I’ve been wanting to show this for a while now.
It’s the St. Roch shrine in New Orleans that we visited.
Believed to have been born in France around 1295, St. Roch was credited with curing the plague in victims by showing them the symbol of the cross (he was also said to have been born with a cross symbol on his chest).
At one point, he became sick with the plague and went into the forest to die alone. A dog found him and brought him nourishment each day. He survived, and is often depicted in art with a dog:
Years later, after he passed away, miracles were reported to have been performed when believers asked for his intercession. He is a patron of invalids, the saint of dogs and dog-lovers, and is invoked by those who need physical healing.
In 1868, his intercession was called for by members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in New Orleans during the Yellow Fever epidemic. All the congregants were spared of the disease. In thanks, this chapel / shrine and cemetery were built in his honor.
Since then, people have left items testifying to their belief and healing with St. Roch’s help.
There are items from what we today consider primitive orthopaedic aids to modern-day radiation therapy items:
