ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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St. Catherine of Siena Exorcizing a Possessed Woman by Girolamo di Benvenuto, c. 1505 We were in the midst of a particularly difficult exorcism. It seemed like we weren’t getting anywhere and the demons were deeply entrenched. We already had two, sometimes three priests, working on it. We needed more help. So, I called a specially gifted woman. I only called her when we really needed help, since such sessions were so spiritually painful for her. When she showed up, the demons were enraged and, I think, terrified. They constantly threatened, tormented and attacked her. All the while the demons themselves were screaming and tortured at a level we had not achieved without her. Some departed that very session. There is a long history of specially gifted women with a charism of casting out demons. For example, St. Hildegard of Bingen, doctor of the church, was asked by the abbot of Brauweiler to exorcize a noblewoman from Cologne who had been possessed for seven years. The priests had been unsuccessful and the demons claimed that only the saint could personally cast them out... which she did.* St. Catherine of Siena, also a doctor of the church, is likewise famous for her role as an exorcist. She detested doing exorcisms saying, "Alas! Every day I am tormented by evil spirits: do you think I want anybody else's?" Satan himself called her, "The greatest enemy I have in the whole world."** It was said that if the priests could not exorcize the demons, they would bring the possessed to St. Catherine who did. Of course, the female exorcist par excellence is the Blessed Virgin Mary. As I have said elsewhere, when she shows up, the demons cannot get out of the room fast enough. The Church appoints priests as exorcists. They are often older men, and specifically trained for this ministry. But the Church has long recognized a charism for casting out demons among the laity, including some gifted, blessed women. When exorcists need help, it is just such a woman we call. We were fortunate to have one. *Honey Meconi, Hildegard of Bingen, University of Illinois Press, 2018, pp. 59-60. **Blessed Raymond of Capua, The Life of St. Catherine of Siena, Tan Books, 2003, pp. 218, 222.

"The Exorcist" movie 1973 A well-intentioned young priest called me and asked for my thoughts. He was helping a fully possessed, young woman who was having problems finding an exorcist. He voluntarily stepped in and began praying regularly over her using prayers of minor exorcism, not using the solemn Rite. Technically, this sounds okay since he was not doing a solemn exorcism or saying the official Rite of Exorcism....but.... Then the young woman began complaining of not being able to sleep at night. So, before she went to bed, the priest prayed over her and she fell into a sound sleep. Eventually he began praying over her every night before she went to bed, so she could sleep. What's wrong with this picture? It might be somewhat surprising but I have run into at least four different situations in which young, well-intentioned priests ended praying nightly over possessed young women so they could sleep. Fortunately, in each of these situations, when this was discovered, it was halted immediately. An old exorcist wisely cautioned me years ago to watch out getting too emotionally close to possessed women. He knows of priests who have done so and, even if the relationship did not become sexually acted out, the inappropriateness itself was an opening to Satan. The Evil One will use that to gain access to the priest. The priest himself could become oppressed, and even possessed, as a result. I have seen this happen. The real fight is an exorcism is not the session itself. Satan knows he loses in a face-to-face fight with the Church which is filled with the power of the risen Lord. Rather, Satan is a master of hidden manipulations. Typically an exorcist is an older priest. Even then, he needs to be careful about setting solid boundaries in this sometimes dangerous ministry. If a younger priest is selected, he should be closely supervised by an older exorcist. Satan is a cunning adversary and not to be underestimated.

