St. Roch

  Posted on August 18, 2024  by admin  No comments

Born: 1295 at Montpelier, France

Died: 1327 at Montpelier or Angleria, France of natural causes, relics in Venice, Italy in the church of San Rocco; in Rome, Italy; and in Arles, France

Patronage: against cholera, against diseased cattle, against epidemics, against knee problems, against plague, against skin diseases and rashes, bachelors, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, relief from pestilence, surgeons, tile makers, Tagbilaran, Philippines, diocese of Constantinople, 24 other assorted cities around the world.

Also known as Roc, Rocco, Roche, Rochus, Rock, Rocke, Rollock, Rollox, Roque, Seemirookie

French noble who early developed a sympathy for the poor and sick; reported to have been born with the image of a red cross on his breast. Orphaned at age 20, he gave his fortune to the poor, and became a mendicant pilgrim; may have been a Franciscan tertiary. While on pilgrimage Roch encountered an area afflicted with plague. He stayed to minister to the sick, and affected several miraculous cures, usually by making the sign of the cross over them, but contracted the plague himself. He walked into a forest to die, but was befriended by a dog. The dog fed him with food stolen from his master’s table, and Roch eventually recovered. When Roch returned to Montpellier, France, he was arrested for being a spy. He languished in jail for five years, never mentioning his noble connections, cared for by an angel until his death.