St. Rock, as he’s known in the English speaking world, was born in Montpellier towards the end of the 13th century. His father was the governor of that town and St. Rock inherited his parent’s fortune after they passed when he was about 20 years old.
It was at this point in the Saint’s life that he chose to give away his fortune to the poor, much like St. Francis of Assisi, and turn over the governance of Montpellier to his uncle. Disguised as a mendicant pilgrim, St. Rock set out for Italy