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["Christ Healing the Paralytic at Bethesda," Palma il Giovane, 1592] Our monthly online deliverance sessions continue to be a powerful spiritual experience, thanks be to God, with thousands praying together from around the world.* We receive hundreds of wonderful notes after each session.*** One in particular from this week caught my eye: Dear Msgr. Rossetti and team: I have been praying with you for over a year now. I was involved with witchcraft and divination during the pandemic and now I am suffering the consequences. I had a "healing ritual" performed on me by a witch and I have been experiencing what I believe is demonic oppression ever since (there is something moving up and down my body, and weighing me down, making it hard to walk and move properly). I got many medical checks and a psychiatric evaluation but it looks like it is all normal there. [When I pray] the shaking and jerking is intense. Going to church was tough and is still a bit hard. This thing starts to shake violently and hits me from inside when I enter a church so you can imagine what it is like! Not to mention the aversion and repulsion I felt. The worst part is getting close to a Tabernacle. My heart starts beating so fast; it feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much assistance where I live so thank you very much for what you are doing, the help and comfort your have been providing has been invaluable. I wanted to let you know a couple of things that have happened lately. First, I have expelled a black thread from my intestines. I don't want to get too graphic here, but the thread exited completely clean, looking as if a knot had been untied. I haven't improved too much but I hope it is a step in the right direction. Also, I got scratched at the beginning of the session last night. Actually I get scratched quite regularly but this is not the worst thing I have to deal with. Last year I couldn't even pray because hell would break loose in my room: loud bangs, creaks and other noises. They have now disappeared. Often I would smell burnt charcoal inside my throat, as if it was coming directly from my lungs (and I don't smoke!). It still happens but a lot less than it used to. Thank you all once again. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you and all your team. Hopefully your prayers will guide me to a way out of this nightmare. I send you all a virtual hug. [Used with permission] There are some validating signs here which are typical of a demonic presence. As a result of her dabbling in the occult, she has a strong aversion to the sacred (church, prayer, tabernacle). Demons react strongly and negatively to anything holy. Also, there are physical manifestations in her room when she prays including "bangs, creaks and other noises." She also has negative physical symptoms typical of the demonic including being scratched and the taste of "burnt charcoal" in her throat. Very telling is her passing from her body a "fortuna," in this case a black thread, which is associated with witches' curses. Passing a fortuna is a sign that progress is being made in lifting the curse. Finally, in response to sacraments and prayers, she is slowly getting better. More than a few people seek healing through witchcraft and occult rituals, often with good intentions. There are "healing witches," "curanderos," and "shamans" who promise healing magic. Those who come to us after seeing such occult healers often report an initial feeling of relief after these magic rituals, but then the problems become much worse. Good intentions do not alter the reality that when the true God is not invoked in spiritual practices, dark spirits will often respond, as this person tragically found out. There is one safe source for healing: Jesus. Many of the thousands who attend our online healing sessions experience a healing grace through Jesus. And if Jesus does not give us the grace we want, He will give us the grace we need. This always includes the strength to endure in faith whatever comes. The Christian learns to trust in God. Unfortunately, this life is often a "vale of tears." But, whatever comes, we trust that God is in charge and, in Him, all things that come our way will ultimately be for our good. "We know that all things work for good for those who love God" (Rm 8:28). ------------- *Next free online deliverance session is Monday, Nov 13th 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register here: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/november-13th-online-deliverance-prayer-session **Register for our Dec 9th (11am-2pm Eastern USA time) online workshop on "Protecting Self and Family from Evil" with Msgr. Rossetti, Fr. Luke and Gina. Partial and full scholarships available at: stmichaelcenter77@gmail.com. Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8382139423552810076 ***Sample of Feedback from October 2023 Online Deliverance Session The prayer “I Am Loved” moved me to tears as I suffer from feelings of hurt, and rejection from family members and loved ones. It is always good to know and feel God's healing love! I feel a sense of joy. Thank you!! By God's grace, after the deliverance, I experienced renewed physical strength, i.e., my body returned to normal. Before the deliverance I was careful with my actions, afterward I could move about normally and do chores as before. What an amazing experience that was! …And, when things seem especially trying, I rewatch those sessions as needed. Thank you so much! I cried when Msgr lifted financial curses and when he asked God the Father to wrap His arms around us. I suffer from not believing that I can be loved due to past sins. The final blessing was the most powerful. Thank you! Truly beautiful! I have been having bad dreams for about 20 years…After 1 deliverance session, they have mostly gone away! Thank you! Today I was able to watch a live session and was shocked how powerful it was. I felt like I was lightheaded and had pressure in my head during the removing of curses. I was horrified to learn how I have opened myself up dabbling with the new age and going to energy healers…I plan on rewatching this service and continue praying the rosary everyday and attend confession this week. I also will be attending mass. I can’t tell you how humbled I feel. How at peace and calm I feel. I felt a deep peace during the session that I haven't felt in a very very very long time. Thank you so much for doing these sessions. God Bless You!! The biggest effect in my life from attending these sessions is the loosening of the grip of fear, oppression, and the increase in the surrender to the love of God and His will. Had a feeling of God’s grace coming over me, like a warmth. Thank you, I feel a great peace and a joy and am filled with gratitude following the session today. Felt at peace and joy! Thank you. After tonight's session, I have this great sense of peace. I will sleep peacefully tonight for the first time in a while. Thank you so very much! I know God really Loves me, feeling His love flowing over and in me. I felt a "heaviness" leave me. Felt the light I’ve never felt in a while. I have finally been liberated from the vice of wrath and am thankful for God's mercy and grace in response to [the] prayers. I was quite troubled and worried about my current health condition and felt lost, fearful, and unsettled. After the prayer session, I felt so much peace, especially with the prayer “I Am Loved”. I felt the joy and peace enter into my heart and slept with a smile on my face feeling God's love is always with me. Thank you so much for all the prayers and blessings! Praise the Lord! As we began the prayers to remove generational spirits and to cast out specific evil spirits I burst out crying. I felt a release of emotions at that time, it felt as if I was crying in the arms of the Lord Christ and He was soothing my soul. When I started doing these deliverance prayer sessions almost a year ago, I was carrying a tremendous burden. I felt the burden physically. It weighed down on my neck and shoulders. I was under constant attack by the Evil One. Now the weight is gone. God bless you all!! Thank you!! During the prayer for healing of family conflict and discord, all of a sudden I started shaking sobbing. Its been a trial lately in that area for me. I woke up the next day feeling lighter, it was easier to get out of bed, normally a fight. Thank you I really felt that one and a release. God bless you. Wow.....very, very powerful. I felt a major release in my heart, of forgiveness for my husband who has hurt me deeply. The exchange of hearts with Jesus has been powerful for me. I feel a greater closeness to him, and an increased ability to love others. Thank you for all you are doing. My fever went away as the service progressed. I felt and saw a big black shadow lift from my head and I felt instantly better and happier. A lot of stress left me and I have been able to get more done this week. My family also seems to be doing a little better as well. Thank You, Jesus. Amen. I experienced healing. I can now walk without a cane. I was bed-ridden for 3 months, and on a gurney, wheel chaise, walker then cane. I praise and thank God for these blessings. Unexpectedly, I cried through much of the session. The tears were not sad, but felt like a healing, peaceful release. Thank you for doing this! Grace-filled and powerful. These sessions are a blessing to my priesthood and others involved in our parish and mission ministries, outreach and prayer groups. God bless all involved. Thank you! What I am experiencing is a deeper awe and love for my Catholic faith. My wife and I have attended many of the sessions. We always feel closer to God and filled with the Holy Spirit after the sessions. The sessions strengthen our faith and give us hope and joy. I received a 100% healing in my hand that was in great pain. I have noticed that since I have begun participating in these prayer sessions, many things in my family's life have changed for the better. I used to be envious when I would read that people felt lighter and more peaceful after sessions. This time I actually felt a heaviness was lifted from me. I felt an air of peace. It was amazing. Thank you so much. I've definitely noticed subtle changes over this time period. I don't get the self-hatred, dislike, down on myself, and feel worthless as frequently or severe as I once did. It still happens from time to time. I felt St. Michael and his angels near me! A deep feeling of peace and cleansing, that goes beyond words. I had to watch the recording, but it was just as powerful. God has this ministry at work! … It is a miraculous blessing in my life. Overwhelming peace. I like the live sessions because I can experience a communal sense of prayer, joining my prayers with other participants and to pray for their intentions as well as my own. Both my husband and I attended online, we both felt a sense of peace during and afterwards… I’ve noticed for me that the people and issues of the past have become less and less intense as if healing in a slow and steady path over time…I’ve been attending every month for about a year. Thank you so much for these sessions!!! As I am in Germany it is very late for me (1am), but I was impressed how many people were online. Awesome! Thanks for what you are doing! Keep going. After exiting the prayer session, I felt joy and had mental clarity that I haven’t experienced in a very long time. I will be attending these as often as they are available. Thank you so much. I experienced coughing, crying, and then a sense of relief and well-being. Thank you so much. These sessions are very soothing. Complete peace by end of session...thank you!

