Today we continue with the completion of an article that ran in The Era’s edition that celebrated Bradford’s centennial birthday.

“As for the present-day festivities, a band is still being organized. Whether the Bradford

High or the Citizen’s bands (or volunteers from those bands) will perform is still not known.

Not much is known about St. Rocco himself, either. In fact, there is no authentic story of his life — just legends probably based on fact.

San Rocco was born to the governor of Montpelier, France, in 1378. When he was orphaned at 20, he decided to give up his life of luxury and go on a pilgrimage to Rome.

Finding much of Italy filled with a plague at the time, he visited many cities and towns, and devoted himself to caring for the sick. He is said to have healed many people just by passing the sign of the cross over them.

At the town of Placenza he himself became ill, and, not wishing to be a burden on any hospital, he went into the woods to die. There he was miraculously fed by a dog; the dog’s master found and looked after him. On his return to France he was imprisoned, possibly as a spy, and died within five years of his imprisonment.

It is said that he performed as many miracles after he was dead as when he was alive. He soon became a saint par excellence, to be invoked against pestilence.”

And so ends our visit to the past and our enjoyment of the revitalization of St. Rocco’s Day. We hope it was as fun then as it is to relive now.