St Roche’s Canine Crusade
May 18 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Please join us to help raise funds towards the PLUS1 Grant from Creative Australia and increase awareness about our new Art Gallery and one of the Abbey Museum’s 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 reward and their owners will receive a blessed pilgrimage badge to commemorate this inaugural event!
Donation of $25 per dog (2 max) | Dog friendly event
Booking Terms and Conditions Apply
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.
This event raises funds towards our Art@Abbey Campaign, supported by Creative Australia through Plus1.
