Who Is The Patron Saint Of Invalids?

The Patron Saint of invalids is St Roch (pronounced Rocco or Rock). He was born in Montpellier, France, in 1350 to a rich merchant family. He was a hermit for much of his life and spent much of his time travelling on pilgrimage. On one of these, he stayed in Rome for three years. In Piacenza, he caught the plague and was alleged to have been fed by a dog in the woods. Paintings in England depict him as a pilgrim with a sore on his leg, accompanied by a dog with a loaf of bread in his mouth. But he was also reputed to have cured many sufferers of the plague. After his death in 1610, a cult for the cause of St Roch as the Patron of plague sufferers spread across much of Europe and many miracles were claimed at his tomb. His feast day is on 6th August. His declaration as a patron saint means that Christians, and anyone else for that matter, can pray for the intercession of St Roch for the healing of invalids and the sick.