St Roche’s Canine Crusade
August 17 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Now during St Roche’s Day, Saturday 17th August.
Join us to raise funds towards the new Art Gallery by bringing awareness to one of our oldest works of art: the ‘St Roche’s Dog’ fresco.
A procession of dogs will take part in a 45 minute pilgrimage walk around Abbeystowe. Each dog will receive a doggie biscuit as a reward and their owners will receive a blessed pilgrimage badge to commemorate this inaugural event.
Places are strictly limited to 100 dogs!
Why St Roche? One of the Abbey Museum’s oldest paintings is a 14th century fresco of St Roche’s dog. It is possibility the oldest painting in the collection and to go on display in the new Art Gallery.
Who was St Roche? St Roche (or ‘Roch’ or ‘Rocco’) is the patron saint of dogs, bachelors, pestilence, the sick and invalids and against epidemics. He was born in 1295 to a rich family in Montpellier, France. He joined the Franciscan Order and distributed his fortune among the poor. While living in Italy, he caught the plague while ministering to the sick and was expelled from the town. Ill and starving, he was saved when a hunting dog found him and brought him bread every day.
Booking Terms and Conditions Apply