Prayer to Saint Roch:

"Dear medicate Pilgrim, you once took care of sufferers from the plague and were always ready to help other by kind service and fervent prayers. You yourself had no home and you died in a dungeon. No wonder countless invalids have confidently invoked your help. Please grant a cure to he, and help us all become spiritually healthy."

Roch is the patron saint of:

Montpellier, bachelors, Barano - Italy, Castropignano - Italy, cholera, Constantinople, diseased cattle, dogs, epidemics, falsely accused people, invalids, Istanbul, knee problems, Orsogna - Italy, Patricia - Italy, plague, relief from pestilence, skin diseases, skin rashes, surgeons, tile makers.

Saint Roch kneeling before the Madonna

The life of Saint Roch, born Roch de la Croix, is at times shrouded in great mystery and perhaps even confusion. It is strongly believed and widely know that Roch was the son of a very wealthy Merchant of Montpellier and Dame Libere of the house of Lombardy. Though to some sources, Dame Libere de la Croix, was also a descendant of the Royal house of Hungary. This may just be, with the Royal house of France having some very influential marriages into the Hungarian Royals during the 13-14th Centuries. Roch's father, Jean-Roch de la Croix, was at the time a distinguished citizen of Montpellier and also Premier Consul of Montpellier.

Roch had a sister, though I have been unable to find out any more information about her. She is mentioned in the The Memoirs of Baron de Marbot - Volume I, in connection with the de Verdal family. It is said that a member of the Verdal branch, married the sister of the Saint. In the memoirs Baron de Marbot wrote that before the Revolution their existed the Chateau of Gouveau, where stood a stone bench valued by the country folk, as it was suggested that the Saint (Roch) would visit his sister at the Chateau, and would like to sit there and gaze out at the country side.

Sources say that Roch was orphaned, with no solid information as to what age this would, one source states that it was when he was 20 year's of age¹.

Later Roch went on pilgrimage to Rome, Italy and devoted himself to caring for the victims of the plague that was ravaging Italy. He himself became a victim of the plague at the Italian city of Piacenza. He subsequently recovered, and was reputed to have performed many miracles of healing.

Upon his return to Montpellier, Saint Roch was falsely imprisoned for five years as a spy in pilgrims disguise, when his uncle, who was governor failed to recognize him, and ordered him imprisoned. This is also place to some confusion about Saint Roch, some sources believe that he was imprisoned and died in the Lombard region.

It was only due to a birth mark on his chest, in the form of a pale red cross, did people recognize him. After his passing, his holding cell was reported to have glowed blue and soon thereafter miracles were reported. Thus a popular cult developed and he is invoked to help against pestilence and the plague. He is known as Rocco in Italy and Roque in Spain.

The feast day for Saint Roch is 16th August.

It was until the French Revolution, that the de la Croix de Castries were in possession of the Saint's walking staff. Roughly in 1792, when one of the de la Croix estates were ravaged, with blatant disregard for anything of historical and or family sentimental value, the revolutionists burnt it.