Feast day: August 16
When did St. Roch live: 1295 - 1327
Biography of St. Roch:
According to untrustworthy sources, Roch was born in France as the son of the governor of Montpellier. He lost his parents at the age of twenty and went on a pilgrimage to Rome where he took care of victims of a plague. He suffered from plague himself but recovered soon after thanks to a dog who brought him a piece of bread every day so that he could recover in a little cave in the woods. He is said to have performed various miracles of healing. He was captured on his way back to Montpellier and imprisoned for five years because his uncle failed to recognize him and believed he was a spy. He died in prison.
Patronage: St. Roch is patron saint of the invalids and against pestilence and plague
Statues and wooden sculptures from Val Gardena representing St. Roch - portrayal, imagery and emblem: St Roch is shown as a pilgrim with a dog and a wound on his leg.