Hieronymous Bosch "Death and the Miser," c. 1490-1516. I am always surprised when I encounter people who willingly give themselves over to Satan’s service. It is one thing to struggle with temptation and to fall into his grasp through sin. It’s another thing to willingly choose to follow him. The Father of Lies would like nothing better. At Satan's own defection, he sought to be god and wants people to serve him. Thus he tempted Jesus, "All of these [kingdoms of the world] I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me" (Mt 4:9). These past few weeks (see Diary #140), we have directly encountered a Satanic cult.* They have been recruiting followers by threats and coercion. They have been actively cursing and manipulating young women. We have been supporting one who is valiantly resisting. Several Satanists have been arrested, but there are more at large. It is particularly disturbing to have confirmation of these cult members’ collaboration with Satan. They have hidden knowledge of their targets provided by demons, and they use it to harass and manipulate them. It is clear that their actions are ultimately being directed by high-ranking demons, whose tattoos and images are displayed prominently on their bodies and in their dwellings. One of the arrested cult members claimed to be receiving "sexual favors" from a fallen prostitute in hell. Actually, this is not impossible. While demons do not have bodies and cannot have physical sex with people, they can manipulate people's minds and sexually stimulate them (see Diary #127). Second, we have encountered witches who likewise have occult knowledge, levy curses, and torment people. They, too, are in league with Satan. They receive their hidden knowledge from demons who direct the witches’ actions, and make their curses potent. Thirdly, our team has encountered two of Satan’s minions, unknown to each other, who traveled separately from other States to target a specific individual in our area. They clearly were on a specific mission from Satan and used their occult knowledge to find and harass a holy person who is a potent force in frustrating Satan's plans. About her, one of the demons exclaimed, “She is foiling our efforts!” In each of these cases, Satan has specific targets in mind. He directs his minions to carry out his will and he empowers their evil actions by the help of lesser demons. So far, each of these efforts by those in Satan’s service has proved futile. The targeted individuals turned successful to the true God for help. Satan tempted and harassed, but Jesus saved. But what of Satan’s servants? Will the King of Hell be grateful and reward them? Satan is a complete narcissist. He only does what serves him; there is no gratitude in him. He is also a sadist, and he derives pleasure from dominating, possessing and tormenting. Those who serve him on this earth may be promised great rewards but, in the end, all he can offer is pain, torment, and despair. He has nothing else to give. Some have expressed incredulity at these revelations of Satan’s minions. I can only say that these are our direct experiences. As one object of a witch’s curses said to me, “I would never have believed it until I experienced it myself.” The family of the target of the Satanic cult is likewise stunned at the organized collaboration between demons and Satan's minions to attack them. Personally, I am dismayed to encounter people who willingly subject themselves to the Prince of Darkness. How could they be so blind? For those who serve Satan, despite promises to the contrary, it will never end well. *Sadly, this Satanic cult is located within the military. I have been told that the Church of Satan is a recognized denomination in the U.S. military. I do not think the Founders of our Nation had such in mind when they fought for religious liberty.

It is over. The horrible case of possession (see Diary #135), for which so many of you generously fasted and prayed, is finally over. Baphomet and his minions left.* Two days earlier, as the May crown was being placed on the statue of Our Lady, Fr. Ray, a great priest and one of our spiritual warriors, was surprised to see his parishioners going down on their knees in a hushed, reverent awe. Turning, he saw this rare "fire rainbow" in the sky. In recent weeks, I had been commanding the demons, using the words of the Rite, to tell me the day, hour and sign of their departure: "Dicas mihi ... diem et horam, éxitus tui, cum áliquo signo." Seemingly to no avail. At the next session after this heavenly sign, the afflicted young woman was liberated. Perhaps Our Lady herself, in God's mercy, answered the question. When Baphomet and the remaining demons left, he screamed so loudly the afflicted person said, "I thought my eardrums were going to burst." She had spent months of being demonically abused, burned, cut, harassed, What replaced months of torture and hopelessness was an inner peace and rest. It is a joy now to see the smile on her face. Was the fire rainbow a sign of the imminent liberation of a possessed person? Or perhaps it is a sign of the coming end of the pandemic? Or both? Whatever it foreshadowed, we know the Blessed Virgin is smiling upon us, protecting us, and blessing us. Most certainly such a special heavenly sign augurs a time of peace for all of us, as well as for this woman. May God make it so! *A full liberation is only definitively certain after months of being symptom-free and no reaction to the Rite, which is the case to date.

