L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D ear Readers, August is a good month to remind you that St. Rocco and his dog, always pictured to- gether on religious picture cards distributed on his feast day, August 16, was heaven's first animal rights activist, if the stories we be- lieve, in a leap of faith, are true. St. Rocco, with his faith- f u l c a n i n e c o m p a n i o n Roquet by his side is ven- erated throughout Italy for his intercession and ser- vice to the plague-stricken in the early 1320s AD, and celebrated in Calabria with Italian gingerbread figures called Panpepati. These represent various parts of the body, and are ex-voto for the people whose arms, legs or various organs are protected by the saint. He is often considered the patron saint of wool c a d e t s a n d c o o k s . H o w e v e r , a f t e r r e a d i n g this story, I am sure you'll a g r e e t h a t S a n R o c c o deserves to be known as the original equal rights animal activist. S t . R o c c o ( R o c h ) w a s b o r n w i t h a b i r t h m a r k s h a p e d l i k e a c r o s s imprinted on his breast at Montpellier, France. As soon as he was of age, he gave his earthly posses- sions to the poor, took up t h e l i f e o f a m o n k , a n d began to wander, accom- p a n i e d b y a l i t t l e d o g named Roquet. He served the plague stricken in Italy while on a pilgrimage of devotion to Rome. This was the time of the B l a c k D e a t h ( b u b o n i c plague) and when Rocco discovered that he could heal the stricken with his touch, he devoted himself to their cure. Finally infected with the disease himself, he with- drew, dragging himself to a n i s o l a t e d c a v e i n t h e woods. While he lay there exhausted, his dog Roquet found his way to the castle o f a n e a r b y n o b l e m a n w h e r e h e m a n a g e d t o snatch a loaf of bread from the table. Returning day after day to find food for h i s m a s t e r , t h e d o g aroused the interest of the nobleman, who followed him to the cave. The sight o f R o c c o , n o w d y i n g , m o v e d t h e n o b l e m a n t o abandon his wealth and f o l l o w t h e p a t h o f t h e saint, who died circa 1327 AD. St. Rocco ascended to H e a v e n , w h e r e h e w a s welcomed by St. Peter, the C e l e s t i a l G a t e k e e p e r . When St. Peter refused to admit Roquet, St. Rocco insisted that the dog had s a v e d h i s l i f e . S t . P e t e r replied that a rooster had saved his soul, but that he had never imagined taking h i m a l o n g t o H e a v e n . Refusing to abandon his f a i t h f u l c o m p a n i o n , S t . R o c c o s e n t n e w s o f h i s conflict and reached the e a r s o f G o d t h e F a t h e r , who commended that St. R o c c o a n d R o q u e t b e admitted to heaven togeth- er. When St. Peter com- plained about the neglect of his rooster and threat- ened to resign his post, the h e a v e n l y F a t h e r a g r e e d that the bird should also enter. Then the other saints all made a claim for the ani- mals that had served them - St. Jerome for his lion, S t . C a l m f o r h i s c a t , S t . Agnes for her lamb, and St. Francis for all the other birds and beasts. And the Heavenly Father saw that h e h a d n o c h o i c e . H e ordered St. Peter to throw open the Gates of Heaven to every creature who had served His will. And it was the doing of S t . R o c c o a n d h i s l i t t l e dog. *** I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n s were the largest immigrant group in the nation in the 1940s. They were also the l a r g e s t g r o u p i n t h e U S Armed Forces. *** A u g u s t 2 7 t h i s t h e feast day of St. Monica, the long suffering mother o f h e r e l d e s t s o n , Augustin. Monica was born in 322 into a Christian family in Tagaste, in North Africa. H e r p a r e n t s s e l e c t e d a husband for her, a pagan named Patricius, who was Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. bad-tempered and unfaith- ful to her. To add insult to i n j u r y , h i s m o t h e r , w h o taunted her and told lies about her, lived with them. B u t M o n i c a i g n o r e d t h e indignities they heaped on h e r , a n d p r a c t i c e d g o o d works instead, giving to the poor and helping the sick while still caring for her family. M o n i c a a n d P a t r i c i u s h a d t h r e e c h i l d r e n . T h e eldest son, although a tal- e n t e d s c h o l a r , w a s a source of constant worry f o r M o n i c a . S h e p r a y e d constantly that he and her husband would someday j o i n h e r i n w o r s h i p . Eventually, her faith and k i n d n e s s w e r e p a r t i a l l y r e w a r d e d : h e r h u s b a n d and his mother converted to Christianity. B u t M o n i c a ' s s o n seemed hopeless. He ran a w a y f r o m s c h o o l , returned to the house and i n s u l t e d M o n i c a . S h e forced him out, but took him back after a voice told her "Your son is with you," which she thought meant with her in the faith. Still, he strayed. He took a mis- t r e s s , h a d a s o n a n d i g n o r e d h i s m o t h e r ' s protests. The Turning Point She sought the help of h e r l o c a l b i s h o p , w h o encouraged her, "It is not p o s s i b l e t h e s o n o f s o many tears should perish." Monica turned to Bishop A m b r o s e i n I t a l y , w h o brought her son to God by a p p e a l i n g t o h i s i n t e l l i - gence instead of his emo- tions. H e r s o n b e c a m e s o strongly drawn to the faith that he was eventually can- o n i z e d - - a s S t . A u g u s t i n e , o n e o f t h e church's greatest teachers and philosophers. Selling Homes Throughout The Bay Area Adele Della Santina "The Right Realtor makes all the di昀erence." 650.400.4747 Adele.DellaSantina@compass.com www.AdeleDS.com DRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation!

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