My mom has been working at the hospital for more than 20 years now and every time I visited the hospital when I was young, I used to wonder about the sculpture that has been there for a very long time now. I’ve come to know about San Roque just now, as I type this article. Some of you may or may not be familiar with the Patron Saint of Animals that is why I am here to give you some background about him.
San Roque is often represented in statue form in Catholic churches as someone holding a walking stick in his left hand, and his right hand pointing to a wound on one of his knees, with a dog sitting beside him.
Accounts of his exact Birthdate and/ or place, and details about his childhood have various statements on them.
His parents died when he was twenty, San Roque gave all his properties to the poor and went on a journey to Rome. In Italy, he attended to those who were sick when it was hit by plagues. Because of his frequent contact with his patients, San Roque got sick himself.
He was driven out of town for fear that he might spread the disease. He was forced to live in the forest and would not survive if it weren’t for the dog who kept on bringing him food and licking his wounds, healing them after some time.
He returned home to Montpellier , where he got arrested for being accused as a spy. San Roque died in prison on the 16th of August, year 1327.
Because of his story, the church named him patron of Dogs, Plague, Pestilence and AIDS.
SOURCE: http://www.starmometer.com/2012/08/16/san-roque-the-patron-saint-forplagues-pestilence-and-aidscommemorated-today/#sb5crSoS5tjDTpQA.99
by: Yza Angela E. Turingan St. Paul University Manila
yashyamashita@gmail.com