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[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.

[The Fool with Two Demons (detail), illuminations in Ingeborg Psalter, after 1205] "N" has a long history of doing hard drugs. No wonder: her mother, a witch, admitted to putting cocaine in her baby formula. Plus, N is tormented by demons. No wonder: her mother also consecrated her to Satan at birth. Her mother died young from a drug overdose. Her adoptive parents, fervent Catholics, have been courageous in helping N recover from both drugs and demons. She has been clean from drugs for over a year and they have accompanied her to many months of exorcism sessions. She has made great progress and the demons’ hold on her is almost gone. The demons are enraged. They especially hate her relationship with her adoptive parents. This relationship has been the key to her recovery and breaking her demonic connection. So, the demons are doing everything they can to destroy this family. One of their primary tactics has been to breakdown the trust between N and her new parents. While N denies using drugs anymore, the parents are daily receiving demonic texts (sometimes info’ing the daughter) saying that she is. Such as: “She was doing cocaine on that back table by the curtains.” “She’s mine now. If you had a dad who [cared] about you, you wouldn’t be drugging yourself the way you are now.” “Just find a needle and a spoon my dear and the pain will end.” “It’s amazing isn’t it? All that powder she put up her nose? And she ain’t dead yet.” The parents and the daughter daily receive such nasty emails and worse, insinuating she is using or about to use, and tempting N to relapse. In understanding how demons work, a basic principle is Demonic Inversion.* Demons invert the truth. They try to pass off their lies as truth and they try to make people believe the truth is really a lie. Similarly, they present evil as being good and try to make people believe what is good is really evil. We increasingly see this throughout our society. In N's case, the demons are desperate to separate the adoptive parents from N and they sow their demonic lies daily. In the beginning, the parents were duped by these lies and they believed N was really relapsing into drug use. This created discord and threatened the bond of trust between N and her parents. Now, they realize the truth and they are united with their daughter against these demonic tactics. And if she does relapse, they are quick to forgive and assist her in getting back on the road to recovery. I suspect we underestimate how often Satan sows similar lies among family members today, and in the Church as well, attempting to destroy its harmony and unity. The Holy Spirit is the bond of unity in the Church and in our families. May the Holy Spirit come and make us one in love. ------------------ *See Fr. Chad Ripperger, Dominion, pp. 110-111. **Signup for our next online deliverance session: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Jesus performs an exorcism with a demon escaping a woman's mouth. A scene from the abstinence cloth in the Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria (1458)"] "M" was repeatedly cursed by witches and is now demonically afflicted. A couple of nights ago, she received a threatening text from demons: "You'll have your migraine all night for throwing me up b[expletive]." A few hours prior to the text, M was being greatly oppressed by demons so we prayed over her. Then she vomited up an ugly, thick, black liquid. The demons departed and she returned to full self-consciousness. Preternatural coughing and vomiting during an exorcism are typically a positive development since they are a sign that demons are being cast out. In the text, the demons admitted that she vomited them up and they were threatening to give her a migraine in retaliation. We have long known that, in the final stages of liberation, the afflicted will often vomit up strange things. Exorcists have reported unusual objects being ejected such as nails, chains, demonic figurines, cursed objects, and even snakes. These items were not in the afflicted person's stomach but rather preternaturally materialized in the mouth. The object in the vomit will be related to the cause and/or substance of their possession. It is not random. In this case, K was cursed by a witch. What she coughed up was a kind of witches' bolus or substance of the curse. We have other folks who are also suffering from witches' curses or evil spirits of divination. Some of them have also excreted ugly substances from various bodily orifices. The good news is that, after the excretion, afflicted persons always say they feel lighter and freer. There is a related prayer for exorcists on our APP/website, "Prayer for Someone Who Has Ingested a Cursed Object," which concludes with: "I exorcise you so that all evil should be destroyed and annihilated in whatever manner it was done to the servant of God N. Pass from his (her) visceral organs and push the evil out, so that you will be spitted out naturally without damaging his (her) body or mind. Amen."* Witches' curses are very real.** They summon the dark power of demons. But they are nothing compared to the liberating power of Christ. Once I commanded the demons to tell me: "Who is Lord: Jesus or Satan? I command you to tell the truth!" The demons snarled and choked out the truth. They said, "Jesus." --------------------------------------------- *If the laity wish to recite such a prayer, we recommend they amend it to being a deprecatory prayer. Instead of directly commanding the demons to leave (an imprecatory prayer), the prayer would be addressed to God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary or some saints and angels. A deprecatory prayer asks them to cast out the demons. **See also: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-151-a-witch-s-power ***Signup for our next online deliverance session is: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Flagellation of Christ," Peter Paul Rubens, 17th Century] Late at night, one of our exorcists was attacked with a physical torment of the body. It felt like a kind of anxiety in which his body was being squeezed. He suspected it might have a demonic origin, especially given some of our intense cases. So, he said aloud, "I offer up this suffering for 20 conversions to the faith, 20 people