The Triumph of Death (detail) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder c. 1562 When someone is possessed, the "out front" activity of Satan is clear. The demons torture the person. They may sexually abuse them. On their bodies, they burn upside down crosses, leave claw marks, branding signs, and more. Fortunately, God does not allow Satan directly to kill or maim. But these physical tortures are not the most difficult or dangerous part of the spiritual battle. Satan subtly inflicts the minds of the afflicted with the dissipation of hell. Most notably, their minds are filled with despair. They feel hopeless. Satan whispers in their ears again and again: "There is no hope for you;" "God doesn't care;" "Your sufferings will never end;" "You are doomed to hell." It is one of Satan's most dangerous weapons. This is one of the greatest sufferings of hell, and Satan's own suffering-- a hopeless despair. In Sr. Faustina's vision, she described it as one of its seven major tortures of the damned. Their despairing state can never change. As exorcist enters a bit into the world of those to whom he ministers, particularly in difficult cases. With the severely possessed, the exorcist is surrounded by hundreds of demons and face-to-face with one of hell's princes. We try to be careful, but invariably some of the stink of hell sticks. This week I have been surrounded by much hopelessness that the afflicted bring. Breathing in so much despair is debilitating. In the journey toward liberation, hopelessness can be the greatest of hurtles for the possessed. They become convinced they will never be free and that no progress is being made. Their minds have sunk into a deep pit. Session after session, we encourage them, support them, cheer for them, and pray for them. As I look around me in our world today, I see the same signs of hell. As faith flickers out, hell's despair spreads. What I see is a waste land of despair. People clamoring for possessions; power and position; passions inflamed...and so much violence and anger. Underneath it all, there is a pervasive hopelessness fueling it all. It is often said that being possessed is rare. I am not sure that is true. *See T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land

Rembrandt, "Return of the Prodigal Son," c. 1667 The demons were screaming again and again, "Get him out of here!" They were not speaking about the exorcist, but about the possessed girl's father. In the midst of her torment, while torrents of evil were spewing from her mouth, the father told his girl how much he loved her. His loving words tormented the demons as much as the Rite, perhaps more so. There is no love in hell. They can't stand it. I remember finishing up a particularly brutal exorcism some years ago. At the end, the possessed young woman was surrounded by her loving parents and very close friends. All loved her dearly and supported her throughout many painful and ugly months. At the end, the mother said, "You know why the demons finally left? They couldn't take her being surrounded by so much love." Our team members sacrifice, fast and pray. Over the years we have become a tight-knit and well-trained exorcism team. But I am always grateful when someone who loves the afflicted person is also present. "More is wrought by love than by sacrifice." There is no love in hell. That is all there is in heaven.

Goya's "Witches' Sabbath" 1798 Sex with a witch is an incredibly bad idea. We have had some who did, and they definitely needed help! Whether the man or woman practicing witchcraft tries to "bless" their partner or curse them, their actions will always be spiritually harmful and end up being a curse. For example, a woman recently said her aunt, who practices witchcraft, tried to give her some spiritual help through her magic. Almost immediately, her spiritual problems became much, much worse. Immoral sex by itself (i.e. sexual intercourse outside of marriage) is a grave sin that necessarily opens one to Satan's influence. But sex with a witch is particularly pernicious. The intimacy of the sex act deeply binds the couple. In marriage, it is meant to be a grace-filled bond of love. But when sinfully done with a witch (or warlock), it binds one to Satan. (Witches and warlocks get their power from Satan, whether they know it or not.) Those who came to us for assistance, having had sex with a witch, were deeply bonded with evil. This evil is hard to root out. A sincere repentance and sacramental confession are a good beginning, but the final liberation will likely be a long fight. In each of these cases, Satan staked out his territory and repeatedly claimed, "You belong to me!" Moreover, some also ingested cursed objects from the witch which they eventually painfully passed in the process of the exorcism. Whether it is meant as a blessing or a curse, whatever the witch or warlock gives as a potion must necessarily become a curse, since it comes from their practice of magic, which always finds it root in evil. As this country increasingly descends into sexual immorality, witchcraft and the occult, more people will be deeply bonded with evil. I am afraid that few will find their way out of the darkness... Our young people need to be warned: +Do not practice any kind witchcraft ("white" or black); +Even a witch's/warlock's "blessings" become curses; +Do not date or even befriend a man or woman practicing witchcraft; +And, never...ever, have sex with a witch.

