Shrine to Saint Roch
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Shrine to Saint Roch
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
I was quite disappointed to discover that the St. Roch chapel was closed for renovations when I visited the cemetery. A visit to the shrine was pretty high on my bucket list, so I walked around the chapel and shot this through a very dirty window. The dirt makes the image extra grainy and a little soft but I think that adds to the eeriness of the composition.
The reason for the chapel and shrine, as the story goes…
Back in the times of a yellow fever epidemic, Father Peter Leonard Thevis prayed to Saint Roch for his parishioner’s health. Saint Roch, besides being the patron saint of dogs, is the patron saint of healing and the keeper of good health. In his prayers, Father Thevis promised to build a chapel to honor St. Roch if no one in his parish died from the epidemic. The community stayed healthy and the chapel was built.
Just off the altar of the chapel, is a small room that is a shrine to St. Roch. For decades, believers have been leaving their braces, crutches, and other prosthetic devices after they recover from illnesses. Other oddities such as glass eyes and dental plates are also here making this one of the most unusual shrines in America.
Copyright 2018 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
August 28th, 2018
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