Today was the annual ceremony for the swearing in of the new Swiss Guards. Imagine what goes through their minds as they swear, with their hands raised in the sign of the Most Holy Trinity, to protect the Roman Pontiff even with their lives… in this age of growing terrorism!
You might stop right now and say the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel for them, especially the new men.
You readers know that we had a project here to raise the money to pay for a custom breastplate and armor for a Corporal in the Guard. Imagine what it must be like to wear for a long time armor that does not fit. It doesn’t stretch, you know.
The Guard’s Wife Joanne sent photos of Dominic in his is new armor, worn for the first time for the swearing in ceremony!
St. Joan of Arc on one side and the great St. Joseph on the other!
Roma 06/05/2015
Giuramento delle Guardie Svizzere
Ph: Cristian Gennari/Siciliani
Awwwwwww….
And with the man who made the armor!
So, with this set of photos THIS round of the Swiss Guard Armor Project comes to a close.
I will be in Rome in just over a week and I’ll talk to them about a 2nd Annual Swiss Guard Armor Project!
In the meantime, do stop and say a prayer for all these young men.
Here is a brief video.
Here is the video of the ceremony.
UPDATE:
Joanna sent a link to a Swiss media story. Great photo. They are pretty happy.
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I thought they had to be single?
Not if they’ve been in for a while and are officers or non-coms.
I wonder if they wear Under Armour under their armor.
That’s delightful. Not every girl so literally has a knight in shining armor.
I’d say this was a success. I did say the St Michael prayer.
I’m so happy to have been able to participate in this. Thank you Father Z for your efforts here to organize. Peace to you and all your readers!
I second kal’s comment! I feel humbled that a portion of our home budget is being used to help protect the Holy Father. I am also grateful to Father Z to often point us to other worthy causes, such as the St. Patrick’s t-shirt sponsored by “Corageous Priest” (because WE all ” loath what has been done to the Feast of St. Patrick”), and the support to the widow and 8 children of US Marine Mike Rogan (a fundraiser that brought $475,000 to the family, a great accomplishment of which we are but a small part). It gives me great joy to help! God bless y’all, Z-heads!!!
Kind of neat to see those photos of the breastplate…and knowing that a contribution from the fruit of your labor, in some small way, made it possible for it to be worn in the service of protecting the Holy Father. It’s not often that you see the end result of a contribution. Next time I’m in Rome, I’ll be looking out for it…:)
Nice.
They have new orders as of Jan 2015. PF put them fully in charge of Papal security, inside and outside of Italy.
When PF went to Naples or his retreat with the curia, they went along too. Until now it was the Vatican Gendarms and the local police that took care of that
http://www.aleteia.org/es/sociedad/noticias/papa-francisco-confia-nueva-mision-a-los-guardias-suizos-5803771393212416
Nice play on words, Fr. Z – Amour (Love) Project, Armor Project. Haha.
You DID mean it that way, right? ;)
Have prayed. Sancte Michaele…
In 1993 I was one of the new swiss guards. What a honor, what a joy. It is impossible to forget those moments. I’m a sinner, but with the help of God and the remembering of my oath I can always find the way to the confessional and start again the fight against the sin.
“SWISS GUARD AMOUR PROJECT”
More fodder for the tabloids!