The Swiss Guard and the “Combat Rosary”

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From Fr. Z’s blog …

“Here is something extremely cool.

First, you may recall that last year we had a project to help one of the Swiss Guard have custom armor made. HERE I’ve stayed in touch with the Guard and his wife.

Then I got another project going, with the essential aid of my good friend Fr. Richard Heilman, who has been featured in these electronic pages often. He took his parish to ad orientem worship and the numbers of attendants increased. He put in an altar rail and moved his people to receive on the tongue. He implemented Summorum Pontificum. We just had the bishop there for Ascension Thursday. He is the state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus and has many other things going, including something advertised on this blog on the side bar, his “Combat” Rosaries, which he has made. These Super-tough Rosaries.

Now to the project.

At my prompting Fr. Heilman sent the gun-metal rosaries to all of the Swiss Guards.

Today, during his address to the new recruits about to be sworn in, the Commandant held up one of them during his address and told them that training and arms are necessary, but “the most powerful weapon is the ‘Combat Rosary’”. (Some of the speech – below.)

Is that not cool?

Yes, that’s cool.

More later on this.

Meanwhile…”

From ACISTAMPA:

CITTÀ DEL VATICANO , 07 maggio, 2016 / 11:00 AM (ACI Stampa).-

“Al momento giusto, all’inizio dell’anno, un generoso donatore ci ha sorpresi con un regalo. Egli ha fatto pervenire alla Guardia Svizzera Pontificia l’arma più efficace che esista sul mercato: il “combat Rosary”, letteralmente, il rosario per il combattimento. Subito è stato dato in dotazione a tutte le guardie. È importante che ritroviamo la via della preghiera,soprattutto la preghiera del Rosario.

La nostra vita, le nostre opere e le nostre azioni sono nelle mani di Dio. Questo però non significa che possiamo rinunciare alle armi e alle esercitazioni. Dio ci usa come strumenti per scongiurare il male in alcune situazioni. Per questo servono una fede salda, fiducia in Dio e preghiera”. Così il Colonnello Christoph Graf, Comandante della Guardia Svizzera Pontifica, ha salutato il Giuramento delle nuove reclute, ieri pomeriggio nel Cortile di San Damaso.

[My translation…] In the right moment, at the beginning of the year will a generous donor surprised us with a gift. He had shipped to the Pontifical Swiss Guard the most powerful weapon that exists in the market: the “Combat Rosary”…. They were immediately given to all the guards. It is important that we recover the way of prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary. Our life, our works and our actions are in the hands of God. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can give up arms and drills. God uses us as instruments to thwart evil in certain situations. For this we need a firm faith, trust in God and prayer.

[Here’s a bit more of his speech, which I transcribed from the video.]

During a morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis said, “faith is victory”. Last year in an audience granted in the occasion of the swearing of the new guards, the Holy Father invited the young men to dedicate themselves evermore to prayer even during their duty time. There is always time for this. I assure you that this invitation is being followed. And we will help them to pray to God from our hearts and entreat the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in this month dedicated to her, that they keep far from us every evil. (Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Swiss guard pontificate, oath of the new recruits, 6 May 2016).

GET YOUR COMBAT ROSARY HERE

On another note…

This is great, but even greater would be YOU praying the rosary, whatever your rosary looks like.

If you don’t pray it, it’s just … there. Right?

And…

GO TO CONFESSION!

Video of the ceremony … The Combat Rosary is shown at minute 20:37