1920, Zacatlan, my boyfriend was crying a serenade for me, and my daddy got annoyed, went out and started shooting at him. I thank the Holy Child of Atocha for my boyfriend got no bullet and my daddy only shot one mariachi.

Virgin of Guadalupe, I dedicate you this retablo thanking for saving my life. I went to gather hay at my field. I had gathered many bags of it, when I met the Mejio brothers. We had some quarrels since their sister was my fiancée. They tried to kill me spearing me with my own hay fork. Thank goodness, don Alejo was passing by. He saw me and helped to get home.

Sabas Robles
Chalco, State of Mexico, 1958

The street clown Pancho Ruiz was loud-mouthing a driver, and the driver hit him in the face. Pancho thanks Saint John of the Cross for he only lost one tooth. He promises not to be rude and be more polite with people.

Señora Fernanda Robles suffered a lot because her husband drank a lot and became a real devil. One day he was so drunk, he tried to kill her. That dangerous moment Fernanda entrusted herself to Our Lord Jesus Christ. He made a miracle, and her husband stopped drinking.

Mexico City, 1973

January 10, 1810, my lady hit me for having confused her name by another. That’s why today I offer this retablo to the Virgin of Guadalupe so this never happens again. I, Nepomuzeno thank.

Mejico City

Thank you, Virgin of Guadalupe, for saving my son Julio. I sent him to take money from my friend. He didn’t come back for a long time and I went to find him. To my surprise, I found him lying on the ground. He had been attacked and shot. I dedicate this retablo to the brown-skin Virgin for saving him.

Felipe Lopez
Pachuca, Hidalgo, 1964

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

Virgin of Guadalupe, I dedicate this ex-voto in the name of all those women cowardly killed in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. I ask, with all my heart, to repose their souls in the paradise, for the sake of their families’ comfort.

January 25, 2004

Sister Maria Felipa and sister Marcela were attacked by some drug addicts in an alley. The sisters thank Saint Teresa with this retablo for some dogs appeared promptly and saved them.

Holy Child of Atocha, thank you for your favors. When my ex-boyfriend and his current lover were entering the hotel, I yelled at him “Boyfriend stealer!” and to hurt more called him a cheap rotten ass faggot. He got angry, grabbed my hair and scratch my face. The I felt a hit in my back. Four days later, I went to the doctor. They made an x-ray and found out a needle in my body. I needed a surgery, I had a suppuration and a high fever. I thank for coming well through the surgery.

Ruben Mendez
Mexico City, 1980

Enrique Chavez got a serious quarrel with his brother-in-law which got so angry that he cut Enrique’s belly with a machete. His guts dropped out. His wife prayed to the Virgin of Guadalupe, and miraculously, after many surgeries, Enrique was saved. They offer this retablo in gratitude.

One bully used to beat Arnulfo Gutierrez. Then the boy entrusted himself to Saint Jerome. With his help, Arnulfo learned to box and gave a good beating to the bully.

The young man Rodolfo Suarez bet money in the poker but had nothing to pay off. He was badly beaten for that. He thanks Saint Jude with this retablo because he finally paid the debt and was left in peace. He promises to amend his ways.