The holy Rochus lived in the years 1295 to 1379 in Montpellier and is invoked as the patron saint against the plague. For centuries, he was considered one of the most popular folk saints in Europe, having cared for plague victims as a pilgrim to Rome and supposedly having contracted the plague himself. On his day of death (August 16), the Catholic Church commemorates him.
A church in our pastoral area bears the patronage of Rochus - it is located in Hundheim. This is one of the 19 districts of Morbach, with about 650 inhabitants, the fourth largest. The filial church St. Rochus stands right in the village on the main street and immediately catches the eye with its friendly white paint and light red architectural elements. Some may draw a connection to the village name from the statue of Rochus, which is placed on the left side of the triumphal arch and depicts the saint with a dog, but this is probably just a coincidence: Rochus had retreated as a sick person to a lonely wooden hut in the forest, where an angel cared for him and a dog is said to have brought him bread until he could move on. The village name, on the other hand, is explained as "dwelling place of a Hun," a hundred leader, the smallest political unit in Frankish times.
Furthermore, the patronage of the filial church in Hundheim has changed several times: In 1416, a chapel was consecrated in honor of Saint Helena, in the 16th and 17th centuries the chapel was then dedicated to all saints, and even in the "monuments of art" from 1935, St. Magdalena was mentioned as a patroness. Since a vote in 1953, the fair has been celebrated in honor of St. Rochus.
In 1858, a major fire destroyed not only many buildings but also the old chapel. A cost plan of 42,000 marks for a new building was approved in 1877. However, in 1880, during the height of the culture struggle, a law was passed stating that civil communities were no longer obliged to participate in church construction. Consequently, in 1887, the government presidency denied the approval, leading to further disputes. However, it was eventually determined that money from the civil community had been earmarked for a collection fund, thus creating an obligation to use it for church construction. So, 15 years after the planning began, in 1892, construction could finally begin. Fortunately, a collapse of the vaults occurred without injuries, allowing the church to be consecrated on November 8, 1893, 25 years after the destruction of its predecessor.
St. Rochus now belongs as a branch of the former parish of Bischofsdhron to the newly founded parish of Vierzehnheilige Morbach on January 1, 2022. Michael Meiser was introduced as pastor on April 1, 2025. The church is generally open during the day for prayer and visits.
