ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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The icon of Mary I have is not particularly attractive, at least on the surface. It is dark and the look on Mary's face is somber, almost unhappy. I was given the icon years ago and I was going to discard it, but then I felt I shouldn't let it go. So, I kept it. Over the years I have prayed with it daily, as it sits next to the tabernacle. Now, when I am on the road, I miss the icon. If I am gone for a long trip, I will sometimes wrap it up and take it with me; my connection with it has become strong. Two weeks after the invasion of the Ukraine, I had an inspiration to look at the back of the icon more closely and to investigate its roots. The inscription identifies it as: "Virgin of Vladimir." I looked it up and found that it is likely a 12th century Byzantine icon that was gifted to the city of Kyiv in the Ukraine and then housed in the city of Vladimir in the Ukraine, before it was eventually transferred and resides today in Moscow. There have been many miracles attributed to the icon. Why have I have been praying before the Virgin of the Ukraine for years? It is also interesting that one of our most difficult cases has involved a young Ukrainian woman. Most recently, she has been almost completely liberated. I have been impressed with her courage and strength. Even the demons said they are surprised she is still alive. She is a strong woman. Does the liberation of one Ukrainian modestly contribute, in some way, to the spiritual liberation of a nation? And then, before the war erupted, I was privileged to meet Michael Brown, the founder of Spirit Daily. He spoke to me of his Ukrainian friend Josyp Terelya who was tortured for decades by the Communists for his support of Ukrainian nationalism and his ardent Catholic faith, yet never yielded. He was reportedly favored with several Marian apparitions and Michael Brown's book Witness about his life is a must read. It gives a sense of the spiritual importance of the Ukraine and the role of Our Lady. It is interesting that Mariupol, the epicenter of recent humanitarian atrocities, actually means: City of Mary. I do not know what all this means. But I am convinced of three things. 1. The war in the Ukraine has immense spiritual significance. 2. The faith and strength of the men and women of the Ukraine are astounding. 3. Our Lady is involved intensely with all that is going on and her Immaculate Heart will triumph! For my part, I continue to pray before the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir. I join in Our Lady's urgent request to pray for peace. I have a strong hope that the days are rapidly coming when Satan and the forces of evil will be definitively crushed under Our Lady's heel (Gn 3:15).

(Giovanni Dominico Tiepolo, "The Institution of the Eucharist," 1753) It is typically very difficult to get a fully possessed person to go to Mass. As often as we encourage the person, the energumen (possessed person) feels a preternatural revulsion to the Eucharist. "K" was no exception. We could not get her to go without practically dragging her into the Church. And then, sitting through the entire Mass was painful, if not impossible. After months of exorcisms, she was much better but getting her into the chapel was still a huge struggle. Finally, we finally were able to schedule a private Mass for her, her father, and uncle. For three days before the scheduled Mass, she manifested almost constantly. The demons knew what was planned and they went ballistic. They manipulated her and everyone else, trying to sabotage the event, but no one budged. When the day came, her family, not-so-subtly, all but dragged her into the chapel. She was seated between two large family members who kept her in place. Then the Mass began. As the Mass progressed, she kept yelling, "You're killing me!" She said her stomach hurt and she felt nauseous. She heaved many times. We had a bucket nearby and she wretched a white foam into the bucket. When the Gospel was read, she reacted violently. (I must admit it was difficult for me to concentrate.) Then, it came time for communion. After much coaxing and finally a command from her father, she opened her mouth. As I approached with the Sacred Host, she screamed, "You're burning me!" I put the host into her mouth. She thrashed and tried to spit it out, but her father held her mouth shut. Later, she said the Host tasted like "ashes." After the Mass ended, she returned to herself. She said the demons were gone (at least temporarily) and she was at peace. She laughed, joked and smiled. Satan, unintentionally, witnesses to all that is holy. He writhes when sprinkled with holy water; he cringes at the sight of a blessed crucifix; but he positively screams when coming in contact with the Eucharist. We, for our part, also witness to the sanctity of the Eucharist. We genuflect in front of the reserved Eucharist in the tabernacle; we adore the presence of Jesus during Eucharistic adoration; we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus at Mass with great reverence. As St. Thomas wrote: How blessed we are to receive the "bread of angels!" (Panis Angelicus)

(Apparition Hill, Medjugorje, 3/10/22, photo by Katie Ryan) The above photo was taken this week at Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, the reported site of Marian apparitions. In the photo are several members of our deliverance team and their pilgrimage group around the statue of Our Lady. At Medjugorje, she is often referred to as: "Queen of Peace." In a reported message from Our Lady this past week, one of the visionaries said, "Our Lady appeared with outstretched arms and prayed for a long time for peace." She encouraged us to do the same. A few days later, she appeared again to the visionary and implored us to be "persevering" in prayer for peace.

