We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because we sold our crop by a good price. With the money, we bought a cow and three pigs. We’ll began to breed pigs and we’ll have fresh milk for our children because they need it. We offer this retablo for helping us.

My husband was always inventing strange devices of small practical use. But one day the circus people saw him on his monocycle with super-accelerator, and they loved it. They bought it and ordered him few more. We give thanks because with this money we could open a small groceries shop. So my husband can keep inventing his strange things, and we won’t lack money.

I was taking a customer one day, and he forgot his suitcase with documents and cash in my taxi. When I noticed it I ran out looking for him. Finally I found him and returned him his suitcase untouched. I dedicate this retablo to Saint Nicholas of Bari thanking him for being rewarded for my honesty with money by that mister. I used this money to fix my little car which is my work instrument.

Delfino Buendia, Mexico City

Since we needed money so badly, I decided—after noticing that the prostitutes from the Rosales street earned quite a good money—to try this thing. I put on a blouse in which I looked very beautiful, took my sister’s skirt, borrowed high heels shoes and went to the Rosales street. First, a horrible drunk old man hit on me. He wanted me to go with him but I ran from him. Then came the police and tried to put us in jail, but I managed to escape. I thank Saint Raymond, and I suppose it’s better to work in a bakery.

With this retablo, I thank the Virgin of the Charity who helped me to collect some money for the maracas without which I couldn’t have worked in the “Windmill” cabaret in Tijuana.

Abel C. dedicates this humble retablo to Saint George thanking him for his wife hasn’t found out that he has a habit of spending a lot of money on private dances from sexy strippers at “Table Dance” on weekends. He promises to never forget about his obligations as husband, but will go on satisfying his personal whims, even secretly.

Tijuana, Baja California

Delfina Hernandez dedicates this humble retablo to Saint Barbara in sign of gratitude for her master pays her very good for her discretion so she won’t tell her wife about his infidelity, when he brings home young girls taking advantage of his wife’s absence. With this extra-money, she could help more to her family which stays back in her village.

Guadalajara, Jalisco

The Coca-Cola’s employee Raul Hernandez thanks Saint James for his good sales. He was payed the bonus to the best salesman of the year, so he got good money.

In eternal gratitude to the EU inspectors who didn’t investigate the spending of 300 000 € in subsidies that I appropriated because I need them to buy Mercedes 800 LT and a house in Algarve which I registered on the name of my dear daughter Aninha, 4-years old.

Timotio Phirmino Browser e Morais
June 29, 2003

The Hernandez brothers, Ponciano and Salvador, bring this retablo to Saint Isidor the Labourer because they managed to buy some land in their village for the money they’d earned as farm-workers in USA. They thank from the bottom of their hearts.

Morelia, MIchoacan

The Day of the Dead, the dead came out of their graves to have fun. They choose my tepacheria place to dance and play music. I was scared, and all customers who were alive ran away. I thought I was going to earn nothing and only to lose money that night. But thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe the skeletons turned out to be good clients. When they went away—because of the rooster—they left me various gold coins which were very valuable.

Tepacheria is a bar where they serve tepache, a fermented beverage made from the pineapple peel.

We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because we managed to collect enough money to but a new needle for our record player. So now we can listen that album we have all the day on Sundays.

Hidalgo, March 1962

The boy Jose Gomez found out the combination for his father’s safe and stole a lot of money from it. When it was revealed he was spanked and grounded. He promises to Saint Pancras not to do it again.