My son Jesus lost in the mountains with the donkeys. My daughters and I are thankful to the Virgin of San Juan because four days later, after many our prayers, Jesus found his way back home. A beam of light guided him out and he returned safe and sound as well as his donkeys.

Valentin Murillo almost died under a rockfall in the mountains. He thanks the Virgin of Zapopan for the miracle that no stone hit him or his donkey.

I thank the Holy Child with the Twig for saving me from an angry donkey that had bad intentions and scared me when I was taking a sunbath.

Carolina Peres
El Cerrito, Gto., Mexico, 1955

On her way to Zacatlan to sell flowers, Gregoria Lopez got her rear-end bitten by her donkey. It got inflamed. Since no remedy would help her, she prayed the Child of Atocha, and it got healed. She thanks for that with this retablo. 1917.

The Lozano Lopez family thanks the Lord of Villaseca for healing their five donkeys. They got sick a week ago, and the doctor said they would die. But thanks to your miracle they are cured.

Our donkey on which we were carrying oranges to the town for selling fell down the cliff and couldn’t climb back by itself. We thank the Holy Child of Atocha for giving us—to me and my children—extraordinary strength to pull the donkey up and save him. Besides, we love him very much and he’s like our family member.

When my brother and I were coming back to the village, we were caught by hail storm. We thank the Blessed Sacrament for we didn’t get frozen, nor our donkeys, and for we got home.

When I was going to the town to sell oranges, my donkey and I fell into a pit. I couldn’t move, and I thought I would die there, at the bottom of a dark pit. I began to pray the Virgin of Zapopan, and some time later a shepherd was walking by with his goats. He heard my screams and came to save us. I thank the Virgin because nor I, nor my donkey got hurt.

I was carrying my oranges to the town to sell them. But I got a bad idea to ride the donkey. Since I’m slightly fat, plus the weight of the oranges, the ground and the donkey’s legs couldn’t bear it. We fell on the slope from the hill which is very steep. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because we fell down some bushes and I didn’t brake any bones, nor did my donkey. The oranges got smashed but I borrowed a bucket and made juice from them. In that way I even made more money than with the whole fruits.

The evening of November 2, the Day of the Dead, in the vicinity of San Javier, Pancho Garcia and his donkey ran into a wandering dead soul. Pancho entrusted himself to the Holy Child of Atocha and could escape with his donkey from the danger. He thanks for that.

1915

My son Luisito was kicked by the milkman’s donkey. The boy was in bad condition. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for his recovery.

I was lost in the desert with my donkey. We were dying from insolation and thirst. Suddenly I saw many angels coming to us. They flew to take us to the heaven. But then I realized they weren’t angels but vultures. I prayed the Virgin of San Juan for help, and some travelers in a truck noticed us. They took us with them and gave us water. I thank the Virgin for saving our lives.

Faustino Cabrera dedicates this humble retablo to Saint Francis of Assisi because thanks to his divine intervention he found his donkey Filomeno which had been lost in the field. He couldn’t work without the donkey, so he’s very happy he found him.

Zitocuaro, Michoacan