I’m very happy in my old age. Thank you, Virgin of Guadalupe.

Pedro Zamora, 1975

My great-grandmother is so old, she couldn’t remember how old is she. One day she asked me to let the birds that lived in her house free. They were making so her happy but she said I must to do it so the birds would open the path for her soul since she was thinking she was about to die. I freed the birds, and they flew to the sky. But later they all came back, they stayed in my great-grandmother’s garden and kept making her happy flying in the trees.

Señora Maria Tereza de la Garza lived alone. One day she fell and couldn’t get up. She thanks Saint Patrick because one and half-day later her neighbor heard her screaming and came to help.

Gilberto Velazquez was badly infected with lice and was even expelled from the school because of that. The boy thanks the Virgin of San Juan because his grandmother gave him a homemade remedy. All lice were gone, and he didn’t have to go bald.

With the tears of happiness and hope, I thank the Brown-skin girl from Tepeyac because she granted me a possibility to see with my own eyes His Holiness John Paul II, at my 90 years. Let his message touch the hearts of all Mexicans and their rulers so this country would be the Paradise of the new century.

Mexico, the end of millennium

Two thieves got into doña Genoveva’s house but her cats defended her to the death. She brings the present retablo to Saint Anthony the Great thanking him for no cat got hurt.

The old man Felipe Suarez wanted to go after young chicks and took three viagras. He got it so hard, he had to go to the hospital. He thanks Saint Augustine for his cock didn’t explode and promises to not go crazy with prostitutes.

Juan Ramirez got angry with his grandson who wouldn’t quiet down and hit him in the mug with a stick. He got in jail for that. He thanks Saint Jude Thaddeus with this retablo for getting out and promises to be a better person.

The old lady doña Chonita was walking a very big dog that ended up dragging her after him. She thanks Saint Martin de Porres for some young men helped her and she didn’t get hurt very much.

Mariquita Robledo enjoyed hitting the kids with her stick when they made noise. But one day she ran into a stubborn boy who respond her with throwing a stone at her and hitting her in the head. Mariquita thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for her recovery and promises to be kinder.

Jesus Christ, thank you for your favors. I thank because my grandson returned alive from the war in Vietnam. I also thank for my grandson came to visit me in Mexico. It might be a last time I see him because I feel very tired and my health is bad.

Margarita Galindo
Mexico City, 1976

Amalia Lopez got drunk and that’s why she involuntarily let her aunt to fall from stairs in a wheelchair. She thanks Saint Martha because her aunt wasn’t killed although she kicked her out of the house.

In my age, I thought that the sex question had been closed for me and I was going to resign and to live an old man life in a tedious and boring way. I dedicate the present retablo to Saint Elias thanking him for having discovered these marvelous pills called viagra. Thanks to them I’m back to enjoy the pleasures of love, and I feel as masculine as when I was young.

Eugenio R.
Cancún, Quintana Roo