Local3/10/2017

'Swiss Guard Soiree' to benefit Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museum

byMark Labbe Pilot Staff

BOSTON -- The New England Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums are hosting a "Vatican Swiss Guard Soiree," March 18, which will feature a talk by former Swiss Guard and current Catholic University of America professor Mario Enzler.

Held in the 4th floor of Faneuil Hall in Boston from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the event will see Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley attend as a special guest, and Enzler share personal anecdotes about his experiences in the Vatican as a member of the Swiss Guard under St. John Paul II.

The event will benefit the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums New England Chapter, specifically two of their projects: the renovation and research of a sculpted portrait of famed Italian artist, writer, and critic Giuseppe Bossi by Antonio Canova, and the exhibit "Life of a Swiss Guard: A Private View."

The exhibit, having been originally displayed in the Vatican Museums Cortile delle Corazze in the spring of 2016, is now on display in the 4th floor of Faneuil Hall through March 24. It features numerous photographs of the Swiss Guard by Fabio Mantegna, as well as military paraphernalia that have been passed down for generations.

The exhibit has been on display in Boston since Feb. 4, and is free and open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Micah Kurtz, a board of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museum New England Chapter, said this is the first time the chapter has brought in an exhibit from Rome to New England.

"This was our first major endeavor to bring an exhibit in from Rome, and so far it's been a tremendous success," he said to The Pilot, March 8.

The upcoming reception, he said, will be "a nice way to kind of conclude (the exhibit)."

Registration for the event can be found on the Patrons' website, www.nevaticanpatrons.org.