Saint Roch

Roch lived sometime around the mid-to-late 1300s, though tradition pushes his dates earlier to the turn of the 14th century. A Majorcan Catholic confessor, he became especially associated with protection against plague during an era when the disease tore through Europe. His death is commemorated on 16 August in most places, 9 September in parts of Italy. Over time his patronage broadened — dogs, invalids, the falsely accused, bachelors — and his reach spread across regions and languages. Today he remains patron saint of multiple Italian towns including Dolo near Venice, Parma, Casamassima, and…