St Roch is the therefore the Patron Saint of dogs, prisoners, falsely-accused people, and undoubtedly most importantly in New Orleans throughout the 18thand 19thcenturies, against infectious diseases. In Europe people would write VSR, Viva St Roch over their doorways to ward away the bubonic plague, and when the French came to Haiti, and later to their colony of Louisiana, St Roch came along on the boats also.
