San Roque Fiesta - August 15 & 16, 2010

Yearly fiesta in honor of San Roque. Unlike other parts of the country San Roque is celebrated here in Barangay Cutcut on every August 16. San Roque is the patron saint of the sick and the invalids.

San Roque was born around 1295 in a rich family in Montpellier, France. Tradition says that San Roque had a birthmark with a red cross on his chest.

His father died when he was 12 and his mother died when he was 20. He joined the Franciscan order soon after that and distributed his fortune among the poor.

San Roque then set out for Italy as a mendicant pilgrim and stopped along the way to care for the victims of the plague that was ravaging Italy at that time. He was reputed to have performed many miracles of healing everywhere he went.

On his return incognito to Montpellier he was arrested as a spy by order of his own uncle and thrown into prison, where he languished five years and died on 16 August 1327. Only when he was dead did the townspeople recognized him (by a birthmark). Soon, he was credited with continuing to work miracle cures against the pestilence, and he was soon canonized. Almost identical stories were related about numerous other saints.

According to some accounts the history of the feast of San Roque in the Philippines started in 1637. Residents of the town of San Roque came down from the mountains where they had contracted malaria. But they were miraculously cured after holding a procession in honour of San Roque. It is said that the procession was held in a fiesta atmosphere, with a lot of dancing and singing.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

• SINGKAGALING TUMERAK (AUG. 10, 2010, 7:00PM)
• Parade of Candidates and Cutcut Videoke Challenges (AUG. 11, 2010, 7:00PM)
• Mom’s Got Talent (AUG. 12, 2010, 7:00PM)
• Bababoom and Pre Pageant of Lakan at Lakambini ning Cutcut (AUG. 13, 2010, 7:00PM)
• Ms. Gay Teen Cutcut 2010 (AUG. 14, 2010, 7:00PM)
• CORONATION NIGHT, LAKAMBINI NING CUTCUT (AUG. 15, 2010, 7:00PM)
• Free Concert – Nobelistas and United Rappers of Pampanga (AUG. `6, 7:30 PM)
• CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY MASS AUGUST 16, 2009           
• 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM 8:00 AM, 4:00 PM & 5:00 PM
• CHRISTENING 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
• PROCESSION   RIGHT AFTER THE 5:00 P.M. MASS