[Resurrection: Jesus lifting up Adam and Eve, Anastasis, Mary Green] A man in his 30's self-referred for an exorcism. He confessed to having been involved with witchcraft for the past seven years. He started his own coven and was deeply into casting spells and magic. As I was praying over him, I was struck by the darkness, unhappiness, isolation and depressive mood he exuded. I mentioned it and he said knew it was the result of his involvement in the occult. He only came for a few exorcism sessions and then stopped. He was addicted to the feeling of power and control it gave him. He couldn't give it up. Another former witch admitted that the practice led her into "despair, anger, emptiness, and the facade of having control."* She was able to stop and return to the Catholic faith. She realized that witchcraft promises results but never quite delivers. It tempts its practitioners with taking control of their lives and reaping great benefits, but it actually leads them further and further into the darkness. We are praying over several people who have repented their previous lives in the occult and have returned to the faith. Not uncommonly, members of their former covens are cursing them and casting spells. Their former partners in the occult are now bent on making them suffer for leaving. In discerning that which is truly right and wrong, a biblical adage is key: "By their fruits you will know them" (Mt 7:15). Witchcraft dangles tempting fruit in front of its practitioners but ultimately cannot deliver. Converted witches tell us that they were deceived by the illusion of power and control. Many began as "white" witches but this path led them into "black" witchcraft and further into evil. Every day, I pray for the conversion of those practicing witchcraft and the occult. There is only one source of true joy and peace. May they find Jesus and be at peace. ------------ *To read about the experiences of former occultists and their personal reflections, see Charles D. Fraune, "Slaying Dragons II: The Rise of the Occult." 2023. **Register now! Our next online deliverance session is this Monday, Oct 16th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register on our website https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/october-16th-online-deliverance-prayer-session or here. There were 18,000 who registered in September and the Lord abundantly blessed us. Here are a few of the feedback comments from participants: Thank you so much. I and my husband did these prayers together. Very powerful. I love these prayers, it's beautiful. It gives me peace in my soul. The forgiveness prayer and prayer to eradicate generational spirits deeply touched me. I came away with a growing sense of peace, confidence, and joy. It's hard to explain the peace and lightness I feel immediately from these deliverance sessions. Thank you and God bless you always! Thank you is not enough.With your deliverance sessions, my depression I have had since I was in my early 20s (I am now 49) has been more manageable since I have been joining your sessions. It always feels like a weight is lifted during and after each session. I have had severe self-hate and inferiority problems. After three times of your online exorcisms I no longer suffer. I even did a speech at a wedding without getting nervous. I know I am loved. Hallelujah! I felt the anger that I had held onto for so long ebb away when we prayed for forgiveness for self and others. I felt the Presence of God very strongly...knew this was the real deal. Thank you so much. I felt great grace and peace. I also had tears of healing. I always feel closer to God when I attend your session. At some points, I just started to cry. And it actually felt like a weight was being taken off of me. It was very comforting, and I could feel very confident the love of God with me.

[Mary Magdalene depicted as a Penitent" Domenico Tintoretto, 1598] Kate suffers from depression and anxiety. She was sexually abused by her father and as an adult struggles with the trauma of the abuse. She has difficulties with hopelessness and trusting in others. Also, she is emotionally isolated and suffers from self-hatred. Recently, Kate has periods of especially intense depressions and bouts of suicidality which seem extreme and not typical of her "normal" psychological moods. These bouts surface without an apparent immediate cause. When she is prayed over, these crises subside significantly. Both Kate and the priest wonder: are these bouts psychological or are they the work of demons? For our discernment, it is important to note that Satan exploits our wounds. If we struggle with depression, he will do everything he can to exaggerate our depressions, including filling the person's mind with depressing thoughts, hopelessness, despair and even suicidality. If fear is our weakness, he will exaggerate our fears and tempt us to be terrified of him and not trust in God. If we have been abused in childhood, the Evil One will fill our minds with feelings of worthlessness, self-hatred, and isolation. Satan uses peoples' wounds as portals to enter and torture their lives. How do we know if Satan is directly involved in someone's life or are their problems strictly psychological? One place to look is in the severity and the onset of the attacks. Satan exaggerates our weaknesses and what should have been a “normal” depressive episode is then exaggerated into a full blown, unmanageable crisis. Second, demonic attacks often occur suddenly and without the usual psychological triggers. Third, when deliverance prayers are said during a Satanic attack, the crisis often abates quickly to a more manageable and typical problem. Many cases of demonic affliction involve this combination of underlying psychological wounds and a demonic presence exploiting these wounds. As a result, full spiritual liberation cannot take place unless the underlying psychic wounds are sufficiently healed and the portal is closed. Many of our afflicted people who are receiving deliverance prayers are also in some form of psychological healing which directly addresses past traumas and underlying wounds. In Kate's case, Satan is using her past psychological wounds as portals. Thus, to answer the question about the source of her problems: Kate's difficulties are both psychological AND spiritual. After months of psychotherapy and deliverance prayers, she is now able to discern when she is suffering from a typical mood problem as a result of her abusive past or when she is being directly attacked by the Evil One. Whenever she suffers "normal" psychological difficult moods, she has a series of steps to take such as connecting with her therapist, reaching out to friends and family, and being involved in social activities. But when the problem includes a Satanic attack, she also engages spiritual means such as deliverance prayers, connecting with her spiritual director, and praying the rosary, It is easy to fall into extremes in discernment. One extreme is to believe that one’s problems are wholly spiritual and denigrate anything psychological. The other extreme is to reduce everything to the psychological and not allow the possibility of a direct demonic influence. Our experience finds the psychological and spiritual to be intertwined, and thus healing modalities of both psyche and spirit are typically important. Kate is working hard on both levels and has already made considerable progress. Her debilitating fear has subsided greatly. She is reconnecting with friends. She is able to go to Mass daily and receive communion. Her prognosis is very good. She now has a new-found feeling of hope. And we find much hope in working with her. ----- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, Oct 16th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register on our website at:https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/october-16th-online-deliverance-prayer-session or here. There were 18,000 who registered in September and the Lord abundantly blessed us. Here are a few of the feedback comments from participants: Thank you so much. I and my husband did these prayers together. Very powerful. I love these prayers, it's beautiful. It gives me peace in my soul. The forgiveness prayer and prayer to eradicate generational spirits deeply touched me. I came away with a growing sense of peace, confidence, and joy. It's hard to explain the peace and lightness I feel immediately from these deliverance sessions. Thank you and God bless you always! Thank you is not enough.With your deliverance sessions, my depression I have had since I was in my early 20s (I am now 49) has been more manageable since I have been joining your sessions. It always feels like a weight is lifted during and after each session. I have had severe self-hate and inferiority problems. After three times of your online exorcisms I no longer suffer. I even did a speech at a wedding without getting nervous. I know I am loved. Hallelujah! I felt the anger that I had held onto for so long ebb away when we prayed for forgiveness for self and others. I felt the Presence of God very strongly...knew this was the real deal. Thank you so much. I felt great grace and peace. I also had tears of healing. I always feel closer to God when I attend your session. At some points, I just started to cry. And it actually felt like a weight was being taken off of me. It was very comforting, and I could feel very confident the love of God with me.

