Patron Saint.

Here is a new item on my blog. It's about how it came about that Sittard proclaimed St. Rosa of Lima, as Patron Saint.
It was November 3rd 1669, when the Town Council took the initative to name St. Rosa of Lima, as the Patron of Sittard and surrounding area.Rosa was declared blessed by Pope Clemens IX in 1668, and was declared a Saint in 1671 by his successor Clemens X. What is the connection between the town and the first South American saint? How did it come about to declair Rosa as Patron of Sittard?
About 1667 Sittard and surrounding area was struk terribly by the Plague, which as we all know was then a higthly contageous disese, where many deaths were recorded, because the Doctors in those days were powerless against this illness.
The Dominican Monks, who established theirselves in Sittard in 1626, and exploited a blooming education establishment, were also active in Peru South America, and were aquainted with the first South American blessed and later pronounced Saint Rosa. They advized the Town Council, to protect the town against the deadly threat of the Plague, by calling on Saint Rosa to intercede for them.
The Town Coucillors took that advice and promised, that if the Plague receded- Rosa would be chosen as Patron of Sittard, and on the highest point of Sittard-on the "Kollenberg"- (witches
hill) - a chapel would be built in the honour of Saint Rosa, and evey year there would be a solemn procession would take place. The Plague stopped, and the Sittrad people kept their promise.
It graces our town, that from 1669 to this day that the othes layed down so many years ago, still
stand. Saint Rosa on The Kollenberg attracts many visitors the whole year round, and especially in August,-The Rosa- month. The Saint Rosa procession is still one of the religios highlights in the life of many members of the Sittard community.
Every year in the month of August, a Holy mass is sung in the open air on Tuesday evenings at the chapel at 7pm. On St Rosa's day August 23rd a Holy Mass is in the St Michaels church also at 7pm. If the day coincides with a Tuesday then the mass will be at the chapel.
On procession day theHoly Mass will be at 9.30am also in St. Michaels church, which by the way is on the market square, after which the procession commences up the hill to the chapel.
Next time, more about Sittard.