Mr. Benito thanks Saint Jude Thaddeus because, being drowned in the vice of drinking, he was left without job and dumped by his wife. But he find help in the AA group and could get out this damned vice. He promise not to drink again.

Golondrinas, Mexico City, October 28, 2011

My old man Cirilo used to drink in the bar with his friends. I was very desperate because he couldn’t stop. I begged the Holy Lord of Chalma to help him to quit this sin, and thanks to his divine intervention my old man amended his ways and became a good worker.

Domitila Castrejon ~ Tlaquepaque, Jalisco

Anselmo Barrientos was resting after the work in the field. He was drinking pulque when the bony Death appeared. Anselmo wasn’t a young man, but still he had no desire to die yet. He prayed the Lord of Blue Eye. The Lord scared the Death away, and it left Anselmo in peace.

Texcoco, Mexico, 1923

The Day of the Dead, some skeletons asked me to take them in my carriage for a ride under the moonlight. Since I was quite drunk and needed money, I agreed. I thank the Virgin of the Rosary for they didn’t take me to their graves at the dawn.

Drunk skeletons appeared to Rafael Contreras, they wanted to make him drunk with tequila. But he implored the Holy Face and got free from them.

Guadalajara, 1955

Saint Rita of Cascia, I offer you this ex-voto thanking you for not giving me diabetes because I got very much frightened when I was passing by drunk and the Death and the Devil himself appeared to me. I ran away to my house because my stomach was bursting. But then I realized it was the Day of the Dead and people dressed up like that to ask for sweets because it’s the tradition of all Mexicans. Viva la Catrina and those who celebrate the Day of the Dead!

Grateful chilango, November 1 and 2, 2014
Mixquic, Mexico City

— Don’t you dare, son… anymore.
— One more?
— One more whitey…

Señor Arnolfo Layo gives thanks to the Holy Death because he stopped drinking alcohol starting October 12, 2010, and went to work in construction to support his family. Amen.

Blessed Heart, I give thanks to you for giving a second chance to live to this woman after she was stabbed. An evil client who was drunk attacked her and left het badly wounded in a hotel room in Merced, Mexico City.

A. V. R. — May 2016

I promise you, Virgin of Guadalupe, that I won’t steal money from my mother to drink mezcal anymore.

Abuncio Villa

My eternal gratitude to Saint Charbel for hearing my prayers and making so that my three sons—the Salazar brothers—have finished their studies and got degrees despite the fact that they were always in the town mezcaleria-bar.

Concha Vega, Salazar widow

On her way to the market, Carmen Sanchez received a bullet from a drunkard who sot her in the belly without any reason. Finding herself in danger of dying, she entrusted herself to Juan Deigo so that he would deliver her from death. Now she gives thanks for the received miracle.

Cuernavaca, Morelos, 1995

My husband changed for the worse. He began to visit bars and ladies of easy virtue. I was afraid to lose him, so I prayed to the Virgin so that he wouldn’t go a bad path. Finally I had an idea. I said to him that if he’d continue to behave naughty, I would not cook for him anymore. And I cook really good. He thought it over and broke off his bad habits. I thank the Virgin of San Juan.

Zapopan, Mexico, 1980

When I was returning after having coated my brother-in-law’s house and with few drinks inside, the fucking devil appeared to me. I ran so fast out of there that I even sobered up. I asked the Holy Lord of Chalma to look after me and deliver me from the evil. Now I’m thanking and promise not to use an expression “Devil fucks your mother” ever again.

Jose Trinidad Martinez de Jesus
Tacuba neighborhood, Mexico City
July 6, 1984