["The Last Judgment," detail, Michelangelo, 1536-1541] When "P" walked into the chapel for his weekly exorcism session, as always I asked him how he was feeling. He responded, "I feel an intense hatred for you." At that point, I knew that he was starting to "manifest," ie, the demons were coming to the fore. The spiritual battle was on. Demons hate priests. They hate the Church. They hate God most of all. And they can't stand anything holy. John Paul II said that God does not send anyone to hell; rather, they choose it for themselves. Likewise, the demons try to stay far away from God and all that is holy, that is, they choose to dwell in their own hell. This is an important truth for our time. In this post-Christian era, hatred for God, the faith, and all that is holy is explicit and even celebrated. It is not surprising that Satanists reject the Catholic Church. Similarly, as someone goes deeper into witchcraft and sorcery, they too increasingly hate the Church and reject the faith. Some of their number will even intentionally curse priests and the faithful.* This odium fidei, hatred of the faith, is spreading. There have been 300 known attacks against Catholic churches in the United States since 2020. Not long ago, A mother contacted me and, in tears, said her daughter had gone off to college and had converted to witchcraft and paganism. Her daughter now, in her own words, "violently rejects" the Catholic faith and avoids contact with the Catholic members of her family. She has even convinced her younger sibling to stop going to Mass and to question the faith. During "P"'s session, we prayed the Litany of the Saints that is used in an exorcism. At one point, the Litany says: "You gave your Disciples power over demons." I stopped and commanded the demons, "Is that true? Does the Church has power over you?" "No, no," they said, shaking the head. I responded: "Tell the truth!" They said again, "No, no!" "Stop lying," I retorted, "I command you to tell the truth!" They finally admitted in a sullen tone, "Yes." At the end of "P"'s session, after he had returned to full consciousness and the demons' receded, he looked at me and said, "The demons are afraid of you." I responded, "They are afraid of Jesus and his Church." In a recent Marian apparition, Our Lady reportedly told us not to be afraid of the future. She told us to look to Jesus, to pray and trust in Him. In our exorcism ministry the words of Our Lady are confirmed daily. Jesus is Lord. Pray and trust in Him. It is Satan and his minions who are terrified of Jesus and his Church, and they are terrified of what is to come. ----------------------------------- *See Exorcist Diary blog #259. **Our next online deliverance session is Monday, Oct 16th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register on our website at:https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/october-16th-online-deliverance-prayer-session or here. There were 18,000 who registered in September and the Lord abundantly blessed us. Here are a few of the feedback comments from participants: Thank you so much. I and my husband did these prayers together. Very powerful. I love these prayers, it's beautiful. It gives me peace in my soul. The forgiveness prayer and prayer to eradicate generational spirits deeply touched me. I came away with a growing sense of peace, confidence, and joy. It's hard to explain the peace and lightness I feel immediately from these deliverance sessions. Thank you and God bless you always! Thank you is not enough.With your deliverance sessions, my depression I have had since I was in my early 20s (I am now 49) has been more manageable since I have been joining your sessions. It always feels like a weight is lifted during and after each session. I have had severe self-hate and inferiority problems. After three times of your online exorcisms I no longer suffer. I even did a speech at a wedding without getting nervous. I know I am loved. Hallelujah! I felt the anger that I had held onto for so long ebb away when we prayed for forgiveness for self and others. I felt the Presence of God very strongly...knew this was the real deal. Thank you so much. I felt great grace and peace. I also had tears of healing. I always feel closer to God when I attend your session. At some points, I just started to cry. And it actually felt like a weight was being taken off of me. It was very comforting, and I could feel very confident the love of God with me.

["The Sermon on the Mount," Cosimo Rosselli, 1439-1507] I just received the following query from a subscriber: "I run a surprisingly successful tiktok (@gen.z.bible.stories) and one person has been unusually supportive of me and messaging me often for the past week. So I searched her tiktok username and found a comment she made about a month ago on a witch's tiktok video about revenge spells, saying she was new to the practice and asking if it had any negative karma or effects. I realize this person is a danger to me, so I blocked her instantly, and prayed your prayer for protection against curses from your website. But obviously this might encourage her to do a revenge spell against me. Should I have not blocked her?" [Used with permission] I understand the person's concern. It is clear that faithful Christian ministries, especially the Catholic Church, are special targets for witches' curses. Similarly, this week I also received some information about a former witch and Satanist. She publicly admitted that their cult specifically targeted Christians. For example, they put cursed rosaries in churches, mixing them in the basket with other rosaries. However, these minions of evil found that they had no power over those who truly serve God, as opposed to what she called: "so-called Sunday Christians." Faithful religious communities of consecrated women and men are regularly cursed. We assist them in lifting these curses. Moreover, we at St.Michael Center are ourselves regularly cursed by witches. We know that these minions of Satan are frustrated that we are protected. What surprised the former witch, and helped lead to her conversion, was realizing Satan's lie that he was all powerful. She found out that Satan is only a "proud fallen angel" and that "God is more powerful." Odium fidei, hatred of the faith, is one of the unmistakeable signs of Satan's presence. The contemporary destruction of churches and religious statues, the public rejection of the faith, the hatred toward the church and those who minister therein, and attempts to expunge the faith from society ultimately find their source in Satan's hatred of Christ and his church. When I responded to the host of the @gen.z.bible.stories tiktok site, I told him that first and foremost: trust in Jesus! Those who truly do his will, which the witch found out, are protected. While some demonic harassment is possible, it is limited to what God allows, and it ultimately leads to their sanctification and His glory. I also told him that it is actually possible that the woman who was following his site, and at the same time inquiring about revenge curses, is genuinely interested in his work. Sadly, there are some who practice the faith and also engage in magic. This is a grievous error. Let them read Deuteronomy 18:10-12. For a fuller explanation of why any form of magic, including "white" magic, is truly an "abomination" (Dt 10:12), see Fr. Cliff Ermatinger's book: The Trouble With Magic. To answer the woman's query: "Does casting a revenge spell bring bad effects into my life?" The answer is always: "Yes." Satan's minions will ultimately share in what Satan has to offer: hell. To those who faithfully minister in the name of Jesus, if Satan has you in his sights, rejoice because this is a sign that you are truly doing the Lord's work. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5: 10). ----- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, Oct 16th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register on our website at:https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/october-16th-online-deliverance-prayer-session or here. There were 18,000 who registered in September and the Lord abundantly blessed us. Here are a few of the feedback comments from participants: Thank you so much. I and my husband did these prayers together. Very powerful. I love these prayers, it's beautiful. It gives me peace in my soul. The forgiveness prayer and prayer to eradicate generational spirits deeply touched me. I came away with a growing sense of peace, confidence, and joy. It's hard to explain the peace and lightness I feel immediately from these deliverance sessions. Thank you and God bless you always! Thank you is not enough.With your deliverance sessions, my depression I have had since I was in my early 20s (I am now 49) has been more manageable since I have been joining your sessions. It always feels like a weight is lifted during and after each session. I have had severe self-hate and inferiority problems. After three times of your online exorcisms I no longer suffer. I even did a speech at a wedding without getting nervous. I know I am loved. Hallelujah! I felt the anger that I had held onto for so long ebb away when we prayed for forgiveness for self and others. I felt the Presence of God very strongly...knew this was the real deal. Thank you so much. I felt great grace and peace. I also had tears of healing. I always feel closer to God when I attend your session. At some points, I just started to cry. And it actually felt like a weight was being taken off of me. It was very comforting, and I could feel very confident the love of God with me.

