June 24, 1909, on the Saint John’s Eve, my old man was coming back from the field and met a ghost of a hanged man. I thank Saint Augustine for protecting my old man and his donkey from such danger.

Charcas, S.L.P., 1909

I went with my daughters to stay at my aunt Roberta’s house for few days. She lived in an old mansion which had used to be a convent. At night I heard my girls screaming. When I entered their room I felt something cold and strange. The girls were scared so I took them to my room. They told me they saw ghosts. I thank the Virgin for the ghost didn’t hurt my girls and disappeared very quickly. Later my aunt told me that she had seen the ghost few times.

Catarino Menendes was going through the cemetery and met his mother-in-law’s soul. She wanted to grab him, so he prayed Saint Jude for protection. The old witch didn’t get him, and he thanks for this mayor favor although he lost his sombrero hat and his bottle of tequila.

Puebla, 1915

May your purity be blessed for ever, Virgin Mary. Thanks to you we have sold our house which we just bought shortly before. The house is cursed! Ghost, phantasms, skeletons and many others tortured me and my wife at night. I humbly thank you and bring you this retablo.

1953, Motul, Yucatan

Holy Face, I thank you for your favors. They said that the abandoned house is so scary because they hanged one man there at the time of the Mexican revolution. I didn’t believe it until one day I got so frightened that my body was paralyzed. I went home and fell off the horse. I had a small heart attack. I give infinite thanks for I managed to save myself from death.

Jaime Moreno
Monterrey, Mexico, 1958

My friend Camilo and I were coming back after having few drinks in the town. We had bad luck to cross our path with a horrible creature come from the hell. We weren’t sure if it was a demon, a witch or a ghost, but it looked very threatening. We thank the Virgin of Zapopan who covered us with her mantle so the creature passed by without noticing us. After that we set off at full gallop to home.

Enriqueta was suffering from a very severe insomnia. She even began seeing her late finance appearing at nights. She thanks Saint Rita because after the prayers she was back to rest again.

The people in the village were saying they had seen the Weeping Woman at night. Filled with fear, they shut themselves in their house from early evening. But I didn’t believe in those stories. The other night, I went to gather some fruits in the field and I heard her crying. I got so scared, I got goosebumps. I entrusted myself to Saint Benedict and ran away from there. Thanks to the saint’s help nothing bad happened with me. I promise to not laugh at the legends anymore.

Clementina Perez
State of Mexico

My granddaughters were playing dressing up in the attic. Anita put on the wedding dress of my great aunt in which she’d died of love. Suddenly her ghost appeared because her dress was desecrated. I thank the Virgin of the Rosary for the girls escaped from the ghost, their fear has gone and they don’t stutter anymore.

My husband was a very happy man, and he filled my life with happiness. But he used to eat a lot, and it was a cause of his death. I was grieving so deeply, I was crying and praying to the Virgin of Zapopan to have pity on me and to let my husband visit me at night before I go to sleep. And my husband began to appear to me, all glowing. When he laughed, the shiny stardust fell from him. I thank the Virgin because my husband’s visits turned me back to life, and I’m happy again.

There was a legend in my town about a ghost of a villista who rode the horse on the Night of All Saints. I never believed that but that night I worked late in the mountains, and on the way back to my hut I bumped into that ghost. He told me to go with him to the Revolution. I prayed the Virgin of Zapopan, and that moment the ghost disappeared. I thank for I didn’t die of fear.

Ponciano Morales
Durango, Mexico

We were coming back home from the grandmother Martina. We were going through the cemetery, and a ghost appeared to us. We got scared and ran away, but the ghost followed us trying to take us to the other world. We prayed the Virgin of Zapopan, and thanks to her the ghost didn’t catch us. We were so frightened we ran all the way to our house. We dedicate this retablo to the Virgin.

There was a legend in my town about a ghost of a villista who rode the horse on the Night of All Saints. I never believed that but that night I drank too much mezcal and on my way back to my hut I bumped into that ghost. He told me to go with him to the Revolution. I prayed the Virgin of San Juan, and that moment the ghost disappeared. I thank for I didn’t die of fear.

Feliciano Piña
Durango, Mexico