A Lizard, a Legend, and Saint Gabriel Possenti

Today, February 27, is the Feast Day of St. Gabriel Possenti, also known as St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian in Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy. According to tradition, in 1860 Gabriel used his marksmanship to save the town from a band of marauding soldiers. As the story goes, he seized revolvers from two soldiers and boldly confronted the intruders. When the soldiers mocked the seminarian, he silenced them by taking aim and shooting a lizard scurrying across the road with remarkable accuracy. Impressed — and perhaps intimidated — the marauders left the town peacefully, escorted by the seminarian who had become an unlikely hero.

Like many saints, the line between historical fact and legend in Gabriel’s story can be difficult to discern. However, this tale of courage and skill has earned him the unofficial title of Patron Saint of Handgunners. The St. Gabriel Possenti Society was even founded to promote his legacy and to advocate for the moral and theological principles underlying self-defense. Unfortunately, the society became inactive following the death of its founder in 2017.

Many years ago, our parish was blessed with a relic of St. Gabriel Possenti under his title, St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. I vividly remember the excitement of seeing the announcement in the weekly bulletin. When our new church was completed a few years ago, a relic of St. Gabriel was among several placed in the altar — a lasting reminder of his presence and intercession.

The intercession of St. Gabriel Possenti is needed today, especially in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Content to ignore the Bill of Rights, as well as numerous decisions from both state and federal courts, Virginia’s leftist leadership is hard at work to strip Second Amendment rights from law-abiding citizens. The history of socialism and communism is rife with governments that first stripped away gun ownership before attacking and limiting other freedoms. Our current governor and legislature seem determined to imitate the oppressors of the past.

St. Gabriel Possenti’s life and legend inspire us to stand firmly in defense of what is right and just, trusting in the guidance of God. Whether we see him as a hero of faith, a protector of the innocent, or both, his story resonates with the courage needed to face the challenges of our own times.

St. Gabriel Possenti ora pro nobis!