[The Gates of Hell, Cornelis Saftleven (1607-1681)] I am soon going on a trip and, while there, I will pray over an afflicted woman. She recently texted me: "The demons told me that they are going to crash your plane." A few moments later, the demons texted me directly: "Get on the plane stephen, go ahead!" They were taunting me and daring me to take the flight. The first time demons threatened to kill me happened years ago in another case. We were in the midst of a session and they said with a haughty and threatening tone: "We are going to kill you!" I responded, "If I die, then this priest will take my place," as I pointed to the other exorcist, "and if he dies, yet another will take his place. We are simply instruments. I am not your problem; Jesus is your problem!" At the mention of that Holy Name, the demons shut their mouths. Demons are not creative and have a limited repertoire. Saying they will kill me, especially by crashing my plane flight, is a common threat. I do not know the future and I am just as susceptible as the next person to a fatal disaster. But what I do know is that the demons are not in charge-- God is. Whatever comes my way I accept as being God's will. In that light and with that intention, all is grace and all gives glory to our loving God. So, I will get on that airplane. As usual, I will ask the holy angels to guide and protect the flight. I especially pray for a smooth flight; I hate turbulence! Demonic threats don't scare me but turbulence does: hah! I feel confident the flight will go just fine. When I arrive, I will pray over the afflicted person. The demons that are tormenting her will be subjected to the power of God in the Church, and they will howl in terror and pain. They will be one large-step closer to leaving and the afflicted person will be one large-step closer to full liberation. "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). -------------- *Our next online deliverance session is this Monday!, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Healing of the demon-possessed," Medieval Illustration] An important part of the process of expelling demons is making the afflicted person an unwelcome host for evil. This means not only closing any doors to the demonic, but also making the person as holy a vessel as possible for the Divine. Recently, one of our exorcists was interrogating the demons in a young man, forcing them to recognize that they are no longer welcome: Exorcist: Why don't you go into his heart right now and feel the holiness of Our Lord's presence and tell me who his heart belongs to. Feel Our Lord's presence. Demons: [blood curdling screams.] Exorcist: Who is in his heart, in Jesus' name, say it! Demons: No one. There is no one there. There is nothing there. Exorcist: Why don't you check again. Demons: [More screams.] Exorcist: It looks like there is something there, because you are screaming. Demons: There is nothing there. I am fine. Exorcist: Why don't you go back again. Demons: [Screams and then whimpers] Exorcist: In the Holy Name of Jesus, is Our Lord there in his heart? Demons: Yes. Exorcist: His heart belongs to him, doesn't it? Demons: Yes. Exorcist: And it doesn't belong to you, right? Demons: Right. F.... you. In the old Rite of Exorcism, which many exorcists still use, one of the first imprecatory prayers commands the demons: "Sit tibi terror corpus hominis, sit tibi formido imago Dei" which is: "Let the body of man be a terror to you; let it be a fearful image of God to you." As powerful as Satan is, he is mere dust compared to the God-man Jesus Christ. We, who are made in God's image and have Christ dwelling in us through baptism, Eucharist and sanctifying grace, are a terror to the Evil One. He cannot stand being in the presence of Christ. However, when we fall into sin and distance ourselves from Christ, the darkness can take hold in our hearts. So many people are afraid of Satan. Indeed, Satan encourages this fear and feeds off it. But when we, the sons and daughters of God, come to realize our true dignity and the indwelling of Christ, it is he who is afraid of us. ------------- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Two Demons (detail), illuminations in Ingeborg Psalter, after 1205] Many people are ashamed for having dark inner thoughts. During the course of the day, some might have an impulse to blaspheme God, shout obscenities, rage in anger, harm another person or self, and the like. We are too embarrassed to reveal such hidden evil thoughts to anyone. Of course, mentally balanced, good people do not do such evil things. But the little voice is sometimes there, even among the most virtuous of people. We think: "If people really knew me, they would detest me. I detest myself." It also makes us wonder if God could truly love and forgive us: "God knows my darkest thoughts, how can He love and forgive me? I am too awful." When these thoughts arise, it is important to know where they really originate. These are from the evil heart of Satan. And the Evil One wants us to think that these evil thoughts are our own. But they are his. These are the constant thoughts in the minds of demons and in the damned. The farther down the path of evil people travel, the more these demonic thoughts actually become their thoughts. Ultimately, in hell, the minds of the damned are completely overcome by evil. These tormenting dark thoughts are an especially difficult trial for the possessed. When demons take possession, there is a melding of demonic thoughts and actions with the human person. The demonic thoughts, or "demon brain" as we call it, infuse the thoughts of the person. The despair, rage and violence of the dark world often torment the minds of the possessed. The possessed find it nearly impossible in the early stages of liberation to distinguish between their human thoughts and those of the demons. They are convinced that these evil thoughts are really their own. One sign that the afflicted are becoming liberated is their ability to disappropriate these thoughts. They are increasingly able to say: "These awful thoughts are from Satan; they are not mine. I reject them; I rebuke them; I renounce them; and I cast them out!" Here are the steps which the possessed and obsessed can take toward mental liberation. In fact, all of us should take these steps in some fashion on our road to full liberation from evil and sin: Step 1: Disappropriate evil thoughts. Recognize that they come from Satan. Step 2: Reject them or simply ignore them. Step 3: Use short invocations such as "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me a sinner" or "Jesus, I trust in you" or simply repeat the Holy Names of "Jesus, Mary." Step 4: Meditate daily, reading Holy Scripture, invoking the presence of Jesus. Step 5: Practice Custody of the Mind. Limit your exposure to worldly influences including excessive internet use. Read and view holy things. Step 6: Be at peace. Trust in Jesus. God loves you and forgives you. If you suffer from such mental torments, it does not mean you are not saved or that you are sinning. We all suffer the Cross and part of this can be unwanted ugly thoughts from the Evil One. Offer your sufferings to Jesus in union with his sufferings. Persevere in the spiritual battle. It will bear great fruit and the final gift of God's peace. --------------- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Our Lady of Guadalupe medal] "L" has been liberated from a very ugly case of possession. But the demons still harass her from the outside. Demons are sore losers and hate to let go of even one soul they claimed. Perhaps it reminds them of their ultimate defeat, which is soon upon them. Her father and L saved up some money to buy her a gold chain with a medal of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This image bears special importance for her since it was the Blessed Virgin, under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who was so instrumental in her liberation. In this miraculous image, Our Lady is shown crushing the serpent's head, which she certainly did in L's liberation. Ever since her liberation, the father is still getting demonic texts taunting him and saying, "We want her back." He bought the medal, had it blessed, and planned to give to her the following day. Then the demons texted him, "You're not putting that chain on my "L" tomorrow. You won't dare!" The next day, there were more threats: "You won't give it to her today. [Expletive deleted] She won't make it alive to have you put that on her throat. She belongs to me." The father and daughter went to Mass together. He placed the medal around her neck. As soon as they got into the car, she yelled, "Ouch!" A two-inch cut instantly and inexplicably appeared on her right leg. Then a threatening text came across his phone: "One day you [expletive deleted]. F.... you!" It is interesting and important to note that, since she started wearing the Guadalupe medal around her neck, the amount of demonic harassment they have received has dramatically reduced. It has had a powerful effect! There are several important takeaways from this incident. Some of which strike me are: +Demons threaten all sorts of direct consequences but they are on a short leash by God. They could only give her a small cut, although they threatened to kill her. +Demons can't stop you from doing holy things, although they will try. +Demons curse constantly and use foul language including the "f" word. Obviously, we do not want to be like them and should not do so. +Most importantly, this incident reminds us of the importance of using holy sacramentals, in this case, wearing a blessed medal. Most commonly people wear miraculous medals,* brown scapulars, crucifixes, Benedictine medals, and many others. A common practice among exorcists is: "If the demons hate it, do more of it!" To those reading: if you don't wear one- why don't you purchase a holy medal of your choosing, have it blessed, and wear it?