CONFIRMATIONS

The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will be on Sunday, May 25^th at 3:00p.m.  It will be administered by our Auxiliary Bishop Rene Valero.

·         Ceremony Rehearsals with the Organist: 

-   Tuesday, May 20^th at 5:00 p.m.

-   Thursday, may 22^nd at 5:00 p.m.

·         Parents Meeting:  Tuesday, May 20^th at 7:00 p.m.

Rehearsal with the Parents, Sponsors, and Students;  Thursday, May 22^nd at 7:00 p.m. (the gowns will be distributed during this meeting)

UPCOMING MEETINGS

·           Tuesday, June 3^rd, 7:00 p.m. Parish Council.

Key Facts in Saint Rocco's life

• Who was St. Rocco

Rocco was born in 1350 A.D. at Montpellier, France. His father was the governor and his mother came from Lombardy, Italy. When he was 17 years old, Pope Urban V visited his home town. At that time Rocco has decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome. There he devoted himself to caring for the victims of a plague Rome was having. In Rome he cured the Pope's brother. In 1371 he left Rome from Rimini, Novarra and Piacenza. He remained there, because he became ill. He was alone and sick, but the good Lord took care of him. A stray dog used to take a loaf of bread from the bakery and give it to Rocco. feeling better he tried his way back to Montpellier. He was imprisoned as a spy for 5 years. Upon his death in prison, he was identified as the former governor's son by a birthmark in the form of a cross on his chest. 

• St. Rocco's Veneration

St. Rocco's veneration is attributed to his intercession in arresting the plague. His relics were taken to Venice in 1485 where his most important shrine is. In 1629 his cult was approved . As known, he was affiliated to the 3rd secular Order of St. Dominic. 

St. Rocco is known as the saint against pestilence and plague. Today we can invoke St. Rocco's assistance against the Aids Virus. 

• A relic of St. Rocco

In November 1977 the Archbishop Msgr. Vittorio Ugo Righi, Nuncio Apostolico to the Vatican city gave Fr. George Ebejer, a relic of St. Rocco and another one of St. Anthony, both of which are in a special place in the sacristy of our church.

More on St. Rocco's Life

Saint Rocco was born of noble parentage about 1340 A.D. in Montpellier, France. At birth it was noted that he had a red cross-shaped birthmark on the left side of his chest. As a young child, San Rocco showed great devotion to God and the Blessed Mother. At an early age, his parents died leaving him an orphan under the care of his uncle, the Duke of Montpellier. Soon after,

San Rocco distributed his wealth among the poor and took a vow of poverty.

San Rocco dressed in the clothes of a pilgrim and departed for Rome. At that time, Italy was stricken with a rampant disease. San Rocco cured many of this dreaded disease by praying for them and making the sign of the cross.

During his travels, he too contracted the plague which was evident by an open sore on his leg. Rocco was banished from the city and took refuge in a cave. Here he slept on leaves and drank water from a small stream.

Miraculously a dog that refused to eat faithfully brought him bread as a means of sustenance. The dog used to live nearby a castle and the Lord of this castle having a natural curiosity followed this dog into the woods and discovered Rocco. The nobleman had pity on Rocco and brought him to his castle where Rocco was cured.

San Rocco traveled through northern Italy for two or three more years before returning to his birthplace in France. So weak and sick from suffering that people from his town did not recognize him and he was thrown into jail as a spy without any proof. But yet he was kept in prison for five years.

On August 16, 1378, a guard entered his cell and found San Rocco near death. The dungeon was illuminated with a blue light radiating from his body. Upon hearing this, the Governor demanded to know San Rocco's identity. San Rocco faintly replied, I am your nephew Rocco. Only one thing could prove that, so he had him disrobed and the red cross-like mark was visible on the left side of his chest.

The Governor and the townspeople present in the cell then believed. A voice from paradise was heard announcing that San Rocco's soul had merited immortal glory in Heaven. Even after his death, San Rocco performed many miracles.

Saint Rocco cared for the sick with great affection and gentleness. He also had great skill, no doubt acquired at the famous school of' medicine at Montpellier with his lancet, he removed tumors from those stricken with the plague and cleaned out their oozing sores. He comforted and consoled tracing the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the suffering.

At his touch, the sick were often healed. They were healed so often that people told each other about it and recognized in Rocco God's goodness come to help them.

Our saint had the gift of healing, a particularly useful and beneficial gift at this time when medicine was still powerless in the face of epidemics. But his holiness is measured not so much by the number of cures, as by the strength of his love of neighbors. The pilgrim Rocco first and foremost loved his suffering brothers and sisters, even to the point of heroism.