Former papal Swiss Guard Mario Enzler delighted an audience at the Portsmouth Holy Redeemer Church activity center earlier this month with anecdotes about his time serving Pope St. John Paul II.
One of his stories recalled a time when four guardsmen were taking a break and playing cards on the patio of the pontifical summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. One of the guards played the wrong card, which triggered what Enzler described as “spicy language.
Suddenly, a zucchetto (the papal skullcap) appeared in the middle of the card table. The The guards looked up and found John Paul standing on the balcony above them. He never said a word, but let his zucchetto speak for him. Moments later, his secretary, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, arrived to retrieve the skullcap. “Sorry! The wind,” he said, but Enzler said the guards knew better.
On another occasion, Enzler was dispatched to deliver a binder to His Holiness at around 3 p.m. Enzler thought the pontiff would be napping; however, as he passed the chapel on his way to the papal apartment, he found John Paul kneeling with his head pressed against the altar, deep in prayer.
Enzler described the pope as a very spiritual, intelligent man who favored simplicity – a quality which made others very comfortable around His him.
Enzler also talked about his life before the Swiss Guard. As a graduate student, he wore his hair long and worked as a part-time model in Milan to earn extra money. He thought he was the “coolest dude” with his long, flowing hair, and once appeared on the runway following the famed model Christie Brinkley.
He still was sporting the loose, sleek hair style, often worn in a ponytail, when his Swiss father recommended that he join the military to give his life some focus. After comparing the officer schools of the Italian and Swiss armies, he chose the Swiss Army because it had a shorter training period.
When he arrived in Geneva with his ponytail, an officer had him stand at attention while he silently inspected Enzler from top to bottom and front to back. Suddenly, he felt his ponytail being pulled back sharply and snipped off in an instant. He was now just another recruit. Months later, a Swiss Army chaplain recommended Enzler for the Swiss Guard.
After the program, Enzler spoke individually with audience members after posing with members of the Portsmouth Notre Dame High School basketball team who had volunteered to bus tables. “For teenagers to give up a Saturday evening is remarkable. It is evident that they have a true dedication to their faith community,” he said.
Those in attendance came from all over Scioto County, as well as nearby Pike and Ross counties. “He was an amazing speaker. Even our 10-year-old son loved him,” said Christie McKenzie of Wheelersburg. Marian Beckett of Otway said, “He was fabulous and inspiring,” and Bill Schwamberger of Stout remarked, “My wife, Debbie, and I found him entertaining and illuminating. He was wonderful.”
Marianne Fairbairn of Chillicothe said, “He was a sincere man of God. Not only that, his devotion and dedication to the Blessed Mother and the Church are examples for all of us to follow.” Tess Hatmacher, also of Ross County, added. “He impressed me as a genuine individual. What a blessing to have in his possession a first-class relic of the pontiff’s blood on his handkerchief. Mario’s presentation is one I will not soon forget.”