Baphomet is associated with this 19th-century depiction of a Sabbatical Goat by Èliphas Lèvi (Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, 1856) I had hoped that she was only oppressed and not possessed. This young woman had many signs of possession including waking up with huge slash marks on her back and upside crosses burned on her body. But then she sent me a picture she drew the previous night that removed all doubt... She said she was in a kind of trance and didn't recall drawing it. Moreover, she had no idea what it was. But to us, it was immediately recognizable- Baphomet, one of the princes of hell. Sadly, she was possessed and the demonic cohort was being led by a high ranking demon.... Months later, thanks be to God, we are now getting near the end of the exorcism. At the beginning, there were 10 senior demons under Baphomet and, in all, several hundred demons. One by one, as the months passed, the ten left. Finally, only Baphomet and his coterie around him remain. He is now undefended by other demons and taking the brunt of the exorcism himself. For months, the afflicted young woman has had nightly visitations and torments by the demons. Being possessed, she is able to "see" some of the preternatural world. She said she sees Baphomet nightly; in the beginning he was huge and seated on a large throne. Now, as the exorcism has taken its toll, Baphomet looks small and his horns are on fire. She added that his face is contorted with pain and he is in a rage. As we pray, she can hear the demons screaming. This is no time to let down our guard. In the final throes, demons can be especially vicious, especially a prince of hell. We maintain our vigilance and look to the Mother of God as a special help. Whenever we mention her name and invoke her protection, the demons convulse in agony. Sometimes people, including some young priests, are excited by the prospect of an exorcism and all things related. The reality is ugly and painful for all. There is nothing attractive about it. But I think of the day when this young woman can lie down to sleep and not be terrified by the prospect of being dragged into hell. I pray that it is, through God's mercy, soon...

To know what is truly holy, one might look at what demons hate. Demons are tortured by anything holy. And one of the greatest tortures, for all that is evil, is entering a Catholic Church... +First, as one approaches the Church, the bells are ringing. Demons are repelled by the sound of the Church bells. Some exorcists ring little blessed bells during an exorcism for that very reason. + Walking through the Church doors causes great distress and anxiety for demons. Many possessed people find it well nigh impossible; demons desperately try to block them from entering. +Then blessing one's self with holy water is a source of great torment for demons. Holy water is part of every exorcism. It is one of the most consistently effective sacramentals to cast out every type of demon. +Walking up the aisle, one sees a crucifix. A standard part of every exorcism is raising the sign of the demon's defeat, the crucified Jesus, and saying, "Ecce crucem Domini: fugite partes adversae." When I raised up the crucifix in a recent exorcism, the demons shouted, "Take it away! It's burning me!" +Near the altar is typically an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The demons cannot even say her name, it is so holy and full of grace. They are terrified of her. +As the Mass begins, a priest approaches and kisses the altar. Demons hate priests, as uniquely configured to Christ. As a demon said to me in the midst of an exorcism, "I hate the day she met you!" +The priest's vestments themselves, particularly the stole, are powerful sacramentals. When one possessed person was struggling with demons of unchastity, we wrapped a priest's cincture, a symbol of chastity, around her waist. The demons begged to have it removed. In another exorcism, I laid my stole on the possessed and the demons howled in pain, "Take it off! Take it off!" +Demons do everything they can to keep a possessed person from going to Mass and receiving communion. A possessed person said the host tasted to her like "a dead animal." Demons abhor the real presence. Satanic cults know how sacred a consecrate host is, which is why they try to steal one and desecrate it. Everything about a Catholic Church is abhorrent to demons because it is holy. Their tortured response is a strong and clear testament to the sanctity of a Church and manifold graces inside. Then, wouldn't a daily visit to a Church for all of us be a graced moment? Is there really anything more important or more grace-filled than daily Mass?

This Holy Thursday, as a local priest began the sacred triduum, unexpectedly, the church lights began to flicker. They got unnaturally bright, and then very dim, despite the controls having no rheostat. The lights flashed and faded. Then the church went completely dark. The priest, unfazed, led a beautiful celebration by candlelight. Later, a spiritually gifted woman present in the congregation confided to him: "One of Satan's minions entered the church and invoked the help of demons to disrupt the Mass." When the Mass ended, the lights returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. In a nearby Church two days later at the Easter vigil, when it came time to sing the Gloria, the organ inexplicably would not play. The priest calmly preceded to lead the people in a blessed vigil Mass acapella, without instruments. The organist tried throughout the liturgy to get the organ to work, to no avail. At the very end, the organist had an inspiration and took out some of the holy water blessed on Epiphany. He sprinkled the water on the organ and it began to function normally, just in time for the final hymn.* This is typical demonic behavior. It harasses and tempts, but it can never thwart the work of God. I have encountered a number of people recently who are frightened by Satan and cower in fear. Unwittingly, because of their fear and letting this fear control their behavior, they fall under his control. On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we say the prayer that St. Faustina offers us, "Jesus, I trust in you." Satan is toothless and powerless in the presence of the Risen Lord. Trust in Jesus. *In our app: "Catholic Exorcism," there is an Umbrellino Prayer for Technology that is used to protect computers, cell phones, etc., from demonic harassment. It can be adapted for other uses, such as a church organ.

