Saint Lazarus was resurrected from the dead by his friend Jesus.  Before that, he was a poor, sick beggar on crutches covered in sores at the gate of a rich man, licked by the neighborhood dogs.  Due to his crutches, he is syncretized with Papa Legba, the guardian of the crossroads in Vodou, who opens communication between the human and spirit worlds.  In Santeria, he is associated with the Orisha Babalu-Aye, who presides over infectious diseases.