** ------------------------------- *I have worn a miraculous medal since childhood. I was privileged to visit the Daughters of Charity chapel in Paris where Sr. Catherine Laboure received the design for the medal directly from the Blessed Virgin. **People typically wear medals that mean the most to them and have some personal significance. L wears the medal of Our Lady of Guadalupe since she was so instrumental in liberating L under this title. ***Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["The Penitent Magdalene," Georges de la Tour, 1625] Regularly someone contacts us and asks for help with evil spirits related to internet pornography. They typically report using pornography since childhood and have been compulsive users for decades. When asked what they are doing to overcome this destructive behavior, they report going to confession regularly and asking God for the grace to overcome it. But, to no avail. However, upon further inquiry, they might report little use of human resources to overcome this compulsive behavior. Their use of blocking software, an accountability partner, behavioral changes, boundary setting, online programs (e.g. The Augustine Way), psychotherapy, medications and other typical human interventions to overcome a porn addiction may be limited. They are hoping God will take away the problem. This miraculous Divine intervention sometimes happens. However, God expects that we will do everything we can to overcome our sins. Many times God will only give a special healing grace in conjunction with our own efforts. A long-standing porn addiction is pernicious and difficult to overcome; it often requires difficult behavioral changes. A combination of both spiritual and behavioral change is almost always needed.... In treating this destructive behavior, we first might recognize that our culture is steeped in a culture of sexual promiscuity. This creates an unhealthy environment and sets the stage for a sexual addiction. Curbing one's exposure to sexually tempting television and internet sites is an important start. One person told me that he began sexual binges by viewing "normal" youtube videos, which then led into more salacious images followed by sexually compulsive behavior. Many television shows must honestly be called "soft" porn and not appropriate for people of any age. Second, concrete, behavioral changes must be implemented. One seminarian courageously gave up his cellphone, since it was consistently the instrument of his sexual downfall. Some who are porn addicted find it helpful to turn off their cellphones and laptops after dinner, putting them in a public place, not to be used until after breakfast. These are just a couple of types of behavior changes which can be an important part of an overall behavioral program. Pornography destroys marriages, cripples one's relational life, and distorts one's view of sexuality. Certainly the Evil One encourages, tempts, and entices us with its use. Satan especially knows our inner wounds and seeks to exploit them. People addicted to internet sexual porn often suffer from one or many of the following: poor self-esteem and self-denigration, poor body image, isolation, loneliness, hopelessness, anxiety and fear, powerlessness, depression, inner frustration and anger, and more. Thus, some types of healing remedies for the psyche are almost always needed in combatting a porn addiction. For some, it does appear that the demonic is also involved in a more direct way. In these cases, deliverance prayers can be a critical part of the healing process. Such individuals are usually not possessed and so do not need a solemn exorcism (no need to call your diocesan exorcist!). But the Evil One is directly present, which makes this sexual addiction doubly difficult to overcome. What to do? In addition to the many important behavioral changes needed and a regimen of inner emotional healing, a course of deliverance prayers might also be attempted. After a few sessions, one should ask: are the sessions helping? If there is no change, then likely the problems are not directly exacerbated by the demonic. But if there is a rather significant diminution of the symptoms and a greater sense of freedom as a result of the prayers, then continued deliverance prayers are appropriate. In such cases, the following deliverance prayer may be used by the laity, in addition to other deliverance prayers. This prayer is found on our website under "Deliverance Prayers for the Laity": Deliverance From Evil Spirits of Pornography Heavenly Father, I ask that you pour out the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus right now upon my memory, imagination, emotions, common sense power and cogitative power. I ask that these parts be completely flooded with the Most Precious Blood. In the Most Holy Name of Jesus and through the power of the Most Precious Blood, I bind all evil spirits that may have attached to these parts or oppress them in any way, and I command you to leave me now and go straight to the foot of the cross. I call upon the Fire of the Holy Spirit right now to go through my memory, imagination, emotions, common sense power and cogitative power. I ask that the Fire of Holy Spirit bring healing to these parts, to purify them, sanctify them and connect them to Our Lord Jesus. ​ I now ask the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus to go into my heart. I ask Jesus to completely flood my heart now with his Most Precious Blood. If any evil spirits have attached themselves to my heart or oppress it any way, I bind you now and command you in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Most Precious Blood to leave me now and go directly to the foot of the cross. I call upon the Fire of the Holy Spirit to go into my heart. I ask the fire of the Holy Spirit to bring healing to my heart, to heal it, purify it, sanctify it and connect it with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I ask for a healing grace for any and all emotional wounds and traumas in my life especially: [name the wound/trauma]. I ask that the Precious Blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit heal these wounds and bring me peace. I willingly forgive all those who have harmed me, including: [name them]. I forgive them from the bottom of my heart and I ask God to bless them. I accept God's forgiveness for my own sins, including the sins of pornography and impurity. May God's healing graces flood my heart and heal me. In Jesus' name, I sever any unholy ties with individuals in my past, including those whose images I have viewed, or any unholy ties in past generations. I take back what I gave and give back what I took, in Jesus' name. May these unholy ties be broken and any resulting sins or weaknesses from these ties be lifted and washed away. May we all be washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. I ask for a special grace of purity through the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Maria Goretti. May God heal me of this vice. In the name of Jesus, may I and all who suffer this evil be healed. In the name of Jesus, may we be at peace. Amen. ------------------- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Guardian Angel, Pietro da Cortona, 1656] In a recent poll, 69% of Americans believe in the existence of angels. A full 20% believe that they have had a personal encounter with an angel or a demon. More people have personal experiences of the angelic world than might be publicly apparent. A member of our team said that he was about to go to sleep and felt a spiritual "nudge" to text a friend. He believed it came from his guardian angel. He was hesitant and not sure how the other person would react. He did so anyway and he included a promise of prayers. The friend responded immediately and was very grateful. A grandparent had just died. His friend's text and ensuing telephone conversation was a real consolation. The experience confirmed for the man the importance of listening in prayer to one's guardian angel, who ultimately is inspired by God. The Catholic Church has long taught that each of us has a guardian angel to guide us throughout our lives on our way to God's Kingdom. In a demonic inversion of the sacred, some occultists posit that you have a personal spirit or a spirit guide. This is a typical deception of the occult- it uses similar phrases as the Church but they mean very different things. Occultists attempt to connect with this guide. But without the sure protections of the Faith, such guides may turn out to be demons. "J" was afflicted by demons and just beginning the long process of liberation. One night he was visited by spirit who claimed to be his guardian angel. It looked like a good angel. Listening to what the angel was saying, he became suspicious and asked, "Does Jesus love me?" With a look of anger and hatred, the spirit snarled, "No!" He knew it was not his good guardian. Because of such common demonic ruses during exorcisms, we advise all those afflicted with demons to ignore extraordinary spiritual experiences and to assume they are all demonic until after liberation. Even then, we advise caution and consulting with a trained spiritual director. Some have told me that they feel confident that they are personally able to discern the difference between a good spirit and a bad spirit. This can be a bit of spiritual hubris. As the Scriptures tell us, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). I have had many people who are convinced that they are receiving special locutions from God, or visions of angels or even the BVM, but are deceived. This can even happen to those who are truly specially gifted. For example, one gifted person has a bona fide charism of regularly seeing her guardian angel. She related an experience she had: Late at night, my guardian angel, or at least something that looked exactly like him, appeared in