Annibale Carracci "Resurrection" We had started to make some progress with the curses sent against A's family. After several weeks of sessions, the physical pains in the husband as a result of the curse were starting to abate-- a sign the witch was losing her grip over them. However, she still had occult knowledge of almost everything that transpired in the household and taunted them with it. As her power over them initially started to fade, I expected this to start decreasing soon as well. Then the woman announced she was going to meet with a higher level witch. I suspected she was aware she was losing her grip and sought out more powerful assistance. The next session confirmed it: the husband's pains were back and worse than ever. It felt like we had started all over. However, when we began the next session, I opened with the Umbrellino prayer as always. It is a prayer which protects the afflicted person from demonic reinforcements and isolates the demons tormenting the individual. We say it in the beginning of every session. This time, the husband instantly began coughing wildly and painfully. Clearly something was up! Ah yes... This Umbrellino prayer, which we say almost perfunctorily, has an important function, especially in such cases. The witch had obtained the help of a more powerful witch and was calling in demonic reinforcements. The prayer was blocking the reinforcements, hence the coughing and hacking. It's a battle. We will see this to its successful end and I know the Risen Jesus will triumph. In the meantime, the family is suffering terribly in many ways. From those who discern a call to do so: your prayers are requested!

Francesco Trevisani "John the Baptist baptizing Christ" After years of practicing New Age spiritualities and several forms of yoga, "N" now experiences much demonic oppression and obsession. Her mind and affect are darkened and foggy. We have been praying over her for some months and she is slowly getting better. Recently, she has been having demonic attacks in her stomach area. I suggested she drink some holy water. She did so and was happy to share with others her experience: As I felt attacked by demons in my stomach area, I drank three or four big sips of the holy water. The effect was almost immediate. I was flooded with a strong and very clear light from above. The light pushed all the darkness away from me for a moment, it was a physical sensation. Then I felt my mind clear and I could suddenly feel that I was more myself again. I realized that I had forgotten what that is like. The fog in my mind cleared. I got a new perspective. It seemed like my brain was functioning at normal level again. Everything seemed light, saying "bathed in light" wouldn't be an exaggeration. A wonderful sense of peace and clarity filled my whole home. I felt very grateful and impressed that just a sip of holy water could be this powerful. Most people do not have such a profound experience using holy water, but her reflection is a good reminder of the importance of sacramentals, especially holy water. I often recall a similar quote from St. Teresa of Avila's autobiography (chpt 31): “From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again….For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation. In fact it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a refreshment which I cannot possibly describe, resembling an inward joy which comforts my whole soul. This is not fancy, or something which has happened to me only once, it has happened again and again and I have observed it attentively….” These might seem to some as exaggerations, but it is good to recall some important things about holy water. Water is an essential of life and stimulates life; there is no water in hell. Water is an essential part of baptism and holy water ought to remind us of this foundational sacrament. Holy water is a sacramental and its power comes from the authority and power that Christ gives to his Church. Shouldn't we all have holy water readily accessible and use it often? It certainly puts devils to flight and refreshes the soul.