(Icon "Jesus Walking on the Water") The exorcism stalled out. We were saying all the right prayers, but the process of liberation was going nowhere. As we looked into the cause, the afflicted person spoke about her fear of Satan. She was terrified. She was hesitant responding to the prayers for fear of riling him and incurring his wrath. Her fear was understandable. Throughout the exorcisms, the demons were constantly threatening her. "We will get you tonight!" they yelled in her brain, "We will torture you and drag you to hell!" Then they promised her: "But if you stop the prayers, we will leave you alone." In a reported Marian apparition, Our Blessed Lady reputedly said, "The devil is strong with those who fear him and weak with those who despise him." While we cannot confirm she said those words, they certainly ring true in our experience as exorcists. I told the terrified woman: "In hell, the slaves of Satan cower in fear. As long as you do, you will never be free." An important part of the process of liberation is learning to trust in Jesus. As the Scriptures say, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

("Christ Healing the Blind," El Greco, 1570) St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal has been surprised with the outpouring of support for its ministry. In a short period of time, we have over 21,000 subscribers and the number is rising rapidly. The last 90 days, there have been over 93,000 unique visitors to our website. We have been inundated with requests for spiritual assistance, especially with those who need deliverance prayers. In response, we have started a monthly live online deliverance prayer session.* We have been more than grateful to God for the many healings that have already occurred, based upon the scores of emails we have received. Here are some typical responses [edited to preserve anonymity] from the previous sessions: *"I felt as if I was being filled with the Holy Spirit. Thank you!" *"I was healed from demonic obsession. I am looking forward to inner healing next time." *"I felt a sense of peace from the anxiety I have been suffering. Thank you!" *"Peace beyond any human understanding." *"I felt a sense of peace and God's love for me. Thank you." *"I am sensing in myself greater strength and less lethargy. I am looking forward to the next session." *"A deep sense of peace and joy." *"I’ve been struggling with what I have suspected was demonic obsession/oppression for a long time, and I see signs after the session that all this has disappeared… The next day, I felt positively angelic" *"I gained immediate relief from some increased mental torment lately. This is medicine for my soul." *"My anger receded." *"While the prayers were being recited..I just started crying uncontrollably. Thank you!" *"I felt very moved and touched to the core of my being." *"During the prayers of deep cleansing, I felt the consolation and loving presence of Jesus. Tears streamed down my face and I'm not one who is given to a lot of emotion. Thank you for much needed deliverance." *"[I felt] contrition for my sins by crying." *"I just wanted you to know that after [we] prayed to remove fear, sickness and anxiety, I was filled with peace. Earlier on in the day…I was so tired and ill…Praise God for his kindness. One particular note caught my eye [used with permission]: "Hi, I just wanted to write back to let you know that I attended the 2/21 deliverance prayer session. It was a huge blessing for me. I have been working on childhood trauma and neglect for a few years now, but there was a persistent suicidality that has been there since I was a teenager. I am now in my mid 40s. On top of that, just a sense of self hatred, hatred towards God, hatred toward acceptance that I haven't been able to shake, even after a lot of prayer. It feels like all of that was stripped away after the session the other night. That persistent negative voice in my head is gone. When negative thoughts come up, I can talk to them much more normally and with kindness to myself. I also found myself able to say that I love God and Jesus. I wanted to give it a few days to make sure this is real. The last two times I had gone to RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults to become Catholic), I had locked up, not talked to anyone, and then felt suicidal afterward. Last night, I actually managed to talk to a couple of people. There was some awkwardness there with my social skills [being] rusty, but the focus was on Catholicism and joining the Church at Easter. Thanks to you and thanks to God for this help. It's really a blessing." I asked this person about the decision to become Catholic. Here is the response: There were a number of things that led me to decide to join RCIA. I had lost my faith but listening to my Catholic friends got me interested in it again....It seemed like God had been drawing me more and more. It appears that God has healed this person from intense negative self-thoughts and mental torments, which were probably demonic obsessions. Others have reported similar healings. While God is always generous and Jesus continues to heal, I believe our world is now in a special time of grace. God's grace is being poured out in unique abundance during these troubled times. We at SMC are grateful for your encouragement and support. Thank you! And we give thanks to God for the superabundant time of grace in which we now live. *The next session is 7pm Eastern USA time, March 28th. You will soon be able to register at www.catholicexorcism.org.

