Pocket Size Retablo:  Approximately 3” x 1 ½”  - Made by hand in the USA 

This collection represents blessings and protection with patronages and prayers to address most aspects of our daily lives. 

San Roque - Saint Roch  - Saint Rocco  

Patronage: Dogs and Dog Lovers, Falsely accused people, Invoked against Cancer and Contagious Diseases

Inscription on back: (see pictures)

'Oh Blessed San Roque, you compassionately cared for victims of the plague. I humbly invoke your help in my time of need. May my suffering be lessened and may I grow spiritually because of it.'

While nursing plague victims, he came down with the infection. He went into the forest so he would not infect anyone else. A dog befriended him, licking his sores clean and bringing him table scraps to eat.

"St. Roque, you must have been very kind to have such a loyal companion. I pray to you to keep my beloved dog(s) safe from all harm during his adventures. May she always return home, be healthy, happy and never know any of man's cruelties."

Description:  St. Roque was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land when he came across a town in Northern Italy that was suffering from the plague. He stayed to nurse the victims and eventually contracted the plague himself. He went into the forest so he would not infect anyone. A dog came and licked his wounds clean. He recovered. When he returned home no one recognized him, he was so changed from his illness. Many thought he was a spy sent from Italy. He was put in prison. An angel came and took care of him for five years. When he died he was finally recognized because of a heart shaped birth mark on his chest. His family was heart-broken. During the middle ages people placed 'Viva St. Roch' above their doors to ward off the plague.

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Carry a pocket saint/angel:  Some people carry saint/angels because it is their patron saint, as a devotion or a reminder of devotion and prayer.  They are also carried as a sort of protection, that is, if the saint/angel is blessed. People carry pocket saint/angels with devotion, commitment, affection, and love. 

Display a retablo:   They are displayed in homes to honor the saint/angel or given as gifts of fortune and inspiration, retablos reflect a beloved historical tradition and cultural artistry.

History: The retablo, or ʻboard behind the altarʼ, was originally created in New Mexico in the 1800ʼs in response to the lack of Bibles and Icons being sent from the church in Rome. The Santero (saint maker) painted retablos from pigment collected and ground from the local surroundings. The boards were hand hewed usually of ponderosa pine or tin. The practice has carried down through the generations and is still done this way today. 

Artist: Lynn Garlick: Her original designs are hand-carved and painted with watercolor or occasionally oil on the traditionally used ponderosa pine planks. Then the high quality prints of the originals are decoupaged onto pine boards, in an old school technique used for the Italian altar screens of medieval Europe and are finished with polyurethane. These prints are produced with a deep appreciation of the santero and what has come before.