Virgin of San Juan, thank you for giving us enough strength to cross the desert and arrive in the USA where my son Jesus had a surgery to remove a tumor in his head. We thank you because you protected us under your cloak and now we are all right.

Antonio and Rozaura Murillo
Guadalajara, Jalisco — May 1, 1995

Jose gives thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe for letting him cross the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) without being seen by immigration police. So he could fulfill his American dream and earn some bucks for helping his family in Mexico.

25 January 1990

My boyfriend went to work abroad. I had no news from him for a while, so I was sad. I asked St. Francis of Assisi for a sign. And one day a flock of birds flew over to me and told me good news about my boyfriend. I thank St. Francis for I was able to communicate with the birds.

Oralia Nava

I went to USA as illegal immigrant to work. I missed my family so much, and I asked the Virgin of Guadalupe for a miracle to be with them. Few years later, I finally came back, at the height of the December holidays, to stay forever with my wife and my kids.

We offer this retablo to the Virgin of San Juan for the miracle that we arrived to USA after we had met the immigration police but managed to escape.

Antonio & Julio, 1941
Jalisco

I thank Saint Francis for hearing our prayers. My son and I went to USA as illegal immigrants, but we got lost. Luckily, we were found by the immigration police, so now I can tell about that.

Juan Gutierrez

I, Vicente from the José López Portillo neighborhood, lost my job. I had no education, so I decided to pursue the american dream and went as illegal immigrant to USA. I heard a lot about it from my neighbors. During the river-crossing my two guides, whom I had payed, left me to the mercy of fate. In a danger moment when I almost got caught, I prayed to the Our Lady of all Mexicans. She helped me and I arrived to USA. I promised her a retablo. After many troubles, things were getting better. Now I’m coming back home and I keep my promise.

Mexico, 1990

I dedicate this retablo to the Virgin of San Juan for helping me to come back from USA with some dollars, so I could get married and buy my truck and work on my land.

Jasinto
November 15, 1959
Jalisco

With great joy, I give thanks to God and the Virgin of Guadalupe for such a big favor. I thought I’d never get married because my best years were behind me. But one day my boyfriend, who went in USA few years ago, returned. He proposed me, and I gladly accepted his proposal, because he is the love of my life. He organized a very cute wedding for me.

Lupita Gonzalez & Amador Ramirez
Celaya, Guanajuato
June 5, 1986

May 2000, we went through the desert with a dream to get to USA and to make some money. After four days we understood that we were lost. We had no food, no water. We felt that death was near. We started to pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe to save us from dying like dogs, far away from our beautiful and beloved Mexico. We read Our Father and went to sleep. We were saved by some peasants who took us to Nogales, where the border is. We had no money, but we were alive. May you be blessed, Virgin! And to other Mexicans I want to say this: think before you go across the border because there is nothing better than our Mexico. Two chilangos are telling you.

Since my fiancé Jose Fransisco went to work to the North and I didn’t receive any news from him, I started to think he had left me for ever. I still loved him, but nevertheless, I agreed to marry Ramon. But I kept praying to the Virgin so that Jose would return. And on the day of the wedding Jose Fransisco arrived right in front of the church doors. He took me on his horse and we rode away. Ramon chased us for quite a long time, but at the end he conceded defeat and stopped following us. Two days later we got married. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for the happiness.

With this retablo, I ask the Virgin of Guadalupe for my liberty in USA.

San Felipe, Guanajuato
Juan Jose Sanchez
October 10, 1990

Susan Elizabeth Chen & Jonah Marcel Gilbert Daniel van der Beke, who got married on March 26, 2003, in Bath, England, thank St. Joseph, a patron saint of Belgium, New York, travelers, immigrants and married couples, for two years of their marriage. Also they thank for the Jonah’s Green Card that permits Susan and Jonah live together in New York, with their books, music and their cat Cassie.

Susan Elizabeth Chen & Jonah Marcel Gilbert Daniel van der Beke
March 26, 2005