(Our Lady, Mother of Purity, Legion of Mary) "B" had a troubled, sexually traumatic upbringing. The child of a prostitute, she was sexually abused as a child. She became a stripper at a local club. She was raped many times. An attempt was made to sex-traffic her, but she managed to escape. Despite her life in the dark world of sexual perversion, there was, in her, a great potentiality for goodness, even heroism. She had an inner strength which enabled her to keep bounding back, despite being repeatedly threatened, beaten, and raped. Through the good offices of a deacon, she ended up in our exorcism sessions. She was fully possessed. She exhibited all the major signs, including many instances of occult knowledge, violent reactions to the sacred, and speaking/writing in a foreign tongue unknown to her. When the exorcisms sessions began, she manifested quickly and exhibited gross lewd and suggestive behaviors. Commanding her in Jesus' name to stop did no good. We had to wrap her in a blanket lest she begin to dance and strip. At night, the possessing demons repeatedly sent lewd pictures of her past at the strip club. Text messages were sexually taunting and made gross attempts at seduction. In each case, I responded with a prayer and a picture of the Blessed Virgin. I finally turned my phone off at night so that the beeping of incoming texts wouldn't keep me awake. More subtly, before, during, and after sessions, demons of lust would sexually assault the team and me. In the exorcisms, we were careful who was present in the room. Others, who were apparently not in a state of grace, attempted to befriend her and they went morally "off the rails." The antidote to such gross impurity was, of course, the Blessed Virgin. She was repeatedly invoked. We had "B" consecrate herself to her. In each session, "B" prayed aloud to the Virgin for the virtue of chastity and purity. The deacon poured gallons of holy water over her head. This spiritual cleansing evoked screams from the demons: "Stop. Stop. You're killing me!" Perhaps this is what our most unchaste world needs today as well: consecration to the BVM, fervent prayer for the virtue of chastity, and a spiritual cleansing through the sacraments and sacramentals of the Church.

Gates of Hell, Rodin, 1880-1890, France In the midst of the exorcism, K began to cry out, "I can't get out! He won't let me out." I asked, "Who?" She replied, "Baphomet." She added, "He said I had an abortion and the gates of hell are locked." K had an abortion many years ago and the demons were now using her sin against her. She sobbed saying that the demons were making her feel, emotionally and physically, like she was going through the abortion all over again. Again and again, her father told her that she was forgiven. He said he loved her and forgave her. I told her that Jesus forgave her and that the Cross of Christ had opened the gates. But, in hell, she could not hear it. She repeatedly said the gates were locked and she could not get out. She was panicking. When demons manifest, the afflicted person typically feels some of what demons feel and often experiences their dark world. Thus, they experience aspects of being in hell. K was in the hell of facing the devastation of her sin and the hopelessness of feeling beyond God's forgiveness. She was in the abode of the damned. Both her father and I felt helpless in trying to convince her otherwise. While she was "in hell," we could not. Rather, we had to forge ahead with the session, despite her cries and panic, and cast out the demons as quickly as possible. An exorcism is a very ugly thing. At the end of the session, K returned to us and the demons were gone, at least temporarily. Her first words were, "I want to go to confession."* K's experience has something to say to us all. Confess your sins while you still have time. In hell, the time is past. *K told her father she had confessed the sin previously but wanted to do so again. While confessed sins are truly erased in the sight of God, my experience as an exorcist is that demons observe our past sinful behavior and may taunt us with it, trying to make us believe that we are not forgiven or forgivable. This is yet another demonic lie.

St. Gemma Galgani, 1878-1903, Lucca, Italy For ten years, "Valerie" was deep into the occult. She visited houses of witchcraft, pagan temples, and attached herself to gurus and pagan deities. By the grace of God, she had a powerful experience of Christ and realized how evil it all was. But the path back has been tortuous... These witches, gurus and demons are not letting her go without a fight. Demons of divination typically are dug in deep and hard to expunge. They are attacking and tormenting Valerie daily. But after weekly deliverance sessions for a year, she is much better. She is starting to emerge from the mental darkness and spiritual lethargy that increasingly engulfed her in the occult. She now has more moments of light and peace. Valerie recently had a "dream." She told me she saw a huge Catholic shrine. On one side of the building was the word: "Pray." On the other side was the word: "Rosary." She took this as a clear sign that she should pray the rosary daily, which she is now doing. She was also given the sure knowledge that this shrine was in an Italian town called Lucca. Valerie told me she never heard of Lucca and knew "zero" about it. So, she went online and found that it was the home of St. Gemma Galgani. St. Gemma herself regularly suffered "furious assaults of the devil on her body and her soul, so fiendish and continuous that she imagined herself possessed and begged to be exorcized."* The body of St. Gemma is currently interred in the Passionist monastery-sanctuary of St. Gemma in Lucca. St. Gemma has been a huge help to Valerie on her road to spiritual recovery. Valerie even claims that St. Gemma woke her up on Easter Sunday to attend Mass when she was in danger of over-sleeping. She said, "When I woke up, I was filled with an enormous love for Jesus in my heart. I knew this was a special grace." Likewise, St. Gemma was noted for being filled with a pure, child-like love for Jesus. Valerie also said that whenever she sees a picture of beautiful Gemma and prays for her help, the demons react strongly. She said they "hate" her and have a "pure disgust" for her. The demons tormenting Valerie make her feel like "vomiting" whenever St. Gemma is invoked. They shout, "Keep that woman away from me!" Demons hate Gemma. We love her! *The Saint Gemma Galgani Collection [4 books], Catholic Way Publishing, 2013, p. 28.