All Saints Day procession As the sessions continue with "John," the demons are getting weaker. They are starting to reveal their names-- some rather strong demons present including Asmodeus, Abaddon, Baal and more. As I research all the names, I continue to be amazed at how many are used in video games. Many times, the games rightly portray demons as evil and by the end they are vanquished. But in others, young people are sometimes casting spells, taking on the names or attributes of demons, or enlisting demons as allies. In years past, it was standard practice that Christian parents named their children at birth after a favorite saint. It is thought that this saint would not only be a role model for the child, but also a patron and intercessor. Moreover, the "spirit" of the saint is thought to influence the one named. If a child was named Michael, for example, the Archangel would hopefully be its special protector. Moreover, one could expect that the powerful spirit of this defender of God's holiness (Quis ut Deus) would be a strength upon which the child could draw. The authority of parents to name their children is a sacred responsibility. The act of naming something, given by God to humanity, concedes an aspect of divine authority (Gen 2:19). Giving a name to things is meant to identify their true nature. Something valuable is lost when a child is not given a holy name. Similarly, what does this say about those who take on the name of a demon or take a demon as an aid in a video game or cast demonic spells? One might protest that it is only a game. But from what I know of demons, if they can, they will take it as an open door.

Peter Paul Rubens, The Immaculate Conception Things weren't adding up. When we prayed over "Joyce," it seems she was fully possessed. She reacted strongly to the exorcism prayers. Her personality receded into the background and a snarky, arrogant look came over her face. When we held up a crucifix, she said it burned her eyes to look at it. She had great difficulty going to Mass and swallowing the consecrated host. She said, "It tasted like a dead animal." When our exorcism sessions ended, she remembered little of what happened. But her background information didn't seem to match. It is true that she was a fallen away Catholic and she had engaged in some sinful behaviors. But our experience is that fully possessed people usually have more open doors to the demonic. Her condition wasn't making sense. Several months into the exorcism, the truth finally came out. As she felt more comfortable with us, she revealed that she had had an abortion. Moreover, she previously spent a couple of years dabbling in the occult, including consulting mediums, calling on spirits, and practicing divination. Now, I understood. This is the perfect trifecta for possession. First, do not practice the faith. Living a virtuous life of faith in Christ and his Church is the primary protection against the power of Satan. Without it, the person is vulnerable. Second, commit seriously sinful behaviors, especially contributing to wrongful deaths, child abuse, or mortal sins in general. These create wounds in the psyche and spirit through which the demonic may enter. Third, call on evil spirits such as in occult behaviors or any new age spiritisms. This directly invites demons to enter through the wounds and possess the defenseless person. As I look around in society today, all three conditions are rapidly on the rise. Things are going to get a lot uglier before they get better. We need more exorcists and more deliverance teams. Our little team is increasingly flooded with valid cries for help. We must look to Our Lady.... My beautiful Mary, my love, we need you.

"Susan" had asked for one of the other exorcists by name to attend her exorcism session. Sometime after she was fully manifesting, the priest was finally available and walked in. The demons immediately let out a yell and cowered in the corner. They cried out, "Get him away from me!" They acted terrified. I looked up and said to the Team, "It's a ruse." We ignored the demons' histrionics and calmly went back to our prayers. In an exorcism, demons try all sorts of tricks to derail the Team. One of them is pitting team members against each other. A related trick is trying to inflame some members' pride and deflate others' self-esteem. Today's demonic antics attempted to do both. They made it seem like the one priest was a spiritually powerful person and the others were spiritually inferior. This was a lie. Moreover, it attempted to take our focus away from that which is most powerful in an exorcism: a priest with faculties from the Bishop saying the Church's approved Rite of Exorcism. How did I know it was a ruse? Likely it was a special grace. Although the demons' histrionic cries and cowering were hollow and felt like a badly acted play. And I had seen that demonic ruse attempted several times before with others. An exorcism is a spiritual battle fought on many levels simultaneously-- spiritual, psychological, and physical. We rely not on any special personal gifts nor are we disheartened by our weaknesses. Rather, it is the power of Christ, given to his Church, which makes the demons truly terrified.

