Saint Charbel, thank you for protecting us. Three years after my husband had gone to work in USA, we went to visit him. There we celebrated a New Year with our son. Two days later he went to visit his friend and never came back. I had some money but they didn’t last long. We got broke very quickly. We have no money to pay for a room but one lady gave us a room in a semi-destroyed house. Later I found out that my husband lives with an American woman.

Fernanda Mendoza
Tijuana, 1960

For all the immigrants!

Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico, empress of America, protect the USA and all the latin immigrants of all races and colors who went to that country to earn their living. Help them to keep their jobs and do not let this idiot’s crazy ideas and threats to deprive them of their rights and liberty.

My husband tried to smuggle me in Europe in a suitcase without a visa. But I was discovered in the airport by a border control officer. I thank the Statue of Liberty for I wasn’t sent back.

Evaristo, his wife Maria and their son Jose thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for giving them strength to cross the Arizona desert after they were abandoned in the middle of the desert by the guide who ran away from the danger of being caught by the immigration police. They thank for they arrived to USA.

1985

I thank Saint Anthony for all the good things happened with me. When I worked in a cabaret I had a lot of problems. They paid me very little, and my pimp took a big part of my earnings. One day I made up my mind and went to Texas, USA. I rented an apartment, and now my clients come to visit me and give me big dollars.

Sofia Macias
Texas, US, 1966

I thank Jesus Valverde for saving me from dying. When we arrived to California (USA), my guide got mad because of being heavily drugged. I entrusted my life to him [Jesus] and could escape. In this retablo, I show this miracle.

Jose P.
Navolato, Sinaloa, 1990

Pedro and his son Antonio give thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe because she gave them strength to cross the Arizona desert and to get to the USA and make some bucks to support their family in Mexico.

January 25, 1985

Thank you, Saint Jude Thaddeus, for protecting me from the damned immigration police. They are like dogs chasing the immigrants, who, like me, have to move to the country looking for a job. Thing are going very bad now—after that damn discriminating SB 1070 law, derogatory to our rights, was passed here in Arizona. So keep your fucking dollars, and I go back to my dear, beloved Mexico. I dedicate this retablo for all humiliated Mexicans.

March 30, 2010

We, Samuel and Felipe, thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because we came to USA, earned a lot of money and now, three years later, we are going back to our beautiful and beloved Mexico.

November 25, 2000

I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving me during the attack on the twin-towers on September 11, 2001, because I was late and couldn’t get where the tragedy happened. Now I’m back in my beloved and beautiful Mexico.

Jesus Ramirez
Puebla, Puebla

Antonio Lopez and his son Pedro give thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe because she sent them strength to cross the Arizona desert and to fulfill their american dream—make some money to support their family in Mexico.

January 25, 1985

Virgin of Guadalupe, I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, do not let mr. Osama bin Laden to attack U.S. again, especially with nuclear bombs, because my children work there, in Los Angeles, California. Let the piece reign and no war, My Holy Mother.

Silvia Hernandez
September 11, 2001

This is ex-voto of thanks to the leaders of Soviet revolution. If it hadn’t happened I couldn’t have had highly qualified workers from east for next to nothing. I’ve already had three musicians from Kiev Symphony Orchestra working for me as stevedores carrying cement. Now I have a surgeon working on a crane and two Ukrainian women at the kitchen. They were ballet dancers back in their homeland. They’re nice-looking broads, it’s nothing wrong with their bodies, probably because of gymnastics <…>