"Descent into Hell," 1366-67, Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Andrea Di Bonaiuto A mystic told me she had a vision of hell. In that vision, she heard souls pitifully crying out, "Please God, save me." But, in hell, they were beyond hope.* Their cries were not cries of true repentance, but pleas only to be released from the just ends of their evil choices. She heard their gloating demons respond, "We are your god." I am increasingly distressed by the number of people who, knowingly or unwittingly, are worshipping demons. For example, a witch, who is tormenting one of our clients, claims to be worshipping "Astiri Casirri" a supposed Mexican deity. Some others practicing magic and tormenting a young man said they worship Eastern deities. Another individual practices magic invoking an "ancient spiritual energy in the universe." Several others have large tattoos on their bodies of Aka Manah and Baphomet. These "gods" are not real deities. They are masks of Satan. Each one of the individuals above has fallen into servitude of the Ruler of Hell. They have chosen to worship demons. We are moving rapidly into a post-Christian era. If people do not worship the one true God, who loves us, created us and redeemed us in Jesus Christ, they will eventually fall into some form of idolatry. Ultimately, the demons in hell will say to them, "We are your god." In the process of liberation, the possessed must reaffirm his/her baptismal identity and claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. "There is no salvation through anyone else" (Acts 4:12). Ultimately, for us all, the truth of our lives boils down to this one simple choice. We choose Christ or we choose the demons. *This is much like the rich man in the Gospel who pleaded with Father Abraham to "dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames". Abraham replied, "... between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing..." (Lk 16:24,26).

"The Passing of the Soul at Death," 1918, Evelyn De Morgan It had been a long battle with cancer. He knew he was dying and admitted it. What I didn't know, nor did he tell me at the time, was that he was struggling with deep feelings of fear and despair. He was a man of faith, but these dark spirits were very real and very strong, and they tormented him. As we prayed over him, one of our spiritual sensitives sensed the presence what she called, "an Evil Spirit of Infirmity". So, we explicitly prayed again and again that this demon would be cast out. When the session ended, there was a remarkable change in the man. The darkness around him lifted and he said, for the first time in a long while, he felt hopeful and at peace. As the months wore on, these evil spirits returned, although not as strong. It seems that Satan was continuing to exploit his natural fear of death, which was the opening for the Evil One to return, and tempting him to despair. He fought valiantly against this final temptation. Some time later, he passed away in peace. St. Catherine of Siena in her famous work, The Dialogue , reported that the Lord said to her, "This last sin [of despair] graver to Me than all the other sins." Souls guilty of despair "judge [their] misery greater than My mercy." Despairing of God's mercy, "this is that sin which is neither pardoned here nor there, because the soul would not be pardoned, depreciating My mercy." As an example, the Lord told St. Catherine, "The despair of Judas displeased Me more, and was more grave to my Son than was his betrayal of Him" ("A Treatise of Discretion," Dialogues, p. 55 of 169). Throughout our lives, but especially at the hour of our death, evil spirits of infirmity and despair are wont to afflict souls. The remedy is clear: we trust in God's mercy. Whatever our sin, no matter how grave, the Lord stands ready to forgive and to welcome us into his Kingdom. We only need to ask.

St. Peter's Basilica at dusk. Photo by Msgr. Rossetti A family of four with symptoms of a demonic oppression came for help. Trying to find out the cause, I finally asked, "Did you or any member of your family ever belong to the Masons?" They had some symptoms which were typical of Masonic-related curses. "Yes," the father said, "I joined but it was just for social purposes." In another situation, a woman started practicing Reiki, and then began summoning the spirit of her deceased father, whom she loved and missed. However, she ended up in relationship with a demon instead, who taunted and tormented her. She was terrified and seeking our help. Another family came with common symptoms of a demonic oppression. Things had gotten so bad that the wife, feeling desperate, had asked a local bruja (a witch) for help. The woman did her magic rituals over the family, trying to rid them of their problems. Immediately after, their symptoms became much worse. In each of these cases, and many others, the people were well-intentioned. Yet all of them made their situations worse by engaging in forbidden practices. Regarding these, the Catholic Church has given explicit public warnings: *The Holy See has forbidden membership in the Masonic associations and, as recent as 1983, went so far as to state: "The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin." *The USCCB published a document denouncing Reiki and warned against invoking "universal life energies." *The Catholic Catechism (#2116) rejects all forms of divination and conjuring of the dead. *The Catechism (#2117) also warns against all forms of "magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion." While some might view these documents as examples of ecclesiastical heavy-handedness and/or an over-reaction, our direct experience suggests that they are timely warnings for our protection. At root, the commandments of God and the teachings of the Church are designed to keep us safe and are guideposts for a successful journey to the Kingdom. Our team is very careful to conduct our ministry in complete obedience to the teachings of the Church, not straying to the right or to the left. We know of exorcists who have not, with predictably disastrous results. Humble obedience is a great protection and a powerful weapon in casting out evil.

