Inocencio Fernandez was in the bar, being well drunk after a lot of mezcal. He began to see many skeletons around him. One of them asked him “Why you are alone?” It was the Death in person who tried to take him. He thanks Saint Michael for he could escape, running out of the bar, safe and sound before he died on that November 2. He promised to amend his ways.

Holy Child of the Virgin of Help, thank you for helping me out that night, on November 1. I didn’t make an altar for all the faithful departed. When I went to sleep the Death himself dressed as Catrina visited me. I pretended to be asleep and prayed to you, divine Child, until the Death was gone.

Yucatan, Mexico, 1932

1927, Benita Ruiz’ husband kicked the bucked and she was left all alone. Benita entrusted herself to the Virgin of San Juan, and with her help she could survive with children working as a laundrywoman. She thanks the Virgin.

I was sick and was laying in the bed. One night, the Death came to my bedroom with the scythe, ready to take my life. I grabbed the crucifix to scare the Death, but he saw so many of them, he didn’t care. But my dog, however, seeing the bony legs and thinking that it was her dinner, ran joyfully for them. The Death got scared, ran away and never came back. Next morning I felt better. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for saving my life.

One morning my beautiful Clarita didn’t wake up. We were devastated since she was our first daughter. We took her to bury dressed in white like a little angel. And then she suddenly woke up just like that. We dedicate this retablo to the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe.

Celerino Gomez was so gravely ill that the Death came to him on the night of January 12, 1965. But he entrusted himself to the Lord of Blue Eye, and when the Death came closer the Lord himself appeared in all brightness and scared the Death so much he ran away, and Celerino got cured.

A very strange lady offered me something to eat.

The Martinez’ cat died, and the children were very sad. Their relatives saw how inconsolable they are and started to give them kittens. The children thank the Virgin of San Juan for now they have six cute kittens. They’re very happy, and their parents also love new kittens.

My wife died and left my little daughter and me very lonely and sad, but the Virgin of Guadalupe felt sorry for us. I have seen my wife’s spirit taking care of our girl and I feel her lips giving me the good night kiss. I thank for this favor.

With the promise “to be together till death do us apart” the boy Marquitos and his father Jose Antonio Villaseñor took off from Mexico with the illusion of prosperity. In Reynosa, Tamaulipas, together with 70 others people without documents, they got in the trailer of a truck going to Houston, Texas. After few hours of terrible agony, they were found hugging each other but with no life in them like 11 others Mexicans and 5 more Latin Americans. They all died asphyxiated and dehydrated. They were left without mercy by the mean smugglers in the town of Victoria, south of Houston. Morning of May 14, 2003, when I heard these painful news, I entrusted their souls to the Holy Virgin of the Solitude and the Lord of Chalma. I also ask to protect those who escaped the death.

Alfredo Vilchis Roque, Mexico City, 2003

I saw the dogs attacking a lady. I wanted to run and defend her but then I saw that it was the Death himself. I thank the Virgin for protecting me so that the skeleton didn’t take me.

May 2, 1953

Holy Virgin, thank you for saving my sick son Pedrito from death.

Maria Rey
21–V–90, Mexico

I married Jose a year after he became a widower when his first wife died on the day of the wedding because of indigestion after eating too much. Turned out that the ghost of the first wife was very jealous. She began to appear at nights with the angry face and scared me a lot. Then I ordered a novena for her soul, and it made the ghost to go away and rest in peace. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because now I’m happy with Jose.