Devotion to San Rocco: patron of plagues and viruses

San Rocco, patron of the plagues
- Patron of cholera, plague, epidemics, dogs, dog lovers, pilgrims, bachelors, surgeons and tomb seekers, among others.

Family, the Lord works powerfully. What a time for San Rocco to return to our life now, when the world is in the middle of an epidemic, the Corona Virus. San Rocco is the patron saint of plagues and epidemics, among other things. We were presented for the first time in San Rocco in Assisi, at the Convent of San Damiano. There is a painting of San Rocco and the dog. In Italy, it is called Santo Rocco. San Rocco is very important for the Italian people, in reality also for all Europeans.

We studied it and found that it is a powerful intercessor for many things, as you can see above. We started praying for his intercession for friends and relatives who had various diseases, such as flu, asthma, respiratory diseases and the like. It has always come through for us. But over time, and more and more saints have become part of our lives, St. Roch has been put on the back burner. We stopped praying for his help. Even two years ago, when bird flu hit, and then again last year, when the swine flu epidemic started, we didn't think of praying for the intercession of San Rocco.

But last weekend, we held our annual conference on the Holy Family, here at our Mission in Morrilton, Arkansas. Here, one of our benefactors brought a life-size statue of San Rocco and placed it in the center of the conference center. Everyone had to pass the statue to get to their seats. Of course, they wanted to know who he was and what he was talking about. They wanted to know the history of San Rocco, and so we went back to our vast archives of reference material, which we have accumulated in over 30 years of research on the saints and told them the story of San Rocco. Everyone immediately suggested praying for the intercession of San Rocco for our current epidemic. And so we did, for all three days of the conference, and we continue to pray, and we also advise you to do it. In case you don't know, we have a lot of confidence in the intercession of the saints for various needs. But I'm sure that after reading our books and watching our TV shows, you know. We have been given great power through the intercession of our saints, such as Sant'Antonio, Santa Teresa, San Giuseppe di Cupertino, San Pellegrino and so on. You pray; they deliver.

Believe it or not, for those of you who have never heard of San Rocco, or who only know it as a name that we give to our Italian or French children, it is an extremely powerful intercessor. His miracles saved entire cities from plague and cholera. He is responsible for many miracles and cures throughout his life, but he is responsible for even more since his death.

But we are going ahead of ourselves. We have to share the story of San Rocco with you, who it is. He was born in Montpelier, France, near Spain, and not too far from the Italian coast. He was the son of the governor of Montpelier. Her mother was thought to be sterile, so for many her own birth was considered miraculous. Another miraculous sign of his birth was, he was born with a red cross on his chest. As he grew, the cross also grew. He was a spiritual boy from an early age, due to the influence of his holy mother. That flu would cease when he was 20, as both his parents died. On his deathbed, Roch's father made him governor of Montpelier, a position he didn't want at all. He handed over the governorate to his uncle, donated all his wealth and left Montpelier, traveling as a beggar pilgrim to Italy. Tradition tells us that he was inspired to become a pilgrim and to help heal the sick with a visit to Montpelier by Pope Urban V.

He began his travels to areas hit hardest by a plague. Wherever he went, healings took place. He traveled to Acquapendente, Cesena, Rimini and Novara before reaching Rome. Most likely he traveled by sea to Orbetello, then traveled inland to Acquapendente, near Rome. But then we are told that his journey took him north-east, to Cesena, Rimini and Novara, on the Adriatic coast, before he went to Rome.

Miracles and healings followed. Upon entering a city, he immediately went to the public hospitals of all these cities. Most of the sick would be centered in hospitals. Everyone he met and prayed was surprised by the miracles that took place through his prayers. Sometimes he simply touched the patient and a healing occurred. People were clamoring behind him. Wherever he went, the sick sought him. Remember, this was in the heat of a severe plague. People were dying on the streets. A miraculous like St. Roch was a godsend. They considered it so. There is a tradition that while in Rome, San Rocco healed a cardinal from the plague by making the sign of the cross on his forehead. The sign miraculously remained on the cardinal's head.

While realizing that the Lord had given him this great healing gift, he never took himself seriously. He took what he did seriously. But he knew how the Lord was working through him. Eventually, he himself fell victim to the plague. He was forced to leave Piacenza, where he was serving the sick, and to go deep into the forest. He did not want to get in touch with people, for fear that they could contract his illness. It was extremely contagious. He put together a makeshift hut and lay down, praying and waiting for death. But the Lord had not yet finished with him. He sent a dog to bring bread. The dog licked his wounds. The healer, San Rocco, was healed by a dog. The dog belonged to a nobleman named Gothard. He followed the dog on his way to St. Roch to minister to him. After seeing St. Roch, he took care of his needs until he was healed. St. Roch believed that the Lord was calling him home. So he went back to Montpelier. An unfortunate incident occurred that interrupted his life, but not his ministry. He was not recognized by his uncle, the governor, or perhaps his uncle feared that Roch might revise his position as governor. In any case, he was thrown into prison as a spy. He languished there for five years and died.