my room. It was odd because previously he had never woken me up at night. But in my eyes it looked exactly like him so I continued to trust him. I found myself being misled. This “angel” began asking me questions about trust in God. Did I truly have trust in Him? He was saying things like: “If God truly loved you, He would have taken away these torments long ago, what kind of ‘Savior’ is that?” This “angel” also tried to tempt me to stay away from my spiritual director, claiming that if I left and directed myself I would have been in better shape than if I remained under him. In hindsight I should have been more careful and cautious in my discernment of spirits. Changes were made, with the help of my director, immediately after realizing that this was not of God. Now, everything that I was “seeing” was passed by him first; I no longer discerned things by myself. There is currently a huge fascination in New Age spiritualities and in the occult with angels. But summoning "angels" using occult practices will inevitably lead to disaster. Demons are able to appear to be good spirits and deceive practitioners into thinking they are doing good and invoking good powers. Demonic spirits are masters at deceiving humans into thinking that they are controlling demons when the opposite is the case. But this should not stop followers of Jesus from developing a relationship with their own spiritual guides- our good angels. Regularly communicating and developing a heart-felt relationship with our guardian spirit is a very good thing indeed. How to listen to our real guardian angel? The noise of the world can drown out angels' voices. We best hear them when we pray alone and in silence. I find it helpful to pray in front of the Lord reserved in the Church's tabernacle, although our guardian spirit is with us always. When the good angel speaks to us, it is a voice full of God's peace. How do we communicate with our guardian angel? Normally, angels cannot read our thoughts. But, I have been given to understand that our guardian angel has a special charism from God. When we direct our thoughts to them, they can hear us. I am edified and encouraged by many moving stories of believers who have been directly touched and guided by these emissaries of God.* I personally look forward to the day when I am able to look directly upon the face of my guardian angel, to give this beautiful spirit my thanks for a lifetime of guidance, and to embrace him with love. ------------------------------ *Have you had a personal encounter with a good angel that you would like to share? Send it to: stmichaelcenter77@gmail.com **Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Sibeaster, mosaic, Christ's Temptation] When Mim came to us, she had been suffering intensely for many months after leaving Tibetan Buddhism. She told me: "I was tricked and deceived into believing that Buddha was the same as God. Even my father told me this when I was 8 years old." She said that the group's deities were actually demons and the gurus were their minions. Once she left, the gurus threatened her with "the worst hell imaginable" and incessantly tried to get her to commit suicide. It became clear that their rituals against her were actually black magic invoking Satan's demons. She was suffering physically and emotionally from severe demonic assaults. Mim made a good confession, is now going to Mass and prays the rosary daily, and asks Jesus for help. She participates in regular deliverance prayers which bring her palpable relief. Having practiced Tibetan Buddhism for 35 years and willingly giving herself to Satan and his minions, her road to full recovery will be a long one. Mim courageously decided to share her story with others to warn them. She now has a website at: www.tantricdeception.com. Below are some thoughts which Mim gave me to share with you. I ask everyone who reads this to say a prayer for Mim's full recovery and for the conversion of all those who unwittingly worship demons, believing they are "gods." THE ROAD TO PERDITION I was deeply involved in Tibetan Buddhism for 35 years, and now at the end of my Buddhist path I am experiencing extreme mental and physical torment. Tantric Buddhism is supposed to be a path of peace that leads to enlightenment, a state of mind both blissful and beyond suffering. Having been raised Catholic, I had faith and devotion in Jesus Christ, but I drifted away from the church when I was 15 years old and was agnostic until I encountered Tibetan Buddhism in my early 20s. This religion placed huge emphasis on the human guru who we were supposed to venerate as a living buddha. Besides the human guru, the yidam or “meditational deity” was of paramount importance. I now believe that Tibetan Buddhism is a classic case of “Satan appearing as an angel of light.” Many of the gurus appeared beatific and were considered to be saints. My first teacher had many charisms including clairvoyance, healing, and divination. I personally witnessed his extraordinary abilities many times. Rigorous training was required that challenged us to the fullest extent of our abilities. We had to learn the Tibetan language, adopt the Tibetan customs and worldview, learn to play the ritual instruments, study Buddhist philosophy, do preliminary practices that involved hundreds of thousands of prostrations, purification mantras, and thousands of invocations and mantras to become yoked with the guru’s mind. I was fully brainwashed. The guru manipulated some of his nuns into sexual relations, while deceiving them about his intentions and pretending to be in a monogamous spiritual marriage with each of them. They say the bigger the lie, the easier it is to maintain. Most believed that he was a holy being, and a completely celibate monk. I prayed to become free of being his sexual slave, and he acknowledged it, but from that point on he began cursing me. The next two years in the retreat were a living hell. I managed to escape from him and his Buddhist center, but we had been taught that if we abandoned our Buddhist practices, we would go to the worst hell imaginable. They continued to curse me and finally the head of the lineage and another sorcerer performed a ritual of annihilation on me using an effigy. By then, many Tibetan gurus had been publicly exposed for sexual, physical, and mind control abuses of their students. The Tibetans lamas were angry and sought revenge. I was targeted because I had begun to question the entire system. Satan doesn’t give anything for free. They saw me as a risk. The Tibetans use black magic rituals against their perceived enemies, both human and in the spirit realm. These practices were not talked about or taught to their Western disciples. We were all brainwashed to believe that the gurus were great bodhisattvas incapable of harming even a flea. During the practice of guru yoga, I prayed to become inseparable with the body, speech, and mind of my Root Guru, and from that point on, I was unknowingly possessed by him and his familiar spirit (the meditational deity). They decided I had to be destroyed, and once the ritual with the effigy was performed, my life turned into a living hell. I was burned at night, stuck with sharp objects, and attacked in my bed by demons. The guru appeared in my room night after night ordering me to commit suicide. At that point, I was fully possessed. My mind was fed with horrific images of what they were going to do to me after I died and was reborn in their hell. Then they began attacking my body, causing my stomach to blow up in real time. Several people saw it happening. One deity, who I now know to be the python spirit of divination--the kundalini spirit, was wrapped around my torso and was constantly squeezing me in an energetic stranglehold. The squeezing was accompanied by intense burning in the stomach and chest area. When I refused to commit suicide, they threatened to kill me by inducing a heart attack or giving me cancer. During this time, I met a young man who was also suffering from kundalini possession, but since he had been Catholic, he started praying the rosary for himself and for me. For the first time, I started to feel a little better. He encouraged me to see an exorcist. I was so deeply brainwashed in Buddhism that the thought of returning to the Catholic church seemed impossible. But I was struck by the fact that his prayers were helping. At the same time, I came across Msgr. Rossetti’s book, “Diary of an American Exorcist.” It made a huge impression on me. I reached out to him, and he prayed with me, and I began to feel some hope and relief for the first time in a year. He encouraged me to go to confession and return to the Catholic faith and I did this. Slowly, over time, I regained some control over my life. I am still severely oppressed, and tortured at night, but it is less than before. I can work again, and there are moments in the day when I can even feel a little happiness in the simple things of life. I have a long way to go before I am fully healed and delivered. They still control a portion of my mind. They control my dreams and subterranean thoughts. I now understand that I made a pact with Satan and that the occult is Satan’s domain. I wish to warn anyone who is tempted to explore other religions to be extremely careful. There is only one God, and He is the God of the Holy Bible. I wish to warn others before they unwittingly become ensnared in one of Satan’s traps. I have created a website to this end: www.tantricdeception.com. Mim ----------------------- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Blessed Carlo Acutis] Every time we run one of our monthly online deliverance sessions, we have "interference" with our communications. Once our IT leader's computer shut down one minute before it was to begin. Another time, in the middle of a session without my even touching my computer, it went ballistic. Other times, we have problems connecting