality he was buying sweets and junk food. Because of that he got stomach pain. I thank the Holy Child Doctor for his illness wasn’t serious and he learned his lesson—he shouldn’t lie and he must eat healthy for his own good.

Margarita Hernandez, Puebla