Saint-Roch's Chapel

Saint Roch was born in Montpellier in 1295 and died in 1332. From an image you can recognize him almost immediately: he usually pulls up his robe and points to a bully bump on his thigh.
Usually you recognize
him also to his four-legged friend, who carries bread or licks his wound. A saint depicted with a visible illness is quite unusual, but that is probably what made Rochus so popular.
By manfully showing that wound, he evoked solidarity with people who were suffering from the plague or a contagious disease. At the same time, Rochus referred to the suffering of Jesus Christ, who had also borne his fate courageously.
He is the patron saint against the plague, but also for all kinds of other contagious diseases of humans and animals. Rochus was a beacon of comfort for sick people who hoped for a cure.
The Sint-Rochuskachapelje in Echt was also described as 'the Heyligenhuysken on the bridge', referring to the bridge over the Molenbeek on the Wijnstraat.
During the reconstruction in 2004-2005, the
stone with the Latin chronogram ('aUXILIo DIVIno In peste et ACrl Igne tUeMUr') bricked into the side wall of the building. The translation reads: "By the help of Divine we shall be protected from pestilence and great fire." Year 1687.

Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)