to youtube. Recently, the registration page crashed and people could not register. It's all a little bizarre. But we are very familiar with demonic interference in electronic communications. Those afflicted with demons regularly have difficulty connecting with our exorcists. In the meantime, we get taunting texts and messages from demons claiming responsibility. We say the Umbrellino Prayer for Technology found on our website, which helps ALOT, but does not stop the demonic harassment completely. Many people rely on these monthly deliverance sessions; we typically have 15,000 register from all over the world. So it is particularly important that these sessions go through. One of our SMC staff mentioned Blessed Carlo Acutis, perhaps he could help. I was not very familiar with him. I had seen pictures and heard a little bit but that's all. It turns out, he was a web designer. Ah hah! Sounds like the perfect person to help protect our online communications from demons. So, we invoked Blessed Carlo at the beginning of the next session. One of our gifted souls said that he was indeed present in a big way. And this was the first monthly session that went off without a hitch. We will certainly invoke Blessed Carlo at the beginning of our online deliverance sessions in the future. If he is eventually canonized, which is likely, perhaps he can become a patron saint of the internet and electronics. Blessed Carlo Acustis, pray for us and protect our communications! ----------------------------------- *Our next online deliverance session is Monday, September 18th from 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register at: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

[Satan in the frozen Ninth Circle of Hell, Inferno, Canto 34. Illustration by Gustave Doré.] When I first started doing exorcisms, I would pay close attention to what the demons said through the mouths of the possessed. After 15 years of it, I have come to realize it is alot of boring demonic drivel. Demons are narcissistic and nasty. Their words are full of hatred and arrogance. And that is all they do. Malignant narcissism, in hell or on this earth, is profoundly boring. One of the secondary signs of whether demons are present is in the words and messages we hear. I have found them almost identical across hundreds of cases. Their words are full of hatred, denigrating comments, threats, and pride. They hate God; they hate the Church; they hate everyone. It never changes. All this suggests that there is never anything new in hell. There is no creativity. It is one long angry diatribe against all that is good. In short, it is incredibly boring. Demons do not know how to create or inspire. They can only destroy. In their threats and arrogance, the demons try to instill fear or even hatred. They feed off these emotions and it fuels their narcissism. Demons believe in their own self-importance and Satan most of all. They want to be the focus of everyone's attention. For example, it is odd that, in the midst of an exorcism with the spiritual combat in full swing, the demons will insist on having their names pronounced correctly. Baal twice corrected me and said his name is pronounced with one syllabus in a kind of gutteral tone.* Beelzebul does not like to be called Beelzebub, which is a denigration of his exalted title "Lord of the Demons" to now mean "Lord of the Flies." Another exorcism team told me that Asmodeus wants the accent on the "mo" syllable in his name and not "de." I suspect he does not want the name of God, Deus, spoken. Why such prickly self-referential thinking? Pure narcissism. Narcissists, in their exaggerated self-importance, feed off attention: adulation or hatred. Yes, they feed off our anger and hatred of them. What is the best thing to do? Ignore them. As one saint said upon seeing a demon at the foot of the bed: "Oh, it's only you." Such deflates a narcissist. In final analysis, Satan and his minions are all incredibly boring narcissists. Our attention should be on God and His Kingdom. Let us raise our eyes to heaven and focus on Jesus. Theologians tell us that while God does not change, with each moment God is ever new, ever more wonderful, and ever the delight of one's heart. God is pure creativity in an infinity of unfolding beauty, goodness and love. "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard ... what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9). ------------------ *See Diary of an American Exorcist, Sophia Institute Press, pp. 215-216. **The next online deliverance prayer session is Monday, Sept 18th, 7-8pm Eastern time. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/sept-18th-online-deliverance-prayer-session

One of our afflicted persons was having problems communicating on her phone. So, we suggested she put a sticker with an image of the Medal of St. Benedict and attach it to her phone. She said she put the sticker on the phone and when she tried to pick up the phone, it burned. She could hardly hold it. Similarly, during one of our exorcism sessions a few weeks ago, a crucifix on the wall loudly snapped and the Benedictine medal on it flew off the wall and crashed on the ground. It is very clear that the demons hate this medal. Practitioners of magic invoke talismans and magic formulas. We do neither of these. The power of the medal does not come from an inherent power in the medal itself. Rather, it invokes the authority of the Church and the intercession of St. Benedict, who is the patron of exorcisms. It includes ancient exorcistic prayers of the Church. For many years, the meaning of the letters on the medal was lost. In 1647, a manuscript, dated 1415, was found in a monastery in Bavaria which explained the symbols. The letters around the outside of the medal are: V.R.S.N.S.M.V.—S.M.Q.L.I.V.B. Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana; Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas. Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself! The Benedictine medal is the only sacramental I am aware of that actually includes an exorcism on it. And very clearly, it has a powerful effect on the demonic. Many of us in this ministry puts stickers with the symbol of the Benedictine medal on our phones and computers. When using our electronic devices, we have had more than a little demonic harassment. Also, we often use a crucifix with a Benedictine medal on it during our exorcisms. We encourage our laity to use these medals as well. St. Benedict, patron of exorcisms, pray for us! ----------------------- *The next online deliverance prayer session is this Monday, July 17th, 7-8pm Eastern time. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/july-17th-online-deliverance-prayer-session

[Basilica of San Frediano, Lucca Italy; Mary defending child from demon, photo by author]** I have never heard of Jesus personally showing up in an exorcism and casting out the demons. Perhaps it has happened but I have not yet heard of one. Of course, it is in Jesus' holy name that the demons are cast out. Recently, a possessed person told me that whenever I say the holy name of Jesus, it makes the demons "seriously angry" and he finds it "very painful." Jesus' death and resurrection is THE fundamental exorcism that smashed Satan's kingdom. The name and power of Christ casts out demons. So then why doesn't He personally show up at exorcisms? Understanding who Satan is and thus his punishment is important. Satan tried to make himself equal to God. As one of our exorcism prayers addresses Satan, "In your great pride you still presume to be held equal [to God]." One might speculate that if Jesus, the God-man, were to show up in person to cast out Satan, it would support his delusions that he can be on the same plane as God, to challenge Him, and to be equal to Him. But Satan is dust compared to Jesus; he is a lowly creature who has made himself even lower because of his evil. Moreover, it is often speculated by theologians that one of the reasons Satan originally rebelled against God was in response to the revelation of the Incarnation. For Satan, it was an insult that God would choose to exalt our lowly humanity instead of his superior angelic nature. Satan's pride blinded him and he became enraged against Jesus and all of humanity, perpetually dedicated to destroying it. In response, Jesus sends a "lowly" woman from Palestine to cast him out. Her only "weapons" are her love for Jesus, her total humility, and her obedience to God. It is precisely in these that we humans triumph over evil. According to Divine justice, Satan is enduring a reality he never learned: the essence of true power belonging to God. As St. Paul says: "I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me" (2 Cor 12:9). I personally believe that the entire ministry of exorcism has been delegated by God to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the Mother of Exorcists; I believe she is spiritually present at every exorcism; and she often makes her presence directly felt in casting out Satan. I do not know a seasoned exorcist who does not have a deep, heart-felt devotion to the Mother of God. In fact, I tell new exorcists in training that such a devotion is not simply a pious addition to one's ministry. It is essential. We begin every exorcism invoking the aid of the most powerful Mother of God. Mary, Mother of Exorcists, pray for us. -------------------------------------------- *The next online deliverance prayer session is Monday, July 17th, 7-8pm Eastern time. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/july-17th-online-deliverance-prayer-session **Author's Note: While I like the depiction of Mary defending the child against the demons, the image of Mary violently swinging a bat might be misleading. When she casts out demons, she does so with the overpowering grace of love and humility from Jesus. It is not a violent act although the demons might perceive it as such.

