Keep and Bear Arms

Possenti Society President Says Priest Would Be Alive If He Had Handgun
U.S. Newswire
9 Jun 18:11

Priest Would Be Alive Today If He'd Had a Handgun, Says President
of St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc.
To: National Desk
Contact: John Snyder of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc.
202-326-5259 or 703-418-0849

WASHINGTON, June 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Monsignor Thomas Wells of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington most likely would be alive today if he'd had a loaded handgun and knew how to use it," John Michael Snyder, president of the interdenominational, international St. Gabriel Possenti Society Inc., said here today.

Msgr. Wells, pastor of Mother Seton Roman Catholic Church in Germantown, Md., was found beaten to death early yesterday morning
in his Montgomery County rectory.

"This senseless, brutal and tragic murder of an obviously dedicated and beloved clergyman shows that we need the spirit of St. Gabriel Possenti now more than ever," stated Snyder.

St. Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian who rescued the villagers of Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy from a gang of 20 terrorists in 1860 with a striking, one-shot, lizard-slaying demonstration of handgun marksmanship. Possenti's fellow Passionist, Rev. Godfrey Poage, C.P., recounted the incident is his hierarchically sanctioned 1962 biography of the Saint, SON OF THE PASSION, published in Milwaukee by The Bruce Publishing Company. Possenti died in 1862. Pope Benedict XV canonized him in 1920.

The society promotes public recognition of Possenti, seeking his official Vatican designation as Patron of Handgunners. It underscores the historical, philosophical and theological bases for the doctrine of legitimate self-defense. It publishes a monograph on SELF DEFENSE AND THE BIBLE by Rev. Anthony L. Winfield, an ordained Baptist Minister.

Snyder contrasted yesterday's "probably avoidable tragedy" with a 1993 incident across the Potomac River in Annandale, Va., when Rev. Michael R. Duesterhaus of Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church used his handgun to shoot and wound an intruder, thus protecting himself as well as interrupting a burglary. He also recalled that last July, two cloistered nuns in Tunja, Colombia, 80 miles northeast of Bogota, Sisters Eva Maria Silva and Luz Adelia Barragan, fatally shot a man, Severo Mendez, who broke into their El Topo monastery.

Snyder noted that law-abiding citizens in the United States use firearms defensively up to four million times a year, according to surveys by criminologist Gary Kleck of Florida State University, thus preventing or interrupting millions of crimes. He noted also that Professor John R. Lott, Jr. of Yale University demonstrates in his study MORE GUNS, LESS CRIME, published in 1998 by the University of Chicago Press, that states which permit law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns, which 31 states now do, experience precipitous declines in rates of murder, rape, robbery
and aggravated assault.

Snyder recently presented the St. Gabriel Possenti Society Medallion and Certificate to Maryland Delegate Carmen Amedori of Carroll County, author of proposed concealed carry legislation in the state legislature, "for her promotion of the right of law-abiding citizens to the means necessary for the defense of life against criminal violence." The Medallion features an image of Possenti flanked by silhouettes of a lizard and a handgun surrounded by appropriate lettering.

Previous Medallion recipients of the Medallion include Suzanna Gratia Hupp, whose parents were murdered during a Killeen, Texas cafeteria massacre on October 16, 1991 because at the time, according to her, Texas state law prevented her from carrying her handgun into the cafeteria. She campaigned successfully for passage of a right to carry concealed law in Texas and subsequently she won election to the Texas State legislature.

Other previous recipients include Revs. Poage, Duesterhaus, and Winfield, Archbishop Custodio, Alvim Pereira, Vice President of the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Reps. Phil Crane of Illinois, and Bill McCollum and Cliff Stearns of Florida, Sen. Bob Smith of New Hampshire, author John Lott, and, most recently, Sgt. Andrew "Drew" Carter of the Texas Rangers. Carter last year brought about the surrender and arrest of Angel Maturino Resendiz, who became known as the "Railway Killer" after bludgeoning at least eight people in a two-year crime spree that spread from Texas to Kentucky to Illinois.

