St Roch

St Roch on Salisbury Cathedral

Many years ago I spent a summer working as a kitchen assistant for PGL AdventureHolidays at their camp in the Ardeche.  On Sundays I would go to Mass at the church in Vagnas, and noticed the different saints they had on view.

British Catholic churches usually have 

St Patrick, or in Wales St David, as well as popular ones such as my mother’s favourite St Anthony of Padua, and of course The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart.

When the Coven met in Salisbury last March (2023) we naturally visited the cathedral; I really wanted to see the font again as I find it quite magical and moving.  We also spent some time in the refectory and gift shop, and then stood for quite a while looking at all the saints depicted on the West façade.  Being good Catholic girls, some even educated by nuns, we were able to identify quite a few.

Then the most middle-class English thing I’ve ever experienced happened.

A shortish, tweed suit and trilby clad gentleman stopped and started pointing out saints to us, both ancient and modern.

“... there’s St Cecilia with her organ” he said.

“And St Roch with his dog” I added.

“Who?”

“St Roch.  Him there in the kilt with his leg out and his dog looking up it.   

He’s quite popular in the southern parts of France.”

“Oh … I’ve never noticed him before … 

I shall have to look him up … Do enjoy the rest of your visit ladies” and with that he tipped his trilby to us and departed.

A few weeks later I was in the bookshop of Newcastle's Catholic cathedral looking for something enlightening for Middlesister and came across the display of little plastic cards with sayings, poems, prayers and saints on them.  There were five laminated 

St Roch prayer cards.  Something I’d never seen before.  However as one of his special areas is plague and pestilence maybe he’s been invoked more often in recent years.   

I bought them all and handed them to everyone at the next Coven (Leicester, that's a saga for another day!).

We were staying at the Premier Inn.

Mrs Fitz said “I wonder …” and popped the card into the little holder by the door that you put your key-card in to work the lights.

It worked, the lights stayed on.

Very handy if there is only one key to the door, two people and one needs to stay in the room while the other goes out.

Yesterday morning I received this message from Dr E who has been travelling abroad.

St Roch has been up the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel.  He is about to fly to London and then IW.  His is an enlightening ministry!