Enrique Fernandez loved to spy on his cousins swimming in the river until one day he was caught and given what he deserved. He thanks Saint Charbel for he wasn’t kicked out and promises to behave well.

I, Timoteo Rodriguez Garcia, and his relatives dedicate this retablo because we almost drown in the strong current trying to cross the Rio Bravo following the American Dream before Donald Trump would build the wall. Crazy fucked up gringo, racist, ku-klux-klan, his whole country is Mexico, bald fatso. Long live the Mexican workers!

Los Angeles, California
June 18, 2017

July 23, 1955, the river broke its banks, and Maria de la Luz Garcia and her son couldn’t get back home. She thanks the Virgin of San Juan for they didn’t parish and didn’t drown during the thunderstorm because doña Gertrud’s let them spend a night at her kitchen. She sat them closer to the fire so they would dry and have some soup and coffee.

Marcela Hernández was doing the laundry on the river when she saw a box with puppies that some heartless person had thrown into the water so that they would drown. She thanks the Virgin of Zapopan she could save and to raise those three puppies and now they are the joy of her life.

Thank you, Saint Jude Thaddeus, for miraculously saving my sons during the Rio Bravo crossing when they were going to work in USA looking for a better opportunity.

Paola Valliejo Zambrano
May 19, 1984, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

I was doing my laundry on the river, with my daughter. I was distracted with very dirty sheets, and when I turned I saw my girl had been carried away by the current. I ran after her, imploring to the Virgin, and then I saw a dog coming after my daughter. The dog brought her to the shore. I thank the Virgin for sending me that dog who was definitely an angel in disguise sent for protecting us.

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

When my husband and I went to visit our relatives in Veracruz we had to go in a boat by the river. Then some giant crocodiles began to surround us. It was getting harder to row because of the stones and mangroves. But thanks to the Virgin of San Juan we managed to get to the house of our relatives safe and sound and no animal attacked us. We offer this retablo to the Virgin.

I was doing my laundry on the river. I was thinking over all my life problems and didn’t notice that one shirt had been taken by a current. I dove after it—it was my husband’s best shirt. I grabbed it and there underwater I felt calmness. Everything around was quiet and silent. My body relaxed, and I let the water to carry me. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for she made me react before I drowned. I got out few miles down the river with a great wish for life such as I had never had before.

I had no water in my house so I went to take a bath to the river. When I finished and get out of the water, I found that a calf had eaten all my clothes except my shoes. Just a thought of going naked back home made me feel embarrassed. Mostly because I had to pass the Rodriguez’ house who are very lustful men. The Virgin of Guadalupe helped me—I found a tablecloth put out to dry off on the fence of a nearby house. I wrapped myself in it and ran to the house, and no one saw me.

The Martinez sisters went to the river for laundry. The water was warm so they decided to bath themselves also. Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by crocodiles. Thy came out of blue but thanks to the protection of the Virgin of Zapopan the sisters were able to get out of the water before being attacked and eaten by those giant creatures. They thank the Virgin.

My children and I were walking along the river when suddenly a terrible rainstorm began. The wall of rain were so dense we couldn’t see where to go. I was scared that because of the rain the water in the river might rise and take us. So while we were running I began to pray the Virgin of Zapopan, and she stopped the rain in a miraculous way. The splendid sun appeared shining in the sky and covered us with its warm rays. I thank for that and present this retablo as a testimony to that miracle.

I took Dorita for a boat ride down the river. I planed to read her some poetry and declare my love to her. But when we passed the old cemetery down the river we saw dead men. They had come out their grave and were dancing, gathering flowers and waving to us. Dorita was so frightened that I though she’d never accept my proposal after this ride. However, thank to the Virgin of Guadalupe she agreed to marry me despite everything.