Witches' Sabbath, 1821–1823, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Francisco Goya Several young people who have been practicing witchcraft and divination for years have come in for help. They are all sullen, dark and depressed. One came in because he was afraid of being possessed. Another because of a powerful graced experience of Christ. Still another started to manifest demonic symptoms. There is a spiritual darkness around them which is hard to dispel. Witchcraft and divination are serious sins. They plunge the soul deep into the dark world. The road back to the Light is possible, but typically a long one. Witches claim to get their power from pagan deities, a "feminine energy" in the Universe, or from some ancient spiritual power in the world. They believe they are manipulating and controlling these energies. In reality, it is they who are being manipulated by the Father of Lies. Many object and say that they are "good witches." But recently a family came to us who had been experiencing some spiritual difficulties. They had gone to a bruja (i.e. witch) who attempted to heal them with incantations and spells. Shortly thereafter, "all hell broke loose" in their lives. Witchcraft, always allied with evil, can never produce anything good. Fortunately, after a few exorcism sessions, the evil appears to have been lifted. I am a bit downcast by the proliferation of witchcraft. One online practitioner of witchcraft and magic has over 400,000 followers. There are only about 120 exorcists in the USA. Where will all these people eventually find help? Halloween is upon us. Witches' conferences and gatherings will most assuredly take place in great numbers. One diocese estimated that there are more witches' covens in the diocese than Catholic institutions. On the eve of All Saints, our little team will gather in Eucharistic prayer. I take confidence in knowing that one small ray from the heart of Christ can and will cast out all the darkness.

Madonna of the Rosary, c. 1605, Caravaggio Our Team has exorcized a number of houses, rectories, schools, and church buildings. One of the Team members present is usually a gifted spiritual sensitive. Such people can often tell us where the demons are located, what kind of evil spirits they are, and perhaps when they are cast out. Invariably, demons will be concentrated in areas where sinful, and especially occult, behavior have taken place. For example, we found demons in known places of illicit sex. We found a demon in the office of a practitioner of Reiki. A possessed person had several in her work space. The worst was an area where occult rituals had been performed and religious statues defaced: it was totally infested! After doing these exorcisms of a place for some years, I noticed a pattern. In places where there were televisions, regardless of which spiritual sensitive was present, he or she always noted a demon on the main chair in front of the TV. Sometimes I knew the individuals involved in that place and I do not think the majority of them were watching pornography or explicitly sinful material. Why then was there almost invariably a demon in that place? Upon reflection, what we are viewing on our screens today, and what society considers "normal," is often sexually arousing and filled with violence. What was considered objectionable only a few decades ago is now considered acceptable for daily viewing. Our society may not consider such material as an opening to evil, but apparently demons do! Watching such material will not likely result in someone getting possessed, but it will invite demons into one's home. And the stronger the demons present, the more chaos, conflict and temptations they will sow. The consistent presence of demons in front of televisions ought to make us more conscious and vigilant about what we watch. There are some fine shows on television, but there are many others that are not. Rather than opening the door to demons by watching such degrading shows, why not recite in our living rooms the daily family rosary instead? Thus, we invite into our homes the Blessed Virgin and her beautiful angels.

