St. Rocco

Born: c. 1348

Died: August 15/16, 1376/79

Feast day: August 16

Patron saint of: bachelors, dogs, falsely accused people, surgeons, pilgrims

St. Rocco, also known as St. Roch, was born to a wealthy family in 1340 in Montpellier, France. He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle, the Duke of Montpellier. When he grew up, St. Rocco renounced his wealth and distributed his possessions to the poor. He took on the cloak and staff of a pilgrim and made his way to Rome.

While on his way there, he stopped at Aquapendente, Italy and devoted himself to helping those who were stricken by the plague, curing them with prayer and the sign of the cross. He next visited Cesena and other cities en route to Rome. Each city in which he sojourned was cleansed of the plague.

Rocco was ultimately stricken with the plague and was banished from the city. He took refuge in a nearby cave where, though he had nothing to eat, a dog faithfully brought him bread daily and licked his wounds, healing them. The dog belonged to a nearby nobleman, Count Gothard Pallastrelli, who was curious to know why his faithful dog stole a loaf of bread and carried it off to the woods every day.

The count followed the dog and found Rocco. He took pity on the stricken saint and brought him to his castle to tend to his illness. Thus, we may all rest assured of St. Rocco’s sanctity; he must have been a very good man indeed for a dog to have approved of him.

—Angelo Stagnaro