Fernando Ramirez had a marvelous idea to smuggle cocaine in his stomach. But the customs officers found out about it and made him to expel it. Fernando gives thanks to Saint Elias because he found an excellent and influent attorney so he would get out of prison soon.

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.

Angelica Ramirez and her boyfriend were thrown out of the movie theater for having sex in public place. She fervently thanks Saint Francis for overcoming this embarrassment and for she wasn’t arrested by the police.

Benjamin Rojas loved to pretend to be a sleepwalker so he can go around and grope his neighbors. But one day they got fed up with him and called the police. Benjamin thanks Saint James for this lesson and promises to amend himself.

Alfredo Navarro was very much sexed up so he went to steal his neighbor’s underwear. However she caught him and denounced him. Alfredo thanks Saint Maroun for he has been already released from the jail and promises to amend his ways.

Saint Jude Thaddeus, thank you for all your favors. It seemed I was loosing my mind when I got in the river completely naked. One and half year before, my boyfriend Pepe had drowned at the very same place. A lady saw me there and reported to the police. They came looking for me, and then I spent three days at a police station until my mother and my sister came after me. They payed the fine, and then I was taken from there with the psychologist. Few months later, I was doing better mentally, since I had been at the edge of going crazy.

Angela Moreno
Cuernavaca, Morelos, 1965

I, Angelica Pilar Relles, dedicate this ex-voto to the Virgin of Guadalupe because I work as a whore in Merced, and there are robberies, the police, pimps, clients, illnesses in my life, and the Virgin helps me.

Merced
January 9, 1979

Ernesto Romero and Elvira J. were caught by the police while having sex in a car. They thank Saint Charbel with this retablo for the policeman was kind enough to let them go.

Juana M. got drunk and had a brilliant idea to ride a bike naked. She thanks Saint Rita with this retablo for the police arrested her only for 48 hours.

We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for making us invisible when the migration patrol was passing by. We were going to cross the river to get to the US and find my cousin who had already found a job for me there. I thank the Virgin for this job will help to support my family.

Anselmo Torres
Michoacan, Mexico, 1987

Alfonso Fernandez was caught at his home by the police for producing counterfeit money. He thanks the Virgin of San Juan for having a great lawyer so he didn’t get many years in jail. He promises to put himself on a righteous way.

The Rosales brothers were gathering wood in the mountains when they saw a police car chasing chicken robbers. The slope was steep so the cages were falling out of the truck opening so the chicken got loose. The brothers thanks the Virgin of Zapopan for now every one of them have plenty of chicken.

I thank the Virgin Mary for protecting me while I as taking bath in the park. That dirty old man kept staring at me and ran over the sergeant Gurriato, which saved me from being hit instead.

Puebla, 1968