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[Michael casts out rebel angels. Illustration by Gustave Dore for John Milton's Paradise Lost"] Her mother was a witch. Her grandmother was a witch. "Janice" was dedicated to Satan as a baby and expected to become a witch. By the grace of God, she decided otherwise. Liberation has been a long and valiant fight. I do not know how many would persevere in such an ugly fight for so long, but she has. However, one of the underlying dynamics is her periodic insistence on how to do things, including the exorcism, and her overall rejection of authority, on many levels. There is a spirit of rebellion in her. Having been repeatedly abused as a child, one can understand it, but this spirit impedes the process of liberation. Often in the sessions we invoke the Virgin Mary and her humble obedience. I have Janice repeat after me, "I consecrate myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and I ask for her humble spirit of obedience." Needless to say, the demons choke on the words as Janice fights to verbalize them. Modern day witchcraft typically includes a spirit of rebellion which more than a few find attractive, especially young women who feel disenfranchised. This spirit of rebellion also permeates much of society today, left and right. All this feeds a growing lack of unity and the angry chaotic tenor of our times. A spirit of rebellion predates the Garden of Eden. Satan and his angelic followers were the first to rebel. The Evil One has been fomenting rebellion and chaos ever since. The followers of Jesus recognize the humble obedience we owe to God our Creator. Moreover, Jesus empowered the Church to continue His ministry and declared, "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me" (Luke 10:16). Janice is slowly coming to trust us. This will be one of the final hurdles to expelling an underlying witch's mentality and finding complete liberation. We, on our part, are striving to be trustworthy, and never to violate her trust in the slightest. This will be an important part of her healing process.

["Woman Kneeling in Prayer," George Henry Boughton, c. 1860] I have been encouraging David, who formerly belonged to a Satanic cult and is possessed, to pray daily deliverance prayers, in addition to attending exorcism sessions. He is slowly working up to an extensive daily regimen of protection and deliverance prayers, tailored to the kinds of demons he has. I recently added the Saint Michael prayer, which has been difficult for him to pray. I subsequently asked him how it was going. He responded: "When I say the St. Michael prayer, if I don't speak it out loud, or think about it, or what it means, and just quickly read it, then it's not as bad. If I were to go to church and hear it spoken by alot of people, then I would be in alot of pain...The demons [would be] screaming." I think we all realize that when we pray, we ought to focus on the words and pray them thoughtfully and deliberately. Moreover, doing so in a community of the faithful adds additional spiritual "power." Sadly, our human minds tend to wander and get distracted. Also, we can sometimes rush through our prayers, just trying to get through them quickly, as if a superficial rote recitation of prayers is sufficient. Obviously, the witness of the demons is otherwise. I have learned much about the practice of our faith in the course of being an exorcist. David's witness has demonstrated the power of communal prayer. And David has also reminded me of how to pray most effectively: I need to slow down, and say the prayers, including the Rite of Exorcism, thoughtfully and deliberately. It makes a difference. *We are now on social media! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for daily content that will hopefully help you in your spiritual journey. I will be posting many of my stories, experiences, and prayers that I hope you use to grow in faith. May our Blessed Mother and St. Michael watch over our content and bring it to those who need it the most.

[Icon of The Samaritan Woman] I received a very ugly email. It was short: five sentences and each sentence was full of expletives, exclamation points, nasty invectives, and curses. I immediately blocked the sender. I noticed that the email was sent in response to an email we sent out to all our subscribers. So, this person must be on our mailing list. I then went into the mailing list and found his address. I intended to delete him... But looking at the person's history with us, I found something odd. A few weeks ago, he had apparently enrolled himself as a subscriber. He opened all the subsequent emails from us and was obviously following our ministry. In fact, he just registered himself for our next online deliverance session. And then, he erupts into a rage and sends us a horrid email. Strange?!? As I reflected on the email, I noticed it sounded very much like the texts and emails I get from demons- raging, accusing, emotionally violent, ugly. Ahhh! The insight hit me: he was probably "manifesting," i.e., the demons had taken over and were enraged he was going to attend a deliverance session. He likely has a strong demonic presence. Another person, a possessed woman, recently told me that when she tries to pray with the deliverance videos, the demons are "so angry and screaming." She found it painful. I suggested that she only do what she can. Also, we have had others in the room with her when she prayed with the videos. Obviously, demons are strongly affected when just listening to any priest pray deliverance prayers. As I tell people during the introduction, if the sessions become too painful, the person should cease. Moreover, having personal support in the room for people with a strong demonic presence is helpful and important. Fully possessed people are best served by face-to-face sessions with an exorcist, if possible. For those who are not possessed, such strong reactions are less likely. So, I did not unsubscribe the person who sent the ugly email. Likely, he is truly seeking liberation and the demons are resisting strongly. Instead of unsubscribing him, I said a prayer for him. May God give him strength and perseverance to continue to seek the Lord and on the sometimes long and difficult road to liberation.

