16/08/2026
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ต
Feast Day: August 16
Patronage: Plague and Epidemic Victims
Saint Roch was born to a noble family in Montpellier, France, with a miraculous cross-shaped birthmark on his chest. After his parents passed away, he renounced his wealth, distributed his inheritance to the poor, and set off on a pilgrimage to Rome. While traveling through Italy, he dedicated himself to healing bubonic plague victims simply by making the sign of the cross over them. He eventually contracted the deadly disease himself and withdrew into a remote forest so he would not burden others. Miraculously, a local hunting dog found him, brought him a loaf of bread every day, and licked his wounds until he fully recovered. Upon returning to France, his own uncle failed to recognize him and threw him into prison as a spy, where he died five years later before his true identity was revealed by his distinctive cross birthmark.