Exorcising a boy possessed by a demon from Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 15th century. "Barbara" had been involved for many years in pagan practices. She was deeply involved in worshipping non-christian "deities". She also spiritually bonded and subjugated herself to a guru who claimed to be enlightened. She said he was a "sort of magician" and practiced sorcery. However, she eventually turned away from these pagan practices and return to her Catholic roots. But the guru and his associates would have none of it. During the nighttime, she was the target of their demonically-empowered obsessions. Invoking their sorcery, (which was really working through demons), they tormented and threatened her. They claimed they would give her cancer. They said she would have a heart attack. They threatened to drag her to hell. She said these gurus were "very powerful" and she was terrified. Barbara not only needed liberation from these gurus and their demons, she needed catechesis on the Truth. The priest working with her, again and again, spoke to her of surpassing power of Jesus Christ. He urged her not to be afraid of the gurus but to trust in Jesus. After many years of being away from the faith and immersed in paganism, this was not easy for her. The priest realized that, in order to be convinced, she had to have a personal experience of the power of Christ. So he said to her, "They are just trying to scare you. They have no such power over you to give you cancer or drag you to hell. The next time they attack you, remind yourself that you are a daughter of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Then, with full trust, say out loud three times: 'In the name of Jesus, I declare that you have no power over me! I am a daughter of God. In the Name of Jesus I command you to be gone-- now!' He promised, 'The guru will run away scared." Barbara responded, "That's good advice. I'll do it." The next day she texted back: "When they started to harass me during the night, I did what you advised and they backed off. Wow!" So many people are afraid of Satan and his minions, including some priests. A critical part of the process of liberation, and the journey of salvation for us all, is coming "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection" (Phil 3:10).

Sienese School of the 14th Century, "St. Michael and the Dragon" A permanent deacon shared this encounter with me. It occurred before he was involved in our deliverance ministry. At the time, he was also an active duty policeman: I walked in the side door of our church about 4:20pm to set up for the 5 o'clock Mass. My mood was ho-hum and I was sad to have to leave my children back at the house having fun. But with Providence, there are no accidents. Entering the church I encountered a young lady who had obviously stepped down from the sanctuary and was in the aisle. As she approached smiling, she looked like another misguided, poorly-dressed youngster with baggy pants, a tank-top, and medusa-like hairdo. As we closed the gap walking toward one another I (being a trained police officer of over ten years) observed a tattoo at the base of her neck. I immediately recognized it as a symbol of Satan- an inverted cross. She then uttered some blasphemies about God and Jesus. I glanced at the altar to see if the tabernacle had been disturbed or if the altar was defamed. Confident that nothing serious had taken place, I asked "What do you have in the cup?" (She was holding a child's sippy cup full of clear liquid and a white lily that came from our altar arrangement.) She smiled again and said, "It's just some [profanity] holy water." "Why would you want that?" I asked, not batting an eye at her blasphemies and profanity. "I need it for exorcisms. I'm a witch. I worship Satan." I reached my hand into the holy water font and blessed myself. She said, "Keep that [profanity] away from me" and she backed up two paces. She was undoubtedly looking for access to the Blessed Sacrament and settled for holy water. I put on my work face and said, "I am a police officer and I'm giving you an official invitation to leave here and not return." She appeared shaken and obeyed immediately. She wrote in our Prayer of the Faithful intention booklet at the entrance to the church. She scribbled across the sheets an invitation to pray to Satan and "indulge in life". She also wrote, "God [profanity], burn the bible, hail Satan. Satan loves you, kinda." This woman was not a nut. She was cheerful, smiling, profane and on a mission. Her presence made me feel the total absence of love, warmth or goodness. I have seen bad and evil in people plenty of times in my tenure as a cop. This was the first time I felt anyone absolutely revel in it. She had an aura of malevolence. I felt soiled by her presence and wanted to shower. I informed the Pastor of the "invasion." He then told me of a priest friend of his whose parish secretary turned out to be a satanic priestess. She had taken the job solely to gain access to the Blessed Sacrament. The church of Satan does exist. They preach an indulgence in all things that make one feel good. I recognized this "dogma" in her note to "indulge in life." Evil comes to us smiling, just as this witch did. I offered up a rosary to Our Lady for her conversion. I am proud of our deacon. He responded to her blasphemies with care for the sacred. He responded to her profanity with respect. He responded to her hatred with a loving prayer to Mary for her.