["Archangel Michael and the Rebel Angels," Cavalier d'Arpino, c. 1592-1593] A priest came up to me and, looking a little nervous, said, "When I am with people who are into the occult, I can feel an evil presence. In bad places, I sense the presence of demons. It's a sickening feeling, especially in my stomach and head. What is wrong with me? Am I possessed?" I asked, "How long have you had these sensations?" The priest responded, "Ever since childhood, but they are clearer and stronger now." In recent weeks, several people have told me that they have similar spiritual experiences and they wonder if they need an exorcism. They are often quite worried and frightened. They think, "What is wrong with me that I sense the presence of evil and demons?" We have found that a sensitivity to spiritual realities, especially the presence of evil and demons, can come from four possible sources: 1. It can be a natural charism which the person can use for good or ill. These can run in families. Some people come from a long line of witches or mediums and they use their natural spiritual insights to practice divination, something forbidden by the Bible and our faith. Others use these charisms in accord with God's plan and can do good for others. 2. It can be the result of a special Divine gift. Some people are acutely aware of the presence of demons, and sometimes angels, because God has given them a special grace to do so. They are expected to use this gift to help others. They can be a wonderful help in the deliverance ministry. 3. It can be the result of a demonic presence in the person's life. Being possessed can open an occult third eye and it makes them conscious of the preternatural world. Possessed people are aware of demons through the melding of the demonic and their own human consciousness. Or the person may be deceived by demons into thinking that demonic insinuations into the person's mind are from God. 4. For more than a few, it can be simply a product of their over-active imagination. They often describe fanciful perceptions which are not typical of the angelic world. Their "gift" may actually be the result of a kind of spiritual narcissism. I had a chat with the priest and it did not seem that he had a demonic presence acting in him. Moreover, he was living a virtuous life and was a solid priest. So I said to him, "While we have chatted only a short while, my impression is that you may have a graced spiritual sensitivity, which is a good thing. If you can find a knowledgeable spiritual director to assist you, this sensitivity of yours may be developed and assist you in your priestly ministry." He was relieved and went away in peace. As the Scriptures advise us: "Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1Jn 4:1).

[Reliquary of the True Cross, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris] One of our exorcists has a supposed relic of the true cross in his parish. It does not have any papers of authenticity. Moreover, some people question whether these fragments of wood are really from the cross of Jesus. It is said that St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, unearthed three crosses from the believed site where Jesus was crucified at Calvary. In order to determine which one was the true cross, she had the three crosses touched to the body of a woman who was dying of a terminal disease. Only upon touching one of them was she cured. This wood has been venerated as the true cross ever since. Our exorcist was wondering whether his fragment was authentic. He concealed it in his pocket and brought it into an exorcism session. It was a particularly difficult case with a strong demonic presence. Midway through the session, he stood behind the now manifesting energumen. Standing behind the person, as he reached into his pocket, the demons shouted, "Relic of the true cross!" They writhed and were clearly being tormented. Still behind the afflicted person, he placed the relic on the back of the neck of the afflicted person. Again the demons shouted, "Relic of the true cross!" Again, they writhed in torment. Demons lie. Were they trying to deceive the exorcist? Perhaps. But there are times when the Lord forces demons to tell the truth. The exorcist believes that this was the case: the Lord insisted the demons witness to his true cross. There are many relics in our little chapel where exorcisms are performed. The relic of the true cross has a place of honor, as it should. And even if it is not the actual wood from Jesus' cross, it is used in our sessions with faith. We have confidence in the victory of Christ's death and resurrection, and we believe that when we use this relic in faith, the Lord generously imparts a special grace. The witness of the demons gives us additional confidence in its authenticity and its graced power. [A relic of the True Cross being carried in procession through the Piazza San Marco, Venice. Gentile Bellini, 15th century]

["The Temptation of Saint Anthony," Lucas van Leyden, c 1530] Baphomet, a high ranking demon, is the head possessor in a particularly nasty case. The afflicted young woman is regularly assaulted and manipulated by demons. The exorcism sessions are intense and full of swearing, yelling, growling, lewd gestures, and vomiting. At the end of the most recent session, the young woman came back to herself after being in an active demonic state for almost an hour. The Exorcist asked, as he typically does at the end of every session, "How are you? What happened during the session?" She said to the Exorcist, "Baphomet is angry with you. He said that he is going to get you tonight at midnight." This is not the first time the demons have threatened one of us. Sometimes they will tell the Exorcist when they will attack and at other times they leave it unknown. But our experience is that when they say they will attack the priest, they will indeed do so. It is not a bluff. However, the Evil One is not allowed to do any more than God allows and He always provides the graces to overcome any demonic assaults. "Forewarned is forearmed." A few hours before midnight, another priest exorcist kindly prayed some deliverance prayers over the priest. This had the effect of somewhat blunting the coming attack. He then commended himself to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, sprinkled holy water around the room, and went to bed. Around midnight, he was awakened by an intense agitation and temptations. These were followed by feelings of utter darkness. Recognizing the source of these strong mental attacks, the Exorcist then said three times out loud: "I offer these assaults for the liberation of the afflicted person." Instantly, the assaults lessened in intensity. Not only is this offering helpful for the afflicted person, it also impresses upon the demons, once again, that all of their efforts are self-defeating. Everything they do ultimately redounds to the glory of God and furthers God’s Kingdom. The attacks did not dissipate completely until a couple of hours had passed. Then, the priest went back to bed and slept soundly, having once again experienced the surpassing power of Christ and his defeat of Satan. Giving into fear of Satan and his minions only empowers the demons. Faith is more than simply acknowledging that God exists. It implies trusting in God and in the victory of Jesus Christ. We surrender ourselves completely into God's hands. No priest will long survive the sometimes intense spiritual combat of an exorcist's calling without such a personal surrender.

