3 a.m., three young guys asked the taxi driver Marcos Martinez for a ride. They said they were going to the center of Coatzacoalcos. Then they asked to turn on the Diaz Miron avenue. When they reach the destination, the guys attacked the taxi driver and hid him in the trunk. At the end they left the car in a distant neighborhood. Marcos was praying to Saint Sebastian of Aparicio, and the locals heard the noises and hits from the trunk at the sunrise. They called police, and they saved the taxi driver. Marcos dedicates this retablo for that.

Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, 1979

My wife and I, we were taking a nice calm walk in the park when suddenly, to my bad luck, we met my mistress. When the girls realized they were cheated on, they both jumped on me kicking like crazy. Thanks to Saint Charbel, there was a policeman near by, so he saved me. Otherwise, these women could’ve certainly sent me right to the hospital. I promised to behave good.

Inocencio Bueno
Mazatlan, Sinaloa

A friend offered his car to Roberto Gutierrez but forgot to tell that there was a corpse in the trunk. Roberto was held by the police. He entrusted himself to Saint Jude, and after long questionings he was acquitted of the crime. The guilty person paid for his crime. Roberto brings this retablo in gratitude for that.

The police came to the Elsa Camargo’s house because her neighbors were complaining that she kept many cats and it stank a lot. She thanks Saint Joseph for they didn’t take all of her cats away because, otherwise, she would have died of a broken heart.

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

Roberto Jimenez was driving his bus when two criminals came in and started robbing the passengers. But they didn’t know that there was a policeman on that bus. He shot the criminals. Roberto thanks the Virgin of Juquila for nothing happened to him.

Humberto Medina was caught by police. They tortured him with a bucket of urine. He thanks Saint Pancras with this retablo for he endured it all and didn’t say anything, because he was innocent.

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

The young man Raul N. was caught stealing condoms at a pharmacy. He thanks the Holy Child of Atocha with the present retablo because the policeman let him go when saw that he was with his girlfriend.

Being under the effects of a bad combination of spliff, beer, vodka and absinthe, I forgot that cars circulate on the wrong side of the road in this country. The Holy Angels sent a police officer on time before a 73 ran me over. I didn’t lose my life, just £100 fine. Thank you, Angels.

Santiago
Hoxton, 2007

Yolanda Rivera was caught by the police when she was swimming in a fountain. She thanks Saint Sebastian de Aparicio with this retablo because she spent only one night in jail. She promises to not be such an exhibitionist.

Mr. Carlos Velez was attacked by a criminal. During the fight he started to strangle Carlos with the sausages. Carlos thanks the Virgin for he was saved by the police.