"Patron saint of wargamers?" Topic

In a discussion on the poll of famous Norse, Scott Washburn nominated St Olaf, calling him the patron saint of wargamers.
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Not wishing to clog up that thread with a "Huh?", I decided to start a new thread. This was asked 15 years ago on TMP, by the way.
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No definitive conclusion was reached.

I just finished some rigorous research (5 minute Google search) and came up with St Aloysius Gonzaga.
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This is telling:

He was playing chess with some seminarians, and someone posed the question, "what would you do if you knew you had but an hour to live?" One said he would go to confession, another that he would pray before the Blessed Sacrament. But Saint Aloysius said he would finish the chess game. He reasoned that, since his superiors gave him permission to play, and he had no other pressing duties, clearly, this is what God wanted him to do.

Until someone comes up with a better example, I'll go with Al.

St Balthasar is of course the patron saint of playing card manufacturers. Would that include Magic: the Gathering? Nuclear War?
Of course.

Other suggestions here.
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I don't think much of the nomination of St Therese of Avila. She kind of looks down on chess, although using some chess analogies.

I'll go higher up the chain than a mere saint:

Fortuna!

A defensible choice, Winston. St Aloysius Gonzaga is listed as the patron of teenagers, so perhaps he's suitable for those of us who never grew up.

But there may be another possibility. I understand there is a movement under way to have GK Chesterton beatified, and few Christian apologists have so well defended the place of play in God's scheme of things. I also believe he was a friend of Jerome K. Jerome, who took part in the Cannonade of Sandgate, described at the start of HG Wells' Little Wars.

Or we could, of course, all play our games in a spirit of joy and gratitude for the gifts that God has given us--fairly, generously and within the rules.

Probably easier to find a saint.

Wasn't the Aztec god two-rabbit the god of dice and luck?

I always thought it was St Fagos.
As in 'Sod this for a game of soldiers'

Does wargaming really need a patron saint?

What practical purpose would it serve?

Patron saint of lost causes?

Patron saint of lost causes?

You have four options, there:

- Saint Rita of Cascia, who lived out her life in illness and pain and is the patron saint of perseverance and impossible conditions.

- Saint Jude Thaddeus/Jude the Apostle, who assisted early proto-Christians in their struggles against government and social oppression, most often titled "patron saint of lost causes".

- Saint Philomena, who refused to let the Emperor claim her and her virginity as a right of rule and was tortured and eventually beheaded for her resistance, the patron saint of perseverance against unconquerable odds.

- Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus/Saint Gregory Neocaesarea, who beginning with a only a handful of Christians in his area, through works and teaching, converted until there were only a handful of non-Christians in his area, the patron saint of no such thing as outnumbered.

Of course, depending on your sources, YMMV.

But the real answer is obvious …

Saint Francis of Assisi, who, in answer to his calling, lived out his days in poverty and depravation. Who here can't relate to that? :)

"Patron saint of lost causes?"

That's St Jude, Advocate. Already mentioned in the links.

St. Jude is my confirmation name-remember he was a Second String Apostle. My Uncle was a priest and I spent some time in a Seminary so I can make that joke.:)

Wasn't St. Barbara or St. Bridgette the Patron of artillery?

St Adrian of Nicomedia is the patron saint of arms dealers.
I'm sure the Perrys and Russ of Old Glory and Nic and Lon…

St Gabriel Possenti, Patron Saint of Open Carry handguns.
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His legend is made up. However, so are the lives of most saints. The scandalous purge of saints following Vatican II saw to that. Ave atque vale, St Nick!

Easily the most literate and charming thread I've seen here in years--if ever.

Freerangeegg--thanks for the best laugh of the day!

TVAG

I've always liked Ganesh.

If one could pick the saintly instead of the officially canonized, GK Chesterton would be a good pick. One of the world's gentlest men, he adored martial things and greatly enjoyed fiddling about with toy soldiers (which was actually one of the few things he and his friend HG Wells agreed on!). He would have been all over this hobby, I think, had he known more of it.

St Barbara is indeed the patron saint of artillery

As I recall Joan of Arc and Ignatus of Loyola are the patron saints of soldiers

St. Michael The Archangel of course …

St. Dymphna--Patron saint of mental illness (You're _how_ old and still playing with toy soldiers???)

@evilgong, it's hard to go wrong following any of the 400 drunken Rabbit Deities!