A PATRON SAINT FOR DIPPERS? IS IT POSSIBLE??
BLU INCOROINAZIONE! IT IS!

by Larry Peery


I admit it. I love Wikipedia, Google, and You Tube. It’s absolutely amazing what you can find on them even if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Such was the case when I was researching my articles on Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and Machiavelli’s The Prince. Somehow I got directed to articles about The Diplomatic Society of St. Gabriel, and I was hooked. You can find the articles for yourself at The Diplomatic Society site or here.

Gabriel, of trumpet fame, was considered the patron saint of diplomats. He is recognized as “God’s Messenger” by the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths.

Apparently a few thousand years later diplomats decided they needed more than Gabriel’s “on call” help and decided to organize themselves. In 1996 a group of diplomats from 22 different countries (and the Knights of Malta) but NOT the Vatican organized The Diplomatic Society of St. Gabriel at the United Nations Headquarters in New York city where it became a NGO (non-governmental organization) advisor to the UN on peacekeeping and negotiated conflict resolutions. Today it’s one of many Catholic Knights organizations with some three million members serving various humanitarian causes and waiting the Pope’s call to arms!

If you look at the reverse of the DSSG’s medal you will discover a black dot in the center and, in Latin, “Quod meum mihi, quid tibi sit facilis.” When you see someone wearing this medallion you’ll know you’ve found a Diplomacy playing member of The Diplomatic Society of St. Gabriel. Be on the lookout for them.



Larry Peery
(peery@ix.netcom.com)

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