[Joan of Arc, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882 ] "James" is suffering from demonic obsessions or "demon brain." Every couple of weeks, he goes through a spell in which his thinking is strongly influenced by demons. When this happens, he becomes despairing and suicidal. He came up with a five-step process for dealing with these demonic attacks. The five steps might be helpful for anyone suffering such demonic afflictions. He has generously consented to share them with all. The five steps are: 1. Recognize the beginning of a demonic attack EARLY. Once he is in the middle of "demon brain," he cannot recognize it and he mistakenly believes it is his real self. So he is trying to be aware of the initial signs that a demonic attack is coming before it is too late to react. 2. Reach out for help. James recognizes that he cannot deal with the demons by himself. He reaches out to friends for support, his therapist for counseling, and a priest for spiritual direction and deliverance prayers. While these supports do not completely dissipate the attack, they do help him to navigate successfully the demonic onslaught. 3. Honest and open sharing. James knows that isolation can be lethal in the midst of demonic obsessions. When demon brain hits, he has a tendency to clam up. So, he intentionally tries to be open and honest about himself with his support system and what he is experiencing. 4. Reject & let it go. In the midst of demon brain, it is difficult for James to recognize that his thoughts are really demonic and not his own. Nevertheless, he is trying to train himself to recognize the true source of these evil thoughts and to consciously reject them. He said, "I need to reject these thoughts and let them go." Using our prayer formula, he says, "I reject, renounce and rebuke the evil spirits of [name them] and, in Jesus' name, I cast them out." 5. Do things I enjoy and distract myself. His demonic thoughts are dark and despairing. In the midst of demon brain, he consciously chooses to engage in activities he enjoys such as having dinner with friends or outdoor events and/or exercise. These help to elevate his mood and distract him from focusing on the evil demonic thoughts. Moreover, James does his best to continue with his strong spiritual regimen of daily prayer and sacraments. These steps are not easy for anyone who suffers from demonic obsessions, especially in the midst of an assault of demon brain. But, over time he has shown the commitment and courage to do so with positive results. His attacks are shorter, less severe and he is on the road to recovery. I have no doubt that in the future these demonic attacks will be largely a thing of the past. In the meantime, they are actually strengthening him psychologically and spiritually. One day, he will be a battle-tested, strong spiritual warrior for Christ.

[Saint Michael and the Angels at War with the Devil, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 15th c.] When "Joyce" came in for her deliverance session, she looked normal. There were no physical signs of a demonic presence. She appeared to be fully lucid and herself. But on the way into the chapel, she started to spout bizarre ideas. She said in an arrogant tone: "Satan is stronger than your God." She emphatically added: "You cannot expel him." Joyce, who had previously been involved in witchcraft, said: "My spells are stronger than your worthless prayers." At this point, one of the priests started to argue with her, pointing out the omnipotent power of God and the triumph of Christ's death and resurrection. Joyce was unfazed and continued her evil rant. I looked at the priest and said, "Don't waste your breath. You are not talking to Joyce. You are talking to a pack of demons." I led them into the chapel and said, "What we need to do is to pray." When a demonic presence takes over control of a person's physical body, there are typical signs. For example, the body will react strongly to sacramentals such as holy water, crucifixes or the prayers themselves. There may be pains in different parts of the body, especially where the demons are particularly active. Also, there may be marks such as scratches, bruises, lumps that move, and/or burn marks. And more. But sometimes demons manifest without physical signs. Rather, they infect the person's brain. The person starts thinking like demons, a state which our team calls: "demon brain." In the midst of a bout of demon brain, many times people are not aware of it and do not realize the source of their evil thoughts. But our team recognizes that the demons are exercising some control over the afflicted people's minds when out of their mouths comes typical demonic thoughts and ideas. Some common examples of these demonic obsessions or "demon brain" are: *arrogant, haughty denigration of others, especially priests/church *statements exalting Satan's power and dismissing God's providence *statements exalting the power of pagan "gods" or demons, the power of their witchcraft and occult practices. *intense uncharacteristic feelings of despair and thoughts of suicide *intense depressive and dark emotions *a consuming narcissistic rage *extreme feelings of abandonment, rejection and/or hopeless isolation An alert, experienced exorcist will recognize when a client is manifesting such demonic obsessions, i.e. demon brain, even if there are no physical manifestations. He knows that it does no good to try to reason with people in such a state. Only deliverance prayers are effective. Rather than argue with them, an exorcist will launch directly into the prayers. Most people do not suffer from intense demonic obsessions. But when I listen to what comes out of people's mouth on the street, I sometimes hear the voice of Satan. For example, I may hear an arrogant judgmentalism of others, an inner violent rage, a hatred of the Church, a dismissal of God's power and love, temptations to violence and destruction, rejoicing in other people's injury or harm, and/or dark depressive thoughts of a hopeless despair. When I hear these, I hear the voice of Satan. Sadly, it suggests that such people are increasingly under the Evil One's power. As Ephesians 4:29 (RSVCE) says, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear."

