San Roque Retablo – Contagious Diseases

About this piece

San Roque Retablo Patron Saint of Dogs, Dog Lovers, Invoked against Cancer & Contagious Diseases

St. Roque was French born to a wealthy family. At the age of twenty he gave away all his wealth. He set out on a pilgrimage to Rome. The plague was afflicting Northern Italy. Roque went from town to town nursing plague victims and eventually contracted the plague. He knew he was contagious. He did not want to infect anyone, so went into the forest. There a dog befriended him licking his wounds. When he returned home no one recognized him — he was so changed from his illness. Many thought he was a spy sent from Italy and he was put in prison where he died. He was finally recognized because of a heart shaped birth mark on his chest. During the plague in Europe, one could find over the doors of houses the letters "VRS" (Viva Saint Roch) to ward off the plague.

Pocket - 1 1/2" x 2 3/4"