["Holy Sacrifice of the Mass", etsy] I have been working with someone who is afflicted with a strong demonic presence. We not only encourage him to say deliverance prayers daily, but also to attend Sunday Mass. This is critical. There is consistently nothing more powerful and nothing more hated by the demons than attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus. The demons' abhorrence of the Eucharist is a witness to its spiritual efficacy, and ultimately to the teaching of the real presence of Christ. Whenever I even say the name "Jesus," the possessed man says the demons are "seriously angry" and "it is really very painful." But the Eucharist is something on a completely higher spiritual plane. The demons do everything they can to keep the possessed away. Week after week, I have encouraged him to attend Mass but he has not been able. I asked him why and he said, "My mind is ready and I want to go but I can't. It's like I have no control over my body and I can't walk out the door. It is as though something big were blocking me." It is not hard to guess what the "something big" was. So, I told him: "Next Sunday, as you get ready to go to Mass, I will call you and say a binding prayer. We will bind the demons that are blocking your Mass attendance." So, I bound the demons right before he left to go to Mass. After successfully attending, he texted: "It was amazing to see the chains and ropes around them [the demons]... I could see that they were bound and it was safe to go in." When someone is severely afflicted with demons, their blocking Mass attendance is obvious and expected. But I wonder how many people, who are not possessed or oppressed, are similarly hindered from attending Mass because of an unsuspected demonic interference. It may be more common than we realize. Might it behoove every Pastor to say a binding prayer every weekend to bind any demons that are hindering his parishioners' Mass attendance? Might it not behoove parents to say a binding prayer to assist their children to attend Mass? While we cannot blame demons for our bad choices, we should not quickly dismiss any suggestion that the presence of demons can be a real negative influence. I offer this prayer as one example: A Binding Prayer for Demons Impeding Mass Attendance In the Holy Name of Jesus, I ask Jesus, through the intercession of Mary his Mother and the Powers of Heaven, that any demons that are keeping [N.] from attending Mass this weekend be bound. I pray that God might render them impotent, paralyzed and ineffective. May they have no influence on [N.]; may they not prevent [N.] from attending Mass this Sunday or any day. May the Holy Spirit empower the angels to escort [N.] to the Church and to protect [N.] to the praise and glory of God the Father in his Son Jesus Christ. Amen. ---------------------------- *The next online deliverance prayer session is Monday, July 17th, 7-8pm Eastern time. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/july-17th-online-deliverance-prayer-session

["Christ Blessing Little Children," Charles Lock Eastlake, 1839] Another text from demons last night. Typical demonic rant. The demons were tormenting an afflicted person and her father with a flood of ugly and mocking texts. At one point I texted back the well-known St. Michael prayer. Then, the demonic texts stopped, for a moment. They started up again and a second time I texted the St. Michael prayer and added, "May the Powers of Heaven surround them, protect them, and cast out the demons." This time, the demonic bravado and filth stopped. The demons signed off with a threat: "It's been a pleasure Stephen. Maybe tonight, you'll feel my presence surround you as you sleep in what you think is a serenity, safe guarded home." Apparently, the St. Michael prayer was effective against this pack of demons and I made a mental note to use it again. The demons did, in fact, "visit" me during the night, but a quick deliverance prayer cast them out. In another case, a family is likewise tormented by hundreds of texts, but this time they are coming from a witch. She is enraged at them and is trying to destroy their family. I noticed that there is the same tone in her texts as found in demonic texts. They are arrogant, taunting, threatening, lying, and vengeful. She curses them daily with spells to cause physical and mental suffering, including their children. The farther down the dark path someone goes, the more they think and act like demons. We call this: "demon brain." Perhaps this woman began as a "good" witch, or at least she thought so [there is no good magic]. Now, she is clearly into black magic and fully under the control of Satan, although she believes she is worshipping a pagan deity. She is thinking and acting like demons. All of this reminds me, once again, that I must not be like them. I must always be a follower of Jesus. I must love my enemies, forgive those who persecute us. I must be humble and bless all, never cursing. Sometime ago, I wrote "The Heart of an Exorcist." I am reading it again today and reminding me of who I should be: The Heart of an Exorcist I do not boast of casting out demons, boasting comes from the mouths of demons; I choose to serve the Lord in humility. I do not feel sorry for my little sufferings, it is Satan who plays the victim; I choose gratitude for everything that comes to me. I do not punish demons or chastise anyone for evil deeds, it is demons who accuse and cause suffering; I choose to forgive and to heal. I do not judge the hearts of others, demons constantly criticize and tear down; I choose to strengthen and build up. I do not speak ill of others or curse them, detraction and cursing is the work of witches and demons, I return a blessing. I do not hate … even Satan and his minions, hatred has its home in hell; I choose to love, my home is in heaven. ---------------------- *The next online deliverance prayer session is Monday, July 17th, 7-8pm Eastern time. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/july-17th-online-deliverance-prayer-session

["St. Margaret of Antioch Attacks A Demon With A Hammer," detail from "The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine" by Barna da Siena c. 1340] In the midst of an exorcism last week, there was a loud BANG! A crucifix with a Benedictine medal was snapped and thrown to the floor. It didn't just fall; it was inexplicably broken and violently crashed to the floor.* Again, a few nights ago, around the demonic hour of 3 am, there was a loud crash in my closet. I opened the door and on the floor was a hanger with my clerical shirt. Like the crucifix, it didn't just drop to the floor; it hit the floor with a violent crash. No accident that the hanger chosen had my priest's shirt on it-- demons hate priests. These are typical demonic antics. They crash our computers, mess with our phones, and interrupt online prayer sessions. But with perseverance and prayer, we are able to accomplish our ministry. The evil one is allowed to tempt and harass but never to destroy. These latest demonic antics confirm it. If Satan could, he would annihilate every deliverance ministry, and maim and kill everyone involved. But he cannot. With these demonic antics, Satan's goal is to strike fear in people's hearts. Fear feeds the demons. If we act out of fear of Satan, it gives him some control. Initially, it can be frightening when objects invisibly fly across the room. But, eventually, these antics do just the opposite. We see that the evil one is chained by the One who is truly Lord. Despite Satan's antics, we do accomplish our ministry. It is not destroyed. Despite the evil one's efforts, we do get up each day and conduct yet another exorcism. Everything, even Satan's futile efforts, ultimately serve God's plan and leads to our sanctification and his glory. So many desperate people come to me questioning if God hears their pleas for help. Many are terrified of what the evil one is doing. In the midst of these demonic attacks, I encourage them to join us in prayer: "Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you." ------------------------------ *A converted sorcerer said that only higher ranking demons can handle religious objects. Interesting..... *Signup for our next online deliverance session: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Joseph Forgives His Brothers," Bacchiaccia, 1515] I have been astounded at the tenacity and commitment to vengeance by a particular witch. She was in a relationship with a male who eventually broke it off. She was hurt by the rejection and she turned to revenge. Initially unknown to him, she is a proficient witch and she has taken to cursing him daily. The effects of her "magic" and curses are very real as it invokes the power of demons. She is daily tormenting him. What is astounding is her unwavering commitment to revenge. The breakup happened over three years ago and she is daily still hounding him with dozens of texts and multiple curses. The focus of her life is revenge and she is daily spending hours intent on destroying his life. She swears she will never stop. This is yet another sign that she is a minion of the Evil One. Satan's entire existence seeks revenge against God whom he believes victimized him. He is spending every ounce of his dark energy forever lashing out against all that is holy. But his undying revenge is only destroying himself, as is the undying revenge of this witch. It reminds me yet again of the importance of forgiveness and Jesus teaching us to forgive those who hurt us (Luke 6:27-29). We need to release others from any spiritual debts or wounds related to us. And we ourselves need to be freed as well. It does not mean that we have not been hurt or that those who have hurt us are in the right. Rather, it means that we will not be defined and enslaved by such actions and their wounds. We acknowledge the wound, and give it to Jesus the healer of souls. I feel bad for the man who is being tormented. I also feel bad for the witch who is consumed by revenge. The afflicted person and I pray for forgiveness, to lift the curses, and for healing. We also pray together for the woman (which surprises her!). May she, too, forgive and find peace. *Signup for our next online deliverance session: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.