[Return of the Prodigal Son, Pompeo Batoni, 1773] We had been "pounding away" at the demonic presence for almost two years and "M", a young woman in her 20's, was much, much better. The night attacks had ceased; the demonic marks on her body had mostly disappeared; she tolerated an exorcism without completely going "out;" and during the day she had many more lucid moments. But the demons were still hanging onto something. At one point, she asked for a meeting with her parents. As the meeting progressed, it became clear that she wanted to tell them something but was having a hard time getting it out. The parents were patient and encouraged her to take her time. Finally, with much fear and trepidation, she confessed that she had not been honest with them. She had covered up many ugly past behaviors and painted them over with self-aggrandizing lies. She had been living a lie. To her surprise, her parents willingly forgave her and told her how much they loved her. Allaying her fears, they said they would never leave her and she would always be their beloved daughter. Shortly thereafter, arriving back at her apartment, M vomited up huge masses of black globs. Typically, a sign of the lifting of witches' curses and/or casting out of demons. The black masses actually appeared to be moving and undulating. M was then tired but felt a great weight had been lifted. While the demons were not completely gone, a critical milestone had been passed. Satan is called the "Father of Lies," (Jn 8:44), Mendacii Pater in the Rite of Exorcism. I have noticed that demons will sometimes visibly react when the phrase Mendacii Pater is spoken aloud in the Rite. No doubt they feel it as a stinging rebuke and the truth which they are loathe to face. Not only are they compulsive and habitual liars, their entire life has become a lie. Unwittingly, by living a lie herself, M gave the demons a hold on her. Facing the truth and confessing her sin, plus the forgiving love of her parents, was a liberating moment. M's next step was to take her repentance into the confessional to receive the sacramental graces. M is making steady progress. But like all processes of liberation for the possessed, there are important challenges along the way. M faced this critical challenge of facing and letting go of the lies in her life with honesty and courage. I am proud of her and her parents. I have great confidence she will be soon fully liberated. Satan is the Father of Lies. Jesus is the "Truth" (Jn 14:6). We are set free from Satan's grasp when we confess our sins and live in the light of the Truth.

"He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan!'" Mt 16:23 After a recent online deliverance session with us, a woman shared her experience: I've been able to attend most of the sessions and have found that with each successive one, I have been increasingly able to attain spiritual healing. For many years, I have been afflicted with an evil spirit that causes me to hate God and to curse Jesus. I have sought deliverance for a long time. I am learning with each session how to better deal with evil attacks from the devil. I have learned, in particular, that I must do the 3 Rs...I am now able to relate with the Lord Jesus in a loving way, without any sense of the previous hostility, resentment or anger. These three R's of casting out demons are: reject, renounce, and rebuke. In our online sessions, as well as our face-to-face solemn exorcisms, we ask afflicted people to identify the evil spirits present and then say the three R's. So, for example, if an individual identifies the presence of an evil spirit of lust, the person would then say: "In the holy name of Jesus, I reject, I renounce, and I rebuke the spirit of lust. In Jesus' holy name, I cast it out!" To "reject" is to make an act of the will which says in effect: "I do not want this evil spirit." To "renounce" is to give back any benefits desired or received in the demonic relationship. To "rebuke" is sharply denouncing the evil spirit. In deliverance work, an important step in the process of liberation is cutting the relationship between the individual and the evil spirit. While a simple rejection would likely suffice, we have found these three R's to be a bit more thorough and decisive. After the afflicted person has formally rejected the evil spirit, the Exorcist can then invoke the authority of the Church and more easily cast it out. While the entire process of casting out demons can take some time, this formal process of rejecting the evil spirits, using the three R's, is an important step along the way. I have also found these three R's helpful in overcoming the normal temptations of life, which are often fueled by evil spirits. Whenever we are tempted, we can say: "In the holy name of Jesus, I reject the evil spirits of [name the temptation]. I reject them; I renounce them; I rebuke them. In Jesus' holy name, I cast them out!" I have personally found it helpful. I suspect others would as well.

["St. Michael Fighting Demons," by Master of the Legend of Saint Ursula (Bruges), 1480-1500] One of our exorcists shared a recent experience: "Last night, a feeling of depression and hopelessness came over me. I was hardly aware of it in the beginning; it started subtly. Eventually, I found myself in the middle of a dark despair. I felt enervated and done in. This is surprising for me because I really don't have a history of depression." He went on, "I finally recognized it as a possible demonic obsession and commanded the evil spirits of depression to leave. After a few deliverance prayers, the evil mood lifted." Once a month St. Michael Center offers a live online deliverance session. These sessions are much appreciated with several thousand attending. After the sessions, we typically receive scores of email testimonies of healings, thanks be to God. One of the most common experiences is the lifting of a depressed or anxious mood. For example, here are some excerpts: *I started with anxiety, worry and depression. I feel peace now. Thank you! *Very uplifting. I am more joyful. Less oppression. Thank you. *I felt relief and gratitude for this session. I've been suffering from great anxiety and anger issues. Thank you. *My body felt like I'm carrying a heavy boulder on my shoulders. After the session, I felt light, like the boulder was removed. *During the session I felt such energy and renewal as though a kind of electricity was passing through my body. Presently I am witnessing energy like never before. Thank you." *I felt a loosening of the bondages of depression ... and divisions within our family. Thank you! *I experienced an inner joy and peace and hope. A knowledge that Jesus has freed me of my scruples, anxiety and sadness and He is looking upon me with love." Most of the time, feelings of depression and anxiety have psychological roots and need to be treated on the natural level. But our experience suggests that demonic obsessions accompanied by feelings of depression, anxiety and despair are more common than we realize. Four signs that the mood has demonic roots are: (1) it being out of character for the individual, (2) it begins and ends without a natural trigger, (3) it is unusually intense, and (4) it responds to prayer.... In these cases, medications and psychotherapy might have some limited effect but ultimately are not fully successful. Only prayer and a spiritual healing will lift it. In more resistant cases, afflicted people may have a combination of psychological pathology and a demonic obsession. Satan is an opportunist and takes advantage of our psychological weaknesses. He will exaggerate the natural dynamics and torment the soul with an intense depressive and/or anxious mood. These folks need both natural healing remedies such as psychotherapy and medications, plus a healing spiritual regimen. The exorcist then said: "My experience reminded me of my new client who also suffers from intense demonic obsessions with depression, despair and suicidal thoughts." (This exorcist has a spiritual history of being a burden bearer.) He went on, "Perhaps my experience was God's way of allowing me to help by carrying a little bit of her burden. I pray for her every day."