-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
06/09 18:11

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	Possenti Society President Says Priest Would Be Alive If He Had Handgun U.S. Newswire 9 Jun 18:11 Priest Would Be Alive Today If He'd Had a Handgun, Says President of St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc. To: National Desk Contact: John Snyder of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc. 202-326-5259 or 703-418-0849 WASHINGTON, June 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Monsignor Thomas Wells of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington most likely would be alive today if he'd had a loaded handgun and knew how to use it," John Michael Snyder, president of the interdenominational, international St. Gabriel Possenti Society Inc., said here today. Msgr. Wells, pastor of Mother Seton Roman Catholic Church in Germantown, Md., was found beaten to death early yesterday morning in his Montgomery County rectory. "This senseless, brutal and tragic murder of an obviously dedicated and beloved clergyman shows that we need the spirit of St. Gabriel Possenti now more than ever," stated Snyder. St. Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian who rescued the villagers of Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy from a gang of 20 terrorists in 1860 with a striking, one-shot, lizard-slaying demonstration of handgun marksmanship. Possenti's fellow Passionist, Rev. Godfrey Poage, C.P., recounted the incident is his hierarchically sanctioned 1962 biography of the Saint, SON OF THE PASSION, published in Milwaukee by The Bruce Publishing Company. Possenti died in 1862. Pope Benedict XV canonized him in 1920. The society promotes public recognition of Possenti, seeking his official Vatican designation as Patron of Handgunners. It underscores the historical, philosophical and theological bases for the doctrine of legitimate self-defense. It publishes a monograph on SELF DEFENSE AND THE BIBLE by Rev. Anthony L. Winfield, an ordained Baptist Minister. Snyder contrasted yesterday's "probably avoidable tragedy" with a 1993 incident across the Potomac River in Annandale, Va., when Rev. Michael R. Duesterhaus of Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church used his handgun to shoot and wound an intruder, thus protecting himself as well as interrupting a burglary. He also recalled that last July, two cloistered nuns in Tunja, Colombia, 80 miles northeast of Bogota, Sisters Eva Maria Silva and Luz Adelia Barragan, fatally shot a man, Severo Mendez, who broke into their El Topo monastery. Snyder noted that law-abiding citizens in the United States use firearms defensively up to four million times a year, according to surveys by criminologist Gary Kleck of Florida State University, thus preventing or interrupting millions of crimes. He noted also that Professor John R. Lott, Jr. of Yale University demonstrates in his study MORE GUNS, LESS CRIME, published in 1998 by the University of Chicago Press, that states which permit law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns, which 31 states now do, experience precipitous declines in rates of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Snyder recently presented the St. Gabriel Possenti Society Medallion and Certificate to Maryland Delegate Carmen Amedori of Carroll County, author of proposed concealed carry legislation in the state legislature, "for her promotion of the right of law-abiding citizens to the means necessary for the defense of life against criminal violence." The Medallion features an image of Possenti flanked by silhouettes of a lizard and a handgun surrounded by appropriate lettering. Previous Medallion recipients of the Medallion include Suzanna Gratia Hupp, whose parents were murdered during a Killeen, Texas cafeteria massacre on October 16, 1991 because at the time, according to her, Texas state law prevented her from carrying her handgun into the cafeteria. She campaigned successfully for passage of a right to carry concealed law in Texas and subsequently she won election to the Texas State legislature. Other previous recipients include Revs. Poage, Duesterhaus, and Winfield, Archbishop Custodio, Alvim Pereira, Vice President of the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Reps. Phil Crane of Illinois, and Bill McCollum and Cliff Stearns of Florida, Sen. Bob Smith of New Hampshire, author John Lott, and, most recently, Sgt. Andrew "Drew" Carter of the Texas Rangers. Carter last year brought about the surrender and arrest of Angel Maturino Resendiz, who became known as the "Railway Killer" after bludgeoning at least eight people in a two-year crime spree that spread from Texas to Kentucky to Illinois. -0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ 06/09 18:11 Copyright 2000, U.S. Newswire