San Roke was born in 1295 to well-to-do parents, in the city of Montpelier,
France. Orphaned at age twenty, he went on pilgrimage to Rome and devoted himself to caring for the victims of a plague
that was ravaging Italy. San Roke became a victim himself at Piacenza, and would not allow himself to enter the hospital.
He fled to the wilderness where he lived in a crude hut, subsisting only on water from a nearby spring.
God in His heavenly goodness sent to San Roke a dog that brought him bread and licked his wounds.
The rich owner of the dog was much surprised about the behavior of the dog, which ran away with a loaf of bread everyday.
Upon following the dog, the owner found San Roke and was deeply moved at the sight of him. He took him to his home where
San Roke was nursed and healed. By God's grace he was cured and thus was able to return home to France.
Upon returning home, his own people and relatives did not recognize him anymore and took him for
a spy of their enemies. He was brought to court and sentenced to prison without any chance to plead his case, by a judge
who was San Roke's own uncle.
Suffering many trials and tribulations in prison, he was called home to God in the year 1327, after
five years of confinement. He was thirty-two years old at the tme of his death.
Not long after his death, many miracles of healing and curing of the sick occurred, through the heavenly
power, which Almighty God had granted him.
San Roke is the patron saint of the sick and suffering and always comes to the aid of those who invoke
his help.