[St. Agape and her two sisters] "K" was possessed. She was consecrated to the Evil One by her biological parents: one was a witch and the other a Satanist. Her upbringing was brutal including a drug habit foisted upon her by her mother and repeated rapes by men. Both biological parents died young. K was, by the grace of God, eventually adopted by a good man who was a devout Catholic. After introducing her to Catholic sacraments and sacramentals, and witnessing her symptoms, he realized that she was possessed. He brought her to an exorcist. In the process of liberation, the team was surprised when K said that a being named "Agape" appeared and was helping her. K did not know who Agape was, nor did most of the team. K thought that she was an angel; when she appeared, she was surrounded by a great light. Only after she identified herself as "Agape" did K realize the person was human. After hearing K's description of Agape and doing some research, the team realized she was describing Saint Agape- the 4th century virgin and martyr. St. Agape was also orphaned at a young age. She and her two sisters led pious chaste lives under the direction of the priest Xeno. They rejected several offers of marriage as well as indecent advances by men. They were martyred for the faith under the Emperor Diocletian. K suffers from demonic physical assaults as well as repeated sexual advances by men, many of whom are demonically inspired. These men are unwitting minions of Satan trying to sexually assault and/or seduce her, including tempting her with illicit drugs. In moments of overwhelming temptation and demonic assault, Agape shows up and whispers special messages of grace into K's ears. When St. Agape shows up, she often sees the demons depart. Saint Agape is the perfect saint and intercessor for K, given both of their histories. K is the target of intense demonic assaults. The presence and intercession of St. Agape is much, much needed. We thank God for her. Many times we nurture a devotion to a particular saint, thinking we have chosen the saint. It may be the other way around. Maybe, by the grace of God, a particular saint is chosen for us. In the future, when we begin our exorcism sessions, or simply begin our daily lives, perhaps we ought to begin by asking God which saint is chosen for us.

["St. Catherine of Siena beseiged by demons," detail, unknown artist] It was a rough case for sure, but much progress was being made. Several team members of laity and priests were present for the sessions. For this session, the afflicted person’s priest-spiritual director was also present, which we encourage. It was his first participation in a solemn exorcism of a possessed person. For solemn exorcisms especially, we carefully screen who is in the room. We admit only mature Catholics who are strong in faith with a recognized calling for this ministry. Still, the first session can be a bit overwhelming, especially when there is a strong manifestation of the Evil One. Nothing can really prepare you to look into the face of complete Evil. Ugh. When the lengthy session ended, the Exorcist, as always, prayed the cleansing and protection prayers. Then the team adjourned to the next room to meet and recap. The priest-spiritual director was present as well. At one point, the priest tried to speak but kept messing up his words. He said he couldn’t think straight and had problems talking coherently. He was confused and added, “I can’t understand why my brain is not working.” The Exorcist asked him about his symptoms in more depth. He concluded, “It sounds like you've been ‘slimed’" (borrowing a popular movie expression). The Exorcist reminded him of a movie scene when an evil presence went through a person leaving behind a slimy residue which mentally disoriented him. “Yeah,” the priest said, “It kinda felt like that.” So the Exorcist did another round of cleansing prayers for him and the entire team. These “prayers for protection” and the “cleansing prayers” at the beginning and end of an exorcism session are important and largely effective.* But in tough cases, some demonic effects can break through. At these times, a second round of cleansing is needed. As an exorcism team, we endeavor to practice our ministry with integrity. We are obedient to all the Church teaches and to our ecclesiastical superiors. It is important for us to "stay under the umbrella" of the Church's protection. We willingly do so. Nevertheless, in particularly difficult cases, we can get "slimed" and have some passing, limited demonic symptoms. We take it as a small price for being involved in this ministry. And we pray that our little sacrifices are an additional grace to the suffering people who come to us for help. Our hearts go out to them and we pray for their swift deliverance. *Protection, binding and cleansing prayers can all be found on our app: "Catholic Exorcism" or on our website: www.catholicexorcism.org.

[ "The Exorcism of the Garasenes Demoniac", Sebastian Bourdon, 1653] "Sarah's" mother was a high-ranking satanic priestess who introduced her daughter to the practice of witchcraft when she was very young. Sarah said each week six witches gathered to curse priests and the bishops by name. They sat around an effigy of the priest and ritually cursed him. She added that there were many covens in her area and all were weekly cursing different priests. In her 20's, Sarah had been practicing witchcraft for twenty years and it was taking its toll. She couldn't sleep. She had horrible dreams. She had no energy. She was mentally and emotionally a wreck. She wanted out and sought help from a priest exorcist. He welcomed her and prayed over her weekly for a year. It turns out she had been fully possessed but, finally, she was freed. While practicing witchcraft, Sarah did not realize that the person who was first and foremost cursed by her rituals was herself. She did not know that their "powers" really came from the actions of demons. She unwittingly had been a servant of Satan. Upon liberation, she was very grateful to God for freeing her. The Exorcist shared that one of the most powerful interventions during the sessions was the rosary. He said, "It was like throwing petrol on a fire"-- the demons howled in agony. Likely the Virgin Mother's holiness, as the perfect woman and mother, was particularly odious to those demons who promoted a distorted and evil image of both. Priests (or anyone) living a solid Christian life of sacraments and virtue are largely protected from the curse of a witch, although some harassment is possible. We exorcists just assume we are being regularly cursed. If one steps out from under the Church's protection and/or strays into sin, the curses can more easily take root and cause havoc. The number of people practicing witchcraft in our country is rising exponentially. The number of priests is dropping. There are spiritually difficult times ahead. But, in the final analysis, all the witches in the world are powerless in the presence of Christ.

