Jasinto Perez was drinking under the shadow of a tree. Suddenly martians arrived. They took Jasinto and carried him to their space ship. Jasinto was frightened and he started to pray Saint Barbara for help. Then the miracle happened. The Saint herself appeared before the martians and attacked them with the sword. The martians dropped Jasinto and ran to the ship. Jasinto gives thank fro that.

I give thanks to the Handsome Peralta. My family arrived at the bar to stop me from spending my fortnight salary on drink. But it was my fucking money! So I prayed to the Handsome, who came from the heaven and scared the shit out of them. And I continued to drink in peace. Thanks you, Handsome!

Camilo Gonzales worked as a bus driver, and he got a route in Altas de Jalisco. One morning he was driving being drunk and exhausted. He feel asleep behind the wheel, and the bus fell over a cliff, in a lake. The driver thanks the Virgin of Zapopan because no one of his passengers drowned and because he wasn’t thrown in jail for this accident.

Humberto Galindo was drunk. He went to the latrine and fell down. He thanks Saint Charbel because he escaped with nothing worse than a fright and had no infection. Although he smelled of shit for two days.

Housemaid Felipa Garcia was drunk and her hands were shaking. Because of that she broke a marble statuette. She thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo because her mistress neither hit her nor fired.

Soila Padilla prayed to the Virgin of San Juan so that her husband and her older son would stop drinking. 9 March 1949 the Virgin heard her prayers, and the son Simon got a good job and found a girlfriend. Her husband Melesio now drinks much less than before. Soila thanks for that offering the retablo to the Virgin.

Felipe Suarez got locked in wine cellar, and he drank as much as he liked. But the next morning he got an unbearable hangover. He promises to Saint Jude Thaddeus not to be so irresponsible.

I thank Saint Beatrice because I found a tequila that doesn’t give me a horrible headache when I wake up in the morning.

I dedicate this retablo to the Holy Child of Atocha. I was practically hopeless because of my addiction to all kinds of drugs and alcohol. But I found a good job in the church of the parish priest don Ernesto, who gives me shelter, clean clothes and good food.

Luis Rojas and Pedro Lopez were playing domino while drinking and arguing each other. Then it came to shooting each other. They thanks Saint Bruno with this retablo for nothing serious happened and they arrange the difficulties.

Thank you, Virgin, because you heard my prayers for help me to kick the booze, although it was pretty scary.

At the Christmas party in the neighborhood I went to put some liquor in my punch. Since I was already tipsy I got into the piñata event and was kicked in the head. I give thanks to Saint James the Apostle because I got only the lump. I promise not to drink so much.

Serapio Esparza
Oaxaca, 1968

I, Juan Peña, and my buddy, Delfino Hernandez, thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for sending us a relief from a heavy diarrhea when we saw the fucking devil while being totally drunk.

November 2, 1960