Crucifixion, El Greco and Janina Ploska In the midst of the session, "Lucy" started to scream and thrash. By the sound of her voice, I knew it wasn't the demons; it was Lucy herself. "Get them off me!" she yelled. "Are the demons molesting you?" I asked. She began to sob, "Yes." The team immediately went into its protective mode. The exorcists commanded the demons to stop. We beseeched the Blessed Mother to spread her mantle of protection with all its purity over her. We asked the angelic powers of heaven to establish a perimeter of protection around her. After about five minutes, it stopped. Not long ago, a new exorcist called me for a consult. He said he had a new referral and the woman claimed to be sexually abused by demons at night. He was skeptical. I explained that this is actually common. One of the demons' most upsetting tactics is sexually abusing and thus shaming and traumatizing women. It can be hard to understand why God would allow this. But God allows millions of people around the globe every year to be sexually abused by humans. Sexual abuse is an evil act in league with Satan and his minions. After the session, I explained to Lucy that demons do not have gender nor do they have bodies. They are not actually physically having sex with her. However, they can make it feel exactly like being abused including all the physical sensations. While I know that this does not reduce the horrible experience for her, perhaps she can realize it is another demonic deception and lie. When the session ended, the priests prayed a healing prayer over Lucy. We prayed that God would heal her of any hurts and traumas, past or present. An exorcism is a dirty, ugly affair because of the presence of evil demons and all that they do. It is particularly awful, and we too can feel helpless and pained to the heart, when the afflicted person is being abused by demons right in front of us. In this Lenten season, we all might offer up our sufferings to the One who suffered the full weight of evil and sin for us. May Jesus make Lucy, and all of us, whole.

It was a particularly ugly session. After months of exorcism sessions, I now had the demon leader's name. I moved in close, about two feet away, and stared the demons in the eye. They were fully manifested. Using the leader's name, I commanded the demons, in the name of Jesus, to leave. They were not weak enough yet to cast out and had plenty of fight left in them. In a gravely voice, they mocked and taunted me. I could hear and feel the evil. They were disgusting and full of filth. I tried not to listen. I try not to make this a personal fight. I hide behind Jesus and do everything in his name. It is he who is the exorcist. But it's a bit difficult being only 24 inches from the demons, who are in a full rage. The demons take it very personally and focus their seething violence on me. Finally, it was time to end. The team members, and the afflicted person, were all tired. Together we said prayers of thanksgiving. At the beginning of the session, I had faithfully said prayers of protection. Now, at the closing, I said the full cleansing prayers. But when it all ended, I wasn't feeling quite right. I tried relaxing, eating dinner, and moving on. It didn't seem to help. After an hour or so, I wasn't any better. In fact, I felt somewhat disabled. Finally, I was able to identify the feeling. I felt like I had been stabbed by a poisoned blade. I was spiritually wounded. The poison was there and it would not go away. It was infecting my entire system. Apparently, for some reason, the demons were able to break through the usual protection and "stab" me with their poison. Perhaps I was in too close. Regardless, I was wounded with an otherworldly poison. There was only one solution for this. I went into the chapel and asked my Mother for help. It seemed to me that she looked at me with kindness and gently chided me for waiting for so long to come to her. She quickly expelled the poison. I was now fine although I needed to rest a bit. I don't know how the demons were able to get through. It reminds me what one of my military instructors said who was training us in knife fighting. He opened the lesson with the following admonition: "In a knife fight, you are going to get cut." In a close fight with demons, I have to expect occasionally getting "cut." But I learned my lesson. Next time, my first stop is the chapel and the healing touch of Our Lady.