["St. Michael and the Dragon," Antonio del Pollaiolo, c. 1460-1470] I strongly encourage those afflicted by demons to regularly attend Mass. But I know that it is difficult for them, especially for the fully possessed. When someone is possessed, there is a kind of interpenetration of the bodies of the possessed with demons. Thus, the possessed will often feel some of what the demons feel. So their lives will, at times, be a living hell-- literally. For example, when placed in contact with anything holy, the possessed will typically say they feel excruciating pain. They will say that cold holy water burns. When looking at a crucifix, their eyes will feel like they are on "fire." When encountering a priest or a Catholic Church, they may feel intense hatred. I asked "David," who formerly belonged to a Satanic cult and is now possessed, to do his best to attend Sunday Mass. He valiantly tries but has only managed to attend once every few months, if that. He said that when he is able to attend, "I can't say the prayers while I'm there or respond to them like everyone else does." David added, "It's torture to be there, with all of the statues, and pictures that surround me." He went on, "All of the people and the priest praying is such a loud noise that it makes me so angry." And he concluded, "When they say the St. Michael prayer, I can hear the demons screaming. It's so horrible and frightening and painful." I love the Church's sacramentals. They inspire and strengthen us. But they also serve an important apotropaic function: they are abhorrent to demons and help to cast them out. I noted especially David's comment about the St. Michael prayer: it frightens demons, causes them intense pain, and they scream in agony. I will be more diligent in using this prayer in our future exorcism sessions.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/sZyojGH31U0) There is something fundamentally wrong in this country. In a nation with such abundance and blessings, the incidence of senseless gun violence against innocent people, including our children, is rising rapidly. For 2021, the FBI identified 61 such incidents of mass shootings, which is an increase of 52.5% from the year before and more than one per week. 2022 is shaping up to be even worse. Last weekend alone there were 13 mass shootings in the U.S. recorded from Friday evening through Sunday. In 2020, guns surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for children 19 years old or under. It seems that the United States is "cursed" and it is getting worse. Stepping back, one can see an obsession with gun violence in our nation. Hollywood's products are replete with such violence. Video games are full of guns and shootings. Our culture is bathed in violent images. Last weekend, a 12-year-old boy robbed a gas station at gunpoint. Where did he learn such behavior? Some question why our nation needs 393,000,000 civilian held weapons which is more than one per person and far and away the highest per capita anywhere in the world. U.S. citizens own 46% of the world's civilian held guns. We are a nation obsessed. It is not my place to weigh in on the political or social roots of the mounting human tragedy related to gun violence. That is something for secular experts. But I add something on its possible spiritual roots. I said that we are "cursed" with gun violence, using the word in a colloquial sense. But does it apply in a more literal sense, i.e., are there evil spirits at work in our nation related to gun violence? In a recent scholarly book on diabolic influence, an experienced exorcist speculated that there could be "national generational spirits" that negatively affect a country. These evil spirits might be the result of the sins of the founding ancestors of a nation or subsequent national sins. Particular kinds of demons, based upon the sins committed, can thus influence and infect the consciousness of a nation. Are we afflicted by evil spirits of gun violence and death? If so, perhaps it is because we are a nation founded on a violent revolution. Or perhaps it is because of our bloody civil war, which accounts for more U.S. deaths than all our other wars combined until Vietnam. Or perhaps it has something to do with the extensive involvement of our leaders with freemasonry (see Diary #191) and related generational spirits of death. Or maybe it is a combination of all these things and more. As to why it is surfacing in modern times, perhaps the declining practice of the Faith and the rise of the occult has dropped our spiritual defenses and made us more vulnerable to demonic influence. If we are afflicted by generational spirits, it would help to account for our national blindness to the extent of the problem and our vulnerability to such evil acts. The hidden presence of demons can blind human awareness. However, this does not excuse us from taking responsibility for the problem and fixing it. I leave the important and concrete necessary changes to the secular experts and our leaders. May the Holy Spirit guide them! But I offer the beginnings of a spiritual solution as well. As an exorcist, I will begin to pray regularly to lift any generational spirits of death, murder, and gun violence, and I encourage other priests to do the same. Also, I composed the following prayer which I hope that many of the laity would feel able and willing to pray: A Prayer to Cast Out Generational Spirits of Gun Violence Heavenly Father, we need your help. Our nation is wracked with gun violence, homicide and death. Innocent people are dying. Our children, whom You and we love so dearly, are at risk and many have tragically died. We pray that You would lift any curses and cast out any generational spirits of death, murder and gun violence, and any related evil spirits. We forgive all our ancestors for the effects of their sins on us and our children. We confess and renounce our own sins. Forgive especially the sins of hatred, violence and murder. We renounce Satan and every evil power affecting this nation and our loved ones. We pray that You would restore the peace and tranquility of this land so that we might be one nation under God, united in love. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The Praying Nun, 1829, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, German) The local priest-exorcist received an urgent call from the Convent. That morning the Sisters woke up and went down to their chapel. They found their wood tabernacle upside down on the floor and the Eucharist still in its monstrance standing upright next to it. The Sisters were spooked. The doors to their Convent had been securely locked the night before and were still solidly locked in the morning. Moreover, the handful of Sisters, all strong in the faith, were not awakened to any sounds through the night. The tabernacle had been bolted to the table and its base was now split in two. To split the base of the tabernacle and take it off the table could not have been done quietly. It would have required it being forcibly yanked from its base. In short, what occurred was not humanly possible on several accounts, as the Exorcist quickly surmised. If the attack was demonic, and all signs pointed to it, why did the demons single out the convent? The Sisters live a short distance from the State Capitol and not far from an abortion clinic. They are a quiet contemplative presence and clearly pro-life, participating in local pro-life events. In the wake of the potential overturning of Roe vs. Wade, there have lately been a number of abortion advocates in front of the Capitol protesting. Are such demonstrations an opening to the demonic? Satan choosing to harass these Sisters in such an obvious way tells us several things: *The possibility of Roe vs. Wade being overturned is a huge threat to Satan's dark kingdom. He uncharacteristically broke out of hiding to visibly threaten the Sisters. He must be desperate. *The Evil One recognizes the power of the Sisters' prayer and witness, and believes it is essential to stop them in order to accomplish his goals. Perhaps it is such prayer, as much as anything, that is turning the tide. *While God allowed Satan to break their tabernacle, He did not allow Satan to touch or desecrate the Eucharist. It remained intact and upright in the monstrance. Jesus is Lord! The Exorcist first cleansed their chapel and house, using the Leo XIII deliverance prayers found in the ritual for exorcists. Then he said to them, "These are just demonic antics. Don't let them frighten you. That is Satan's goal: to frighten you into backing off. Rather, it suggests that whatever you are doing is spiritually important and you ought to do more of it! Satan's harassment is a confirmation of you and the importance of your life." Everything Satan does, much to his dismay and rage, witnesses to the Truth and redounds to his own destruction. For the Kingdom of God to triumph, it only takes a few faithful hearts dedicated to prayer and united in the Eucharistic Lord.

