Camus mentions in passing that Father Paneloux's first sermon took place at "a High Mass celebrated under the auspices of St. Roch, the plague-stricken saint..." Like Saint Sebastian, who I covered back here, Saint Roch also has a biography in The Golden Legend. Here's the lowdown:
*** According to the Legend, Roch was born into nobility in Montpelier, a city on the Mediterranean coast of France. When he was 20, he gave away all of his worldly possessions and set out on a pilgrimage to Rome. His pilgrimage took him across a region suffering a plague epidemic, and the Legend mentions at least five cities where Roch cared for plague victims in the hospitals.*** Unfortunately, in the town of Piacenza, Roch himself finally came down with plague. He was banished from the town and lived in a hut in the forest. Supposedly, he survived by eating food brought to him by the dog of a local nobleman. When the nobleman discovered Roch, he became his sidekick and also gave away all of his possessions.
*** Later, Roch was travelling between two warring regions and was arrested as a spy. He ordered his followers not to reveal his identity or noble upbringing and, after five years in prison, he died. SQPN, a Catholic media company, gives the years 1295 to 1327 for Roch's lifespan (here's their St. Roch page).
*** During Europe's infamous Black Death (1347-1349) and subsequent plague outbreaks, Roch's legend also spread. Besides being the patron saint of plague sufferers, SQPN says he is also the patron saint of dogs, diseased cattle, and bachelors! Today there are churches all over the world named St. Roch. The closest one I could find is in St. Louis - http://www.strochparish.com/ . So maybe, if you're going east this Spring Break, you should stop by, light a votive candle, and thank St. Roch for keeping Missouri safe from the plague!(All images in this post are from SQPN - http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-roch-gallery/)