liberated from demons, 20 conversions of witches, and for 20 priests, if it be God's will." Immediately, the physical attacks ceased completely. He thought, "Too bad. I was hoping for these graces and conversions!" I guess the demons weren't willing to make the trade. Similarly, I remember not too long ago, we were in the midst of an intense session and the possessed person spit in my face (there was alot of saliva!). So I said, "I offer it for the liberation of this person." Again, he spit in my face. I said again, "I offer this for his liberation." A third time, he tried to spit but missed. I responded, "You missed. Try harder." It stopped. Soon after, he was liberated. One of our experienced exorcists came up with this approach-- saying aloud that we offer up our little demonic-induced sufferings for specific intentions, especially for the liberation of the afflicted person at hand. It's a good use of these little humiliations and demonstrates the truth that whatever evil is endured in faith, God transforms into a grace. This offering up of suffering is ultimately a reminder to the demons of their defeat on the Cross. We have many people who come to us each day in torment. We feel very bad for them and offer what advice and help we can. But suffering is a part of everyone's life. Archbishop Fulton Sheen once lamented that there is so much wasted suffering in our world. Why not, as many were taught so many years ago when faith was the norm, "Offer it up?" --------------------------- Our next online deliverance session is: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Last Judgment," triptych, Hieronymus Bosch, 1482] In the midst of an exorcism, quite by chance, a mirror ended up in front of the possessed person. Immediately, the demons reacted violently and screamed to get rid of it. We were surprised by the reaction. A former practitioner of sorcery and the occult said that his "religion" often hosted underworld parties celebrating particular demons. These demons might take possession of those attending. He said it was common practice to cover the mirrors before the party because "the demon spirits could not look at themselves (or rather the reflection of the human they possessed that night) in the mirrors."** When possessing a human being, demons experience some of the physical attributes of the energumen. Even though they do not have a physical body, it seems that when they are possessing a human being and looking into a mirror, they see a glimpse of their horrible evil. As I sometimes say to the demons: "God made you beautiful and now look at what you have become!" Demons are ugly beyond description. No horror movie can capture the repulsive ugliness of sin and the demonic. Demons do not want to hear the truth and they do not want to see the truth. Their reflection in a mirror shows them their ugly truth. The ritual of an exorcism is about telling the truth to the demons. They have rejected God. They are immersed in evil. Christ has defeated them on the cross. They are damned for all eternity. They will be in an excruciating torment for all time. I do not know any exorcists who use mirrors. I wonder if it would be a good intervention. Our "weapon" during the spiritual battle of an exorcism is the Truth, who is Jesus. When we pray the Ritual, they hear the truth in words. Perhaps seeing the truth in a mirror might also be good... -------------------- *Register for our free online deliverance session tonight Monday May 8th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time (the same as New York City). Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/may-8th-online-deliverance-prayer-session **"Out of the Devil's Cauldron," John Ramirez, p.92.

["Vocation of the Apostles," Domenicao Ghirlandaio, 1481] We just finished another monthly online deliverance session. We had 4,500 live and over 10,000 views. It was a wonderful and powerful experience with so many faithful from all over the world praying together. They came from Argentina, Spain, Finland, Philippines, Italy, Venezuela, Malaysia, Ireland, Uruguay, Croatia, Slovenia, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Canada and more.* After the last session, one participant wrote: "I became extremely sleepy and started falling asleep. I tried to fight it but it was so powerful and then I heard Monsignor Rossetti cast out Satan who is trying to put us to sleep and I instantly woke up wide eyed! I don't remember his exact words but everything had gone fuzzy as I fell asleep but, whatever he said, it immediately left me. Thank you Jesus." What I said that woke him up was: "In Jesus' name, I command the demons of lethargy to leave!" It is a common experience among participants that they become drowsy the minute the deliverance prayers start. They can hardly follow the prayers. Another participant wrote: "I fell asleep... I got to the point of the breaking of freemasonry, then boom, I passed out." Do these folks just need more sleep? This week, in a face-to-face session, an afflicted person complained of the same thing. "Every time we start to pray," she said, "A feeling of lethargy comes over me." So, I commanded the demons of lethargy to leave and her lethargy departed. This happens not only in deliverance sessions, but also in people's daily lives, especially in ministries that demons hate. One woman has an important Gospel ministry and the minute she begins to work on it, she can barely keep her eyes open. After several deliverance sessions, the problem was gone. This has happened way too many times to be a coincidence. Demons do everything they can from stopping people from being involved in deliverance prayers. They try to stop the communications and mess with the electronics. They will throw up barrier after barrier to stop people from attending. And if they do make it to a session, they will try to put them to sleep. So, we pray for the Holy Spirit to help these people attend; we use prayers of protection for our technology; and we pray to cast out demons of lethargy. These are all annoyances of Satan. But Jesus is Lord! We are harassed in many, different ways but never thwarted. The Good News will be preached and it will reach the ends of the earth. ------------------------- *The next online deliverance session is: June 19th. Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/june-19th-online-deliverance-prayer-session.