("An Angel Comforting Jesus Before his Arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane," Carl Heinrich Bloch, c. 1870) The 18-year-old young man, Salvador Ramos, who entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas and open fired with an AR-15 style rifle killing 19 students and 2 teachers plus wounding many others, was certainly engaged in a most evil act. All such evil ultimately finds its roots in Satan's dark kingdom. But, as I was recently asked, was he possessed by demons? To date, news accounts have not given any indication of previous symptoms of possession, or even any diagnosable mental illness. His grandfather reported not being aware of any previous serious distress in his grandson, nor did the young man have any reported criminal history. However, there was a constellation of dynamics in the shooter's life that made him at significant risk for such violent behavior. There is a FBI generated clinical syndrome of a "School Shooter." The Uvalde shooter had many of these: *Isolation. Ramos was said to have no friends and called a loner. At work, he intentionally kept to himself. *Distressed family environment. Ramos lived with his grandparents. There were reportedly emotional blowups with him screaming in anger at his mother and the police being called. The father was largely an absent figure in recent years. There was no mention of Salvador Ramos attending church, or any social or religious events. *Low self-esteem. Ramos suffered from a serious stutter and strong lisp. He was on the verge of not graduating with his class, an additional blow to his self-esteem and a source of conflict with his grandmother whom he shot. His failure to graduate may have been the precipitating event for his violence. *Feelings of victimization. Some reports said that Ramos was repeatedly bullied by his classmates. Others report that he was the bully. Perhaps it was a bit of both. No doubt he was isolated from other students. This further damaged his self-esteem. *Inner anger/rage coupled with feelings of powerlessness. Undoubtedly, he had a growing inner anger and rage. He was said to have "anger issues." His likely feelings of powerlessness to deal with this rage thus bottled it up and seethed in his isolation. *Inner distress expressed via externalized violence. Ramos' only way of dealing with this inner turmoil was with externalized violence. He carried boxing gloves with him and was often involved in fistfights with other students. *Narcissism, lacking in empathy, and self-focused. His facebook posts reveal a kind of narcissism and self-focus. He boasted of coming violent acts. Previously, he harassed other employees with the query, "Do you know who I am?" His violent rampage at the school would garner him international "recognition," albeit only as an agent of evil. *Leakage. As part of his narcissism and desire for public notoriety, he posted, "I shot my grandmother" and "I am going to shoot an elementary school." There were previous social media posts by Ramos which in retrospect are alarming previews of his future violence. More than two months prior, on social media, he discussed being a school shooter. This was not an impulsive outburst of violence but a planned event preceded by a purchasing of two semi-automatic weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and an armored vest. We see common characteristics of school shooters and lone wolf terrorists in Salvador Ramos. This profile is also typical of what we, in our deliverance ministry, call: "demon brain." Demons are similarly angry, violent, rageful, feel victimized, isolated, and are hugely narcissistic, lacking empathy. Ramos is reported to have started wearing all black and using black eyeliner. While we cannot blame every evil act on demons, one senses their footprints in this incident and in the perpetrator. There are many people in this world who are victimized and do not end up shooting innocent school children. This act was pure evil, as many have characterized it. At the very least, Satan was certainly whispering in the shooter's "ear," tempting him to such an evil act, as he tries to do to some degree in all of us. But in Ramos' case, Satan likely had a stronger foothold, given his underlying dysfunctional "demon brain" dynamics. Ramos was a more vulnerable target for the Evil One's influence. It is very possible that he was demonically "obsessed" and thus Satan would have a stronger sway over him. Satan then fills the mind with evil thoughts. Finally, as Ramos committed himself to the act of murder, he may even have become possessed. At one point, in the process of killing the children, he is chillingly reported to have said, "It's time to die!" This moment might remind one of Judas at the Last Supper. "After he took the morsel, Satan entered him." (Jn 13:27). Judas' final commitment to betraying Jesus and acting upon it resulted in Satan "entering" into him. These reflections remain speculation, based upon media accounts to date, subject to revision. But we should not underestimate the battleground of spiritual warfare upon which we are all engaged. Moreover, we ought not to give fertile ground for the Evil One to gain a foothold. Had Salvador Ramos been identified much earlier as a person of risk and proper therapeutic and spiritual remedies applied, this tragedy might possibly have been averted. According to FBI statistics, such incidents of violence and terrorism are rising rapidly in our country. Moreover, there are increasing feelings of isolation- especially among the young, a breakdown of the nuclear family, rising teen suicide rates, and a sharp decline in the practice of the Christian faith. As these trends continue, it is likely that such outbreaks and violence will continue on the same rising trajectory. How might we respond? Implement the many necessary changes in our schools and society suggested by health care and law enforcement experts. Build a psychologically and spiritually healthier family, community, and country. Most importantly: pray - pray - pray. We are fighting for the soul of this nation. Never underestimate the importance of a simple prayer. It is the Spirit of God who inspires our prayer and it is God himself who will bring it to fruition. And in Him, we might find some consolation in the midst of this horrible tragedy.