It would seem a terrible ending, especially dying of anonymity and misfortune. However, an old tradition tells us: “an angel brought a divinely written table from heaven with golden letters to the prison, which he placed under the head of San Rocco. And in that table it was written that God had granted him his prayer which was of spirit, that whoever calls meekly to San Rocco, would not have been hurt by any evil of pestilence. "In addition, the citizens recognized that it was he because of his desire, the cross on his chest. In death, he achieved what he tried to avoid during his life, recognition and praise. He was immediately proclaimed a saint by the people.

But this is not the end of the story !!

In fact, more miracles are attributed to him in the years following his death than in the 30 odd years lived on earth. The most spectacular and largest number of miracles attributed to San Rocco occurred in Constance, Italy, during the Council, which took place in 1414, many years after his death. During the time of the Council, which was also the time of the plague, the Council ordered prayers to the Saint. Almost immediately, the plague stopped and the victims of the plague were healed. Its popularity grew and spread across Europe. To date, you can find the initials VSR (Viva San Rocco) above the doors in Europe, as a prayer to ward off the plague. His relics were transferred to Venice where a church was built in his honor. He was named patron of that city. Every year, during his feast (16 August), the Doge (Duke of Venice) proceeded through the city with the relics of the Saint. His relics are still in that church. A brotherhood was formed in his name. It has become so popular that it has been elevated to the level of the Arch brotherhood. Over the years it has received special favors from various popes that are still in effect.

Churches all over the world were built in honor of San Rocco. Special devotions are prayed in these churches for the intercession of the Saint. Healings and miraculous cures are constantly reported. So you can see that he is even stronger, and perhaps even stronger than he was during his life. Family, if ever there was a time when we needed the power given to St. Roch by Our Lord Jesus, it is time. We are told that we are in the midst of a global epidemic and we don't know exactly what to do. It would seem that the governments of the world are running like chickens with their heads cut off. In our country, they want everyone to get a vaccine, but there isn't enough to go around. And many of those who took the vaccine got sick. There is only one way to defeat this plague. But then there has always been only one way to defeat the powers of hell, that is, through prayers. Pray to San Rocco.

O Blessed San Rocco, patron saint of the sick, have mercy on those who lie on a bed of suffering. Your power was so great when you were in this world that from the Sign of the Cross, many were healed of their diseases. Now that you are in Heaven, your power is not less. So offer our sighs and tears to God and obtain for us that health that we seek through Christ, our Lord.

The following Litany was taken at San Rocco

The Church of England, January 31, 1855.

THE LITANA OF SAN ROCH
Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Jesus, bear us.

Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Santa Maria, pray for us.

Sant'Anna, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

San Rocco, confessor, pray for us.

San Rocco, given to your parents' prayers, pray for us.

St. Roch, raised in holiness, pray for us.

San Rocco, mortified by your childhood, pray for us.

Saint Roch, giving all your possessions to the poor,

After your parents die, pray for us.

Saint Roch, who left your country to live unknown,

pray for us

San Rocco, taking care of the sick in Rome, pray for us.

San Rocco, attacked by the plague of Florence, pray for us.

St. Roch, cured of the plague by the grace of God, pray for us.

San Rocco, consoling men in public calamity, pray for us.

San Rocco, taken as a spy, put in prison, pray for us.

San Rocco, prisoner for four years, pray for us.

Saint Roch, patient patient, pray for us.

San Rocco, model of inmate, pray for us.

San Rocco, for the sake of shame, pray for us.

St. Rocco, model of chastity, pray for us.

St. Rocco, model of patience, pray for us

San Rocco, dying in the smell of holiness, pray for us.

San Rocco, praying against the plague, pray for us.

Saint Roch, whose image carried in procession by the fathers

In the Council, having dispelled the plague of Constance, pray for us.

San Rocco, honored in hospitals, pray for us.

San Rocco, whose cult is universal, pray for us

San Rocco, whose images are universal, pray for us.

Let's pray,

Welcome the Lord, in Your paternal goodness, your people, who throws themselves on You in these days of difficulty, in order that those who fear this scourge may be mercifully freed from the prayers of San Rocco and can persevere until death in observance of your holy commandments. Amen

Prayer to San Rocco

The Great Saint, who left everything to flee in aid of those who had taken the plague, intercedes for us with the Most High.

O God, who had promised Blessed San Rocco that anyone who invoked him with confidence should not be afflicted by the plague, and who confirmed the promise of the ministry of an Angel, deigned to preserve us with his merits and his intercession from the plague and all other mortal infections, both of body and soul, we beg you through Jesus Christ. Amen.