St. Catherine of Siena besieged by demons, unknown artist. c. 1500 I continued to be saddened by the number of people who suffer from mental torments (see Diary #164). I daily receive frantic emails from people who are at their wits end. They have been mentally tormented for years and are losing hope. These mental obsessions typically begin with a "normal" psychological weakness: low self-esteem, depressive thinking, dark ruminations, anxiety and fear, frustrations and anger. However, Satan then takes advantage of this human weakness and exaggerates it. Our low self-esteem becomes self-hatred; our anxiety becomes despair; our dark rumination becomes suicidal ideation. What should have been a typical daily irritant now becomes a full blown crisis. Satan's denigrating messages to us center around six common themes (see Diary #156): "You are a terrible person", "There is no hope for you", "God doesn't care about you", "This torment will never end", "You are going to hell", "You should kill yourself." These demonic obsessions are doubly dangerous because Satan is usually able to hide behind a person's psychic flaws. Individuals do not realize the demonic source and thus they are even more convinced of their hopeless wretchedness. They may sink further into despair. I do not have a quick fix. Real progress is gradual. But I pass on the kinds of interventions we are giving to those in our ministry. Individuals can choose a combination of those which they find most helpful... +Recognize the true source of your mental torments. Yes, you have underlying psychological weaknesses which makes you vulnerable to these negative ruminations. But Satan is tormenting you with them. Once people can recognize the action of the Evil One, they may feel less culpable and more emotionally distant from them. +Let them come....and let them go. Many people find it difficult just to stop these mental obsessions. In fact, the more one tries to stop them, the stronger they often become. Rather, offer no resistance. Let them come in one ear, and let them go out the other ear. Try not to latch onto them. As one Saint said when seeing Satan at the foot of her bed, "Oh, it's only you." +Breathe and relax. Our bodies tense up when we are stressed. Take long, slow deep breaths. Inhale slowly, exhale slowly. Breathe deeply. Exercise the body by walking or whatever exercise works for you. When the body relaxes, it helps the mind relax. +Close the door to the demonic. Satan is taking advantage of a psychological weakness. There are hurts and traumas from the past which have given rise to this weakness. Seek to heal these inner psychic wounds. Psychotherapy, healing prayers, spiritual direction, rituals of forgiveness, and the sacraments can all be sources of inner healing. +Deliverance prayers focused on the particular torment. For example, if the person suffers from self-hatred, then say often, "In the holy name of Jesus, I renounce the evil spirit of self-hatred and command it to leave me." Or if the problem is anger: "In the holy name of Jesus, I renounce the evil spirit of anger and command it to leave me." +Turn to Jesus- repeatedly. Regularly using short exclamatory prayers can help focus the mind on Jesus. Typical prayers are: "Jesus I trust in you" or "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me a sinner" or "Jesus, Mary" or another short holy prayer of your own choosing. +Offer your suffering for others. We all have our own sufferings. Some people have great physical sufferings. You have great mental sufferings. These mental torments, when given to Jesus in faith, can be a source of grace for others, and for you. +Be at peace. You are flawed and broken. You are suffering. It is okay! That is precisely why the Son of God became flesh. He died for your sins. You will not save yourself; you will never be without suffering in this life. Trust in Jesus; he will save you.

911 Flag raising It is well known that Satan hates the Church and is focused on its destruction. I am convinced that Satan has targeted America as well. With our great power and resources, this country has the potential to influence the world for great good, especially in promoting human freedom, equality, and the virtues. But we also have the potential to promote great evil. I see increasing signs of Satan's hand in trying to destroy this country. There is an increasing distrust and denigration of authority such teachers, politicians and government, police, clergy and Church. While there are certainly examples of people in such offices doing evil, a blanket condemnation of people who serve our nation is not warranted and destructive of society. We see also a breakdown of the "domestic church," the family. The lifetime marriage of a man and a woman with the raising of children in the faith seems more like an oddity today. Even those stable families that raised their children in the faith are increasingly distraught at their children, influenced by destructive forces around them, falling into drug abuse, promiscuity, and paganism. There is an increasing erosion of Christianity and religion in general in our nation, with a concomitant rapid rise in those who identify as religious "nones" (atheists, agnostics and unaffiliated.) In filling the "Void of Christianity", the practice of magic, witchcraft and the occult is everywhere. This should not be a surprise. If people do not embrace the Light, the darkness will overcome them. We are embarking upon a new year. Far from being downcast, I feel a great sense of optimism. I have personally seen what a little holy water, the sight of a crucifix, and mere mention of the holy name of Jesus does to Satan and his minions. They are dust compared to the Word made flesh. Despite all the demonic threats, the mantle of Our Lady protects us and St. Michael and the holy angels surround us. But we are fighting for the soul of our nation and its people. Let us begin this year armed with the "sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" who is Jesus (Eph 6:17). I recommend frequent reception of the Sacraments, the daily rosary, and constant prayer. In response to the hatred, discord, and violence surging up all around us, let us love, especially those whom we find repugnant. Let us stop judging anyone-- judging is God's job. Pray for our country's leaders, they need our support. May we let go of anger toward anyone who may have hurt us. When we pray for them, we ourselves are set free. Satan and his minions feed off anger, discord and fear. In 2022, let us replace hatred with love. I would like to make a special plea that God's pious followers spend this year in frequent acts of love toward Jesus and his Mother. Our little acts of love will be rewarded by a divine torrent of grace. In 2022, we will again witness "Satan fall like lightning from the sky" (Lk 10:18). It cannot be otherwise.

