Mass of Saint Roch – Penitential Act

Saint Roch was a French noble, orphaned at 20. Legend claims that he had a red cross birthmark on his chest. He gave all his possessions away and made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he cared for plague victims. When he contracted the disease himself, he retired to a woods to die. It is said that a dog befriended him, brought him bread and licked his wounds. A spring arose where he laid. He recovered and traveled back to France where he was imprisoned as a spy and died. It was then that he was identified as Roch because of the red cross on his chest. He is the Patron Saint of dogs.