"Lucy" is possessed and being tortured nightly by the demons. They taunt her, mark her body with scratches and burns, claim that they own her, and often twist her bad leg, which is excruciating for her. Demons are merciless and relentless. After a number of intense exorcism sessions, the demons were weakening. It seemed to me that they just might be weak enough to be compelled, by the power of Jesus, to reveal their names. Having their demonic names gives additional power to cast them out and suggests that the time of their exit is approaching. So I demanded again and again and again: "Dicas mihi nomen tuum" ("Tell me your name"). This line is a direct quote from the traditional Rite of Exorcism. The demon resisted mightily. Finally, with great reluctance, it gave up its name, "Abyzou." I looked it up. Several sources concur: Abyzou (also spelled Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, Byzou) is the name of a "female" demon in the Near East blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality.* It made perfect sense. Sadly, Lucy had had an abortion. She sincerely repented, went to confession, and remained very contrite. While any and all sins are forgiven in the sacrament, this does not mean that associated demons are immediately cast out. Often, a time of purgation is necessary. Given the gravity of the sin and the resulting tragic child's death, it was going to be a fight to cast out this demon. Abyzou taunted Lucy for having had an abortion. The demon told her she could never be forgiven. It played on her deep sense of guilt and attempted to drag her into the darkness of hopelessness and despair. This is typical demonic behavior. Demons not only tempt you to commit sin but then if you do, they taunt you and shame you for doing so. We assured Lucy that her sin was truly forgiven and said a prayer for her baby. Lucy may also need post-abortion counseling and/or work with post-abortion healing groups. In the midst of the session, one of the exorcists was inspired to hold up an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The demon went into a huge convulsion. So, repeatedly we invoked Our Lady under this title and the demon convulsed every time the icon was held up. The effectiveness of this holy image is no accident. The icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe reveals Mary as a pregnant woman and she is often invoked under this title for unborn children. Moreover, under her feet is a symbol of the moon and darkness, a reference to the devil. Juan Diego, upon whose tilma the image appeared, referred to her in his native language as: "Te Coatlazopeuh” – “she who crushes the serpent.” An abortion is a grevious sin. But Lucy and all should know that there is a Divine source of healing and peace. We have a tremendous advocate in Our Lady of Guadalupe who treads upon Abyzou and brings God's healing. "Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, pray for us." *Demons do not have physical bodies or gender so it is technically not a male or female.

Immaculate Conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1767–1769, in the Museo del Prado, Spain A strong taste of hell this week. Many of our afflicted were oppressed with hopelessness and despair. It was palpable. Underneath was a current of anger, occasionally manifesting in a look of violence. One of our sensitives confirmed that she, too, was aware of this despair afflicting her directees. Something in the air. People are rightly concerned about the coronavirus. I am more concerned about the virus of despair and anger infecting our nation. It is fueled by Evil and afflicting many. In one session, a man began to manifest and the entire eyeballs of his blue eyes turned completely black. In another session, the demons were dissing us, threatening us, spewing forth every sort of demonic taunt and disgusting mockery. All this is hell-- anger, despair, violence. The eyes of the soul turning black. Filth. Attacking any semblance of good. Sometime back, I was teaching a graduate theology class of 33 good Catholics. I gave them Sr. Faustina's vision of hell and asked them if they believed it. Only one did. Her vision was a private revelation and thus one is not obliged to accept it. I can understand why they did not; it seems too horrible. But I believe St. Faustina had a true vision. Actually, her words could not fully capture this terrible reality. This week we entered, once again, the presence of hell. We were surrounded by evil, weighing down the air around us, and oppressing our spirits. In a text from the demons, they said I was a "weak priest" and threatened to up the attack against us. Finally, the week ended. I went into my regular, monthly retreat day. There I found the loving arms of the Mother awaiting me. She was fully aware of it all. She lifted the oppression of hell and there was peace. I am indeed a "weak priest." But I have a beautiful and powerful Mother. 2 Cor 12:9-10: I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me....for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Michael casts out rebel angels. Illustration by Gustave Doré for John Milton's Paradise Lost. Jason woke up with four long, ugly looking, 18" gouges on his back. It looked like a beast had raked its claws down his back. In fact, that's exactly what happened. The demons' attacks against him have intensified. He is aggressively assaulted and abused. At night, and even during the day, his bed shakes violently when he lies on it. Jason is terrified. Friends freak out when they see it. In our latest session, Jason said his eyes were burning when he looked at the crucifix. He cried, "My eyes are on fire!" Several times, he was choked to the point of passing out. He relayed to me that the demons were demanding that I take off my stole. This, too, is causing much suffering. Of course, I refuse. Jason's mother is distraught. She complains, "The situation is getting worse. The demons are getting stronger!" And Jason, because of the physical possession, feels much of the demon's pain. He is suffering greatly. The demons themselves are suffering intensely and are actually getting weaker. The stole, the crucifix and other sacramentals are torturing them. The Rite of Exorcism is loosening their grip and they are fighting back like a dying animal. Like a mortally wounded beast, they are thrashing and lashing out. It cuts to the heart to see Jason suffer so much. I wish there was an easier way, and I tell him so. These are dark moments, that pushes Jason and his family to the limit. I trust that God will not allow the demons to push them beyond what they can stand. I encourage them to pray, "Jesus I trust in you." It is my prayer as well.