When I first heard about the defacing of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., I assumed it was done by a mentally disturbed person. After all, who in their right mind would do such a thing? Then, I visited the statue and looked more closely. It is completely intact except for blows done to Mary's face and both of her hands are missing. In fact, the security video shows the man who was masked climbing over the fence with a hammer. He attacked the face and stole the hands. This does not look random. The face of a person expresses most clearly the person. The beauty of Mary, as Ark of the Covenant, radiates the Divine presence. This is a torment for Satan and his minions. Moreover, the hands are the visible instruments of the person, carrying out the will of the person. In this case, Mary most perfectly does God's will. Her continued action in the world "crushes Satan's head" and confounds his destructive rage. Followers of Satan use sacred objects of the Catholic Church in a blasphemous manner in their rituals. Most notably, the followers of Satan steal a consecrated host and desecrate it in their Black Mass. It is more than likely that these hands of Mary's statue will be desecrated in a Satanic ritual. The reaction of the Rector and leadership to the vandalism was exemplary: "We pray for the perpetrator through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary...."* From May of 2020 until October of 2021, the USCCB reported 100 incidents of vandalism against the Church. We pray that all who perpetrate such evil would turn away from the darkness and find salvation in the light of Christ. I am appalled and saddened at the increasingly number of people who are practicing witchcraft, Wicca, and Satanism. But the words of Scripture echo in my heart, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). *The Shrine intends to dispose of the desecrated statue appropriately and replace it.

"M" is being tormented by evil spirits. Often in the middle of the night, family or team members will receive threatening, tempting, and demeaning demonic texts trying to derail our efforts: To her family, the demons recently texted: "You’re worn down, tired of fighting... she's gone soon... Time to let go... She'll be dead by the end of the month... You need to stop ... or you're going to get hurt." To the exorcist, the demons texted: "You best give up ... It's no use. Stop praying." Sometimes the phone number where the texts originate is listed as "M"'s phone line. However, she is asleep when the texts are sent and there is no record of them on her phone. Other times, the sending phone is listed as: "666-13-666" and "666-00-666." This is just more demonic taunting. To date, much spiritual progress has been made. Many have been cast out. Although the last ones have been tenacious. I asked the Deacon in our last session to read the Prologue of John's Gospel (1:1-14), a powerful text used in exorcisms. He began, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..." When he started, there was a violent reaction. The demons screamed and told him to stop. So we had him read it again and again and again. The agonizing writhing continued. They began to beg and promised to say anything to get him to stop. But he kept on: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (v. 5). "M" then said she saw rays of light streaming from the deacon's eyes. The rays of light were shining on the demons and blinding them. Immediately, "M" stopped manifesting and returned to her self, with a smile and in peace. The demons are not yet gone fully, but they are greatly weakened. "M" says the demons are still blind. Indeed, the Rite of Exorcism warns them: "The longer you delay [leaving], the heavier your punishment shall be." I suspect these demons were blinded permanently as God's punishment for their wicked behavior. "The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us" (v.14). With these great words we approach the Christmas season. Theologians tell us that it was precisely the news of God's incarnation in Jesus that caused Lucifer and his minions to rebel. In an exorcism, it is pure torture to hear it proclaimed. For the demons and all who reject God, the Light is blinding and casts them into darkness. For those who love him, we are transfigured by the Light and it shines through us.

"K" was getting increasingly depressed. She was mentally going downhill and showed signs of suicidality. Her family wisely intervened to keep her safe. But she continued to sink into a hopeless darkness. K texted me and described it, "I was locked in a maze. People get trapped there....I was stuck. I never felt so dark, alone and sad." It was a maze without an exit. She added, "The only way out led me back to the same spot I was in." She couldn't get out. She couldn't eat and cried constantly. "It was cold and dark and scary." K had a spiritual vision of many others stuck in their own mazes. "I saw and heard souls weeping too ... We were all in our own mazes. They were huge." She added that everyone was completely isolated from each other. "I heard screams and cries" from all the others. "And no matter how hard I yelled [no one could hear me]." The next day after our conversation, I personally began to feel depressed. This is uncharacteristic for me. It lasted for several hours. Finally, a light went on in my head, "Ah hah, this may be something from K. Perhaps some of her demons are now attacking me." So, for several minutes I prayed, "In Jesus' name, I command the demons of depression to leave!" I said it over and over again. Then it lifted and I returned to normal. I prayed that this would be a grace for K and help her out of the darkness. The next day, I was in contact with K and asked her, "How are you?" She said she was out of the maze and doing fine. Her face was youthful looking and her eyes were bright. We held a very fruitful session on the great Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Later, she thanked her family and the Team, and the Blessed Mother for "saving my life." While her symptoms were very typical of someone in a severe major depression, the fact that it lifted dramatically in response to prayer suggests it had, at least partially, a spiritual origin. She herself was clear that the maze was one of Satan's tricks to lure souls into hopelessness and suicide. We thank the Blessed Virgin for a special grace that rescued her. K asked me, "You have to tell people about the maze, Father. They get trapped there. That's why I almost committed suicide." And so I have.