Maria offers this retablo to the Virgin of the Solitude because Felipe asked my hand in marriage. My father wanted me to marry don ***, the storekeeper. I prayed to you because I was in love with Felipe, and now we are together.

Celaya, Guanajuato, May 1929

May you be blessed Virgin of Guadalupe for the miracle that Luis moved to live with me. We love each other, although his family doesn’t accept our relationship. But we aren’t afraid to be who we are.

Acapulco, Luis & Jilberto, February 14, 1985

When Lisa started dating a doctor of sciences, she was very concerned about his obvious intellectual superiority. But then it turned out that he likes to play the hare and the hunter in bed, and it quickly harmonized their relationship. Lisa is grateful to the universe for the fact that all people are born equal, free, and a little bit fucked-up.

I dedicate this ex-voto to Saint Segismundo “Froy” for giving me the joy of meeting my love in Roma and to end with me being single. I manage better and get rid of my sorrows. I’m happy with my husband and son.

Anai Lopez — October 2016, Mexico City

The widow Ana Maria Rivera brings the present retablo to Saint Anthony thanking him for, despite being 80 years old and having 13 kids, she still found her love.

San Nicolas, 1917

I bring this retablo as testimony of gratitude to Saint Anthony of Padua who made so that Lolita became my fiancée. I was afraid she’d reject me since I wasn’t of equal position with her. But I loved her so much. Now we’re happy together, and her family is happy as well.

Benito Cruz — Guanajuato, 1946

Franck and Luis met at a party and little by little fell in love. The fervently asked the Virgin of Zapopan to give them strength to overcome the obstacles and to live together. And they made it.

Uruapan, Michoacan — August 1959

Rosa Maria Telles was very sad because she couldn’t find a partner. She implored Saint Anthony and one day met Erika Montiel. Now they live together and are very happy. She thanks for this favor.

We met in the wrestling, and it was an immediate attraction. We started our relationship, and we are a happy couple. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe.

A young man Anacleto Figueroa fell in love with a girl from a village in Tequila. That’s why he started looking for a job as a jimador. He thanks Saint Anthony because now, thanks to his efforts, they will get married.

A. J. fell in love with a country priest and one day, in a moment of weakness, offered herself to him. She thanks Saint Benedict with this retablo for nothing happened because the priest turned her down.

I was a bandit. One day I was going to a town to do my misdeeds and stopped near a very beautiful girl. She saw that I was thirsty and she was kind to offer me some water. She didn’t know who I was, and I, as soon as I saw her, fell completely in love with her. I’m infinitely thankful to Saint Anthony of Padua for having met her. Thanks to her advices and her love I managed to amend my ways, and I’m a good man now.

Tiburcio Zamora / Zacatecas, Mexico

I give infinite thanks to Saint Anthony of Padua for sending a good woman to my life. I got married very young, but got a bad wife. She left me for another man. I became very disappointed and took refuge in my carpenter job for many years. But one beautiful day I met Carmelita and I believed in love again. We are very happy. May you be blessed.

Cayetano Aguilar \ Zacatecas, Mexico