["Nativity at Night" Geertgen tot Sint Jans, 1490] One of our suffering souls, "James," contacted me. He was filled with despair. He said that an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness came over him and that he was convinced he would never be free from the demons. We immediately held a spontaneous session over the phone and I prayed deliverance prayers with him. At the end, the dark feelings completely lifted and his hope returned. I told him that these dark feelings were obviously demonic. They overwhelmed him rather suddenly and left immediately as a result of prayer. I explained that demons can only give what they have and theirs is a tormented world of fear, anger, hopelessness and despair. They can infect someone's mind and fill it with despair without the person ever being conscious of the demonic presence. Around the same time, one of our spiritual “burden bearers” told me that she had experienced a similar sudden, intense bout of hopelessness and despair. She suspected that it was the dark spirit of one of our suffering souls. I thought, "Perhaps her suffering was for James" ... We are grateful for such victim souls. By the grace of God and the intercession of our prayer warriors, James is slowly getting better. I don’t understand the modern embracing of magic, witchcraft, Satan and the occult. They are descending into a dark world. Some initially find such things fascinating and the manipulation of demonic power can be addicting (although it is they who are really being manipulated). But its path must end in a dark, tormented despair. Hell is rightly described as a dark place. Whereas in heaven, there is no need for artificial light or a sun, because the Lord God will be our light (Rev 22:5). God shines and illumines the heavens, spreading true light, joy and peace. "God is light, and in him there is no darkness" (1 Jn 1:5). ------------------------------------------------------- *Register for our free online deliverance session Monday May 8th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time (the same as New York City). Register here or: https://www.catholicexorcism.org/event-details/may-8th-online-deliverance-prayer-session

["The Fall of the Rebel Angels," Luca Giordano, 1634-1705] One of our afflicted persons has been particularly violent in sessions and needs strong restraints. At one point, he managed to break free and started to swing his arms wildly. The exorcist was justly alarmed and prayed aloud: "I ask the holy angels to restraint this man until we can secure him!" Immediately, his arms dropped to his side and remained motionless until he was restrained again. After being restrained, he again began to thrash, but was safely secured. A particularly gifted individual told us that we have at least one angel from the angelic ranks of Powers at each of our exorcism sessions. Of the nine choirs of angels, the Powers are of the middle rank, higher than guardian angels, and they "order how what has been commanded [by God] ... be carried out by others" including protecting from evil spirits. She said we have had up to eight angelic Powers present in a single session, depending on the size of the demonic cohort. At one point, we addressed these angelic Powers as "warrior angels" and we were given to understand that they prefer to be addressed as "defenders." It is demons who are the aggressors; God's holy angels are defending against these evil attacks. These Powers are naturally "all strong-willed and very protective" in the best sense. When given a vision of these powerful angels, they appear muscular, strong, imposing, and somewhat taller than a guardian angel. Their role is to protect what belongs to God and to keep out other demons that try to enter. Thus, in our exorcism sessions we explicitly pray for them to surround us and protect us. They are also actively involved in casting out the demons. For their weapons, they typically appear with lances or swords that are "the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" or Jesus Christ (Eph 6:17). Exorcists should invoke their assistance at every session. We have been doing this explicitly with great effect using the St. Michael prayer ("St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle...") as well as the Breastplate of St. Patrick. When it comes to the section in the Breastplate: "I bind N. today to the virtue of ranks of Cherubim, in obedience of Angels, [in service of Archangels]," the Exorcist repeats this phrase many times, imploring the help of God's heavenly army. Exorcists tend to focus on the presence of demons in an exorcism since their ministry is directly to cast them out. However, good angels are present in every exorcism and their unseen presence is vital, and a consolation.