Sick or Suffering? Prayers to 2 Incredible Saints Who Miraculously Defeated Plagues
Two saints miraculously cured plagues: St. Roch and St. Rosalie. Below are their incredible stories, as well as prayers invoking their powerful intercession.
St. Roch
Born of a noble family, tradition says St. Roch was miraculously born with a red cross on his breast.
St. Roch gave all of his fortune to the poor at age 20 after his parents died. In 1315, he assisted plague victims in several Italian cities, miraculously curing people with the sign of the cross. While helping the sick, he also contracted the disease.
However, the saint survived after a dog helped him in the forest. The dog brought him food and licked his wounds. He was later mistaken for a spy and spent the rest of his life in prison.
According to tradition, an angel appeared in St. Roch’s cell after his death. The angel said that those who invoked his intercession would be cured of the plague.
Prayer to St. Roch
O Blessed Saint Roch,
Patron of the sick,
Have pity on those
Who lie upon a bed of suffering.
Your power was so great
When you were in this world,
That by the sign of the Cross,
Many were healed of their diseases.
Now that you are in heaven,
Your power is not less.
Offer, then, to God
Our sighs and tears
And obtain for us that health we seek
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Repeat the following 3 times)
Saint Roch, pray for us,
That we may be preserved
From all diseases of body and soul.
St. Rosalie
The Church knows little about St. Rosalie‘s life. Her story begins 500 years after her death.
In 1625, the city of Palermo in Sicily, Italy suffered a terrible plague. She appeared to a hunter, telling him to find her remains in a cave. She asked him to bring her remains into the city, citizens processed three times with her relics through Palermo. The plague then miraculously ended.
St. Rosalie became the patroness of Palermo A sanctuary stands where the hunter found her remains.
“Father in heaven, we thank You for the communion of saints so that we can draw near to You through the prayers of St. Rosalie. Through her prayers, help us to remember that our destiny is heaven.
As St. Rosalie gave up all things in this world for the sake of Your Kingdom, through her prayers, may we love more fully Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who together with You and the Holy Spirit are one God forever and ever. Amen.
O God, our Father, mercifully look upon Your people who come to You and grant through the intercession of St. Rosalie, who turned away from earthly delights to the joys of contemplation, that we may be delivered from all harm here on earth and one day be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.
St. Rosalie, confessor and virgin, we pray to God for our families and friends. Through your powerful prayers, may we obtain health, life, and eternal salvation.
I also pray today for this special need and intention (make your intention known). O glorious virgin and confessor, St. Rosalie, I promise henceforth to remember and follow your example of faith and love. Pray for me and mine.
Amen.”
Prayer for Coronavirus Victims:
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Sts. Roch and Rosalie, please pray for us and protect us from all disease!
[See also: Italian Dioceses Suspend Masses Due to Coronavirus Outbreak]
[See also: A Concerned Mother’s Plead to Mass-Goers: “Contagious Sick Person, Please Stay Home”]