On September 29, Italian Paratroopers celebrate Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron of the Branch. This observance is deeply rooted in the tradition of the maroon berets and ideally unites Paratroopers serving today with those who wore the beret in previous generations.
The Italian Army officially recognizes Saint Michael the Archangel as the Patron of Paratroopers and September 29 as the day of his celebration. The observance is distinct from the Branch Day, which is celebrated on October 23, the anniversary of the 1942 Battle of El Alamein.
Saint Michael and the Paratroopers
In Christian tradition, Saint Michael is the warrior Archangel, commander of the heavenly hosts and, in the Book of Revelation, the protagonist of the battle against the dragon.
He is generally depicted armed with a sword or spear, in the act of defeating evil. An image whose martial nature and symbolic connection with the sky have found particular resonance in the world of airborne troops.
The Military Ordinariate for Italy includes September 29 in its liturgical calendar as the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron of the Paratrooper Branch.
Over the years, the observance has been celebrated by units of Brigata Paracadutisti “Folgore”, at the Centro Addestramento Paracadutismo, and in other Branch units, keeping alive a bond that has accompanied the history of Italian Paratroopers since the postwar period.
Not Only the Patron of Paratroopers
However, Saint Michael the Archangel is not exclusively associated with the paratrooper community.
He is also the Patron and Protector of the State Police, so proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on September 29, 1949. According to the State Police itself, this choice recalls the Archangel as a defender of good and the daily mission of officers called upon to safeguard order, security, and citizens.
Saint Michael also holds a special place in the tradition of the Military Ordinariate, whose liturgical regulations identify him as Patron of the entire Military Ordinariate Church.
Devotion to the Archangel therefore extends beyond the boundaries of a single Branch and recurs across different military and public-security organizations, symbolically united by the concepts of protection, service, and the fight against evil.
«Send the Archangel Saint Michael to be our guardian»
For Italian Paratroopers, however, this bond takes on an even more direct meaning.
Saint Michael is invoked in the Prayer of the Italian Paratrooper, in one of the passages best known to those who have worn the maroon beret:
«Send the Archangel Saint Michael to be our guardian: guide and protect our daring flight».
A reference that links the figure of the Archangel to the most characteristic moment of the branch: the jump, when the Paratrooper leaves the aircraft and entrusts his return to the ground to the parachute.
September 29 is therefore far more than a simple date on the military calendar. It is an anniversary that spans different generations and brings together serving personnel, veterans and members of the Associazione Nazionale Paracadutisti d’Italia, keeping alive one of the most recognizable elements of the Italian paratrooper tradition.
Happy Saint Michael’s Day to all Paratroopers.
Folgore!
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