"Capitol Cornerstone Ceremony, 1793" by Allyn Cox It is no secret that the U.S. Capitol building was dedicated in a masonic ceremony by our first president, George Washington. One can see today the stone in the Capitol building commemorating this event. It reads: "Laid Masonically Sept 17, 1932 in Commemoration of the Laying of the Original Corner Stone by George Washington." The U.S. Capitol building formerly housed the Supreme Court which is now located across the street. Many of America's most important civic leaders have been freemasons including fourteen U.S. presidents and five Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. For individuals with a family history of freemasonry, our team has been a bit surprised at the extent of spiritual problems they experience as a result. These individuals not uncommonly have a repeating generational history of similar dysfunctions. For some, it is the presence of a spirit of death. These families may have an abnormal generational history of suicides, homicides, early deaths, miscarriages and/or abortions. The experience of exorcists is that individuals can be negatively affected by a generational history of freemasonry. But how about a nation? Our nation's leadership has been strongly influenced by this organization, which has been condemned by at least eight Popes. As recent as 1983, the Holy See has said that the principles of Masonic organizations remain "irreconciliable" with the teachings of the Church and membership is forbidden. Could it be that we, as a nation, are tainted by such a history? Since Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been many millions of abortions. In response to the leaked Supreme Court document likely overturning Roe vs. Wade, some are advocating a "summer of rage" and others are targeting the Catholic Church. From an exorcist's perspective, these attitudes are reminiscent of the Evil One. On our website, www.catholicexorcism.org, there are prayers for individuals to break Masonic curses. There is now a video for lifting Masonic curses on our website including a priest ratifying the prayer at the end. But how about for a nation? I plan to pray these prayers to lift these curses from our nation. Perhaps other priests will do so as well. In the wake of all that is taking place, our response must be fully Christian. In response to rage, we offer peace. In response to persecution, we forgive. In response to death, we promote love, reconciliation and unity, which are constitutive of a culture of life.

The exorcism sessions were intense, but God bless the young afflicted woman who turned out to be a real spiritual warrior. She had, through no apparent fault of her own, generational evil spirits including freemasonry from the family line. She was determined to follow a religious vocation and the demons were having none of it. The battle ensued. She held up her end with valor. Much initial progress had been made, although the intensive sessions took a toll on everyone present. At one point, an attending priest took out a relic of Fr. Michael McGivney, recently beatified founder of the Knights of Columbus, and handed it to the Exorcist. Interestingly, Fr. McGivney originally founded the charitable Knights of Columbus partly as a Catholic alternative to the lure of the secretive, cultic Freemasons. The Exorcist took the relic and said, "Through the intercession of Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney, I command the demons to leave!" The young woman said she heard the demons mocking him, "That country priest, are you kidding me!?" (Exorcists recognize in demons' mocking behavior often their underlying terror of what is to come.) Then the Exorcist said, "I ask the Lord to manifest the sanctity of Michael McGivney through the pain the demons endure." The demons let out a blood-curdling scream. More so than during the previous prayers, these screams were louder and tinged with desperation. It was clear to everyone in the room that something important was happening. The relic was then placed on the crown of the afflicted woman's head and the demons let out another blood-curdling scream. As the same time, the attending priest read the "Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Michael McGivney." Each time the relic touched her body, she writhed and screamed. The Exorcist again commanded the demons to leave through the intercession of Fr. McGivney. She convulsed and started to cough up a white frothy foam- typical in an exorcism especially as demons begin to leave. Then the writhing and screams stopped. The woman came back to herself and was at peace. It was clear that a number of the demons had just departed. The exorcism was moving forward but when Fr. McGivney was invoked, it was taken to a new level. Upon reflection, we were not surprised that Fr. McGivney was so effective against demons of freemasonry, since he had dedicated his life to an alternative: the Knights of Columbus. Moreover, the reactions of the demons confirmed our own conviction of the sanctity of Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney. We will certainly invoke this holy priest's intercession in future exorcisms, especially when the demons of freemasonry are involved.