My wife was very angry when I woke up late. She used to beat me with a rolling pin or pull the blanket off so I’d freeze and get up. But since my late grandfather left me a lot of money her character got softer. She doesn’t get angry anymore and doesn’t try to pull me out of the bed, so I can sleep as long as I want. I thank Saint Michael the Archangel.

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

My son complained that he had been bullied a lot by one of his classmates. I told him that he should defend himself, and one day my son kicked that boy very good. What I didn’t imagine is that the boy would complain to his dad who tuned out to be a mixed martial arts instructor. They were waiting for us after the lessons. I thank the Holy Child of Atocha for we could fix all this with dialogue, because I thought he’d definitely going to beat the shit out of me.

Valentin Bueno
Mexicali, Baja California

I thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for delivering me from those nightmares. I had this dream when the Death came to me and raped me. I was desperate but Our Lord miraculously saved me from this horror.

Amanda Cruz Perez
Xochimilco, Mexico City, 1957

January 1947, near the Guanajuato river, Tomas Ramirez was attacked by three men—two were beating him and the third man, with a gun, shot him in stomach. Tomas fell unconscious. The bullet remained inside. A surgery was performed to avoid any infection. Tomas entrusted himself to the miraculous image of Saint Francis of Paola and little by little got better. Now he’s offering this retablo to keep the miracle in mind.

I was a very jealous man. My jealousy went to extremes when I saw my beautiful wife reading a letter. I thought it was from a lover. The demon of jealousy clouded my mind and made me take the gun and point it to my wife. But then I felt two small hands pulling the gun aside. Later I found out that the letter was from my wife’s grandmother. I thank the Holy Spirit for sending a little angel to save me from this horrible crime and for my wife forgave me for being such an idiot.

Señor Alfonso Rivera was suffering from his drug using son who, when he came home, beat his father with a belt. He thanks the Lord of the Wonders because his son admitted that he had a problem and rehabilitated. His life has become calmer.

Rosario Morales got involved with a married man. But one day his wife appeared with a gun in her hand. Rosario thanks Saint Jude for she was able to convince the wife to not kill her.

Nayely thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe in the name of all those women cowardly killed in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. I ask, with all my heart and with tears in my eyes, to repose their souls in the paradise, for the sake of their families’ comfort

Mexico, 2004

The parents thank the Virgin of the Solitude because their children found the courage to report a teacher who used to spank them. So now he pays for his misdemeanors.

Enrique Martinez went to sing a serenade and was met with bullets. He thanks Saint Francis with this retablo because everything ended well. He promises to not get involved with married women anymore.

Gumara Tecanguey found herself in grave danger. Her husband was about to shoot her because of evil tongues telling him that she’d cheated on him. She thanks the Virgin of the Solitude for protecting her and her husband couldn’t prove anything.

Thank you, Virgin of Guadalupe, for protecting me. One warm night in May, I was attacked by a handsome man with a knife. I told him I got not a lot of money on me. I said he shouldn’t attack people and I offered him to live with me. I even promised to support him but he refused because he wasn’t from Mexico but from somewhere in Central America.

Ernestina Luna
Mexico City, 1959