Yesterday, on 16 August, a memorial of St. Roch is observed in some place. Any Italian man or a man of Italian descent who is named Rocco has this saint as their patron. The following is the "legend" and collect for St. Roch from the supplement to the traditional Roman Breviary, as reprinted in Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year St. Roch Interceding with the Virgin for the Plague Striken By Jacques-Louis David Roch was born at Montpellier [France]. He showed his great love for his neighbour, when cruel pestilence ravaged the length and breadth of Italy; leaving his native country,...