A few recent articles have gone too far and have revealed the identity of the possessed boy. There will be nothing of that here. Indeed, I wrote one so-called investigative journalist and pleaded with him to remove the name from his article reprinted to the World Wide Web. If this man wanted to be known, he himself would have told his story. Past journalists and authors had the information at hand, but they were true gentlemen and respected the rights of personal privacy. The Church has also kept the record secret. The Jesuits spoke and the journal kept has come to light. This rendition is based upon that journal and the recollections of the server involved with the Washington exorcism effort.
The News Breaks
The Washington Post article in 1949 proclaims, “Priest Frees 14-Year-Old Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” Almost immediately the story was picked up by the other news services and magazines. Who would think that such a thing could still happen, and in all places, modern-day America? The story has been told and retold.
Unable to get access to archdiocesan records, William Peter Blatty produced his fictionalized account that resulted in a blockbuster movie of 1974. One priest lamented at the time, “It is tragic that the devil should prove so popular with people when they seem so disinterested in God.” The conclusion of the film was most lamentable in that the young priest exchanges his body for that of the child as a host to the demon and then throws himself from the window. If the story had been true, one could logically contend that the devil was really after the priest the entire time. In other words, the devil actually won and the rituals and intercession of the Catholic Church were proven impotent. Fortunately, such portrayals are restricted to the movies and the real story shows that the power of Christ and of his Church can still vanquish the demonic.
How It Really Started
Unlike the movie, the story surrounded a young boy who was born June 1, 1935. He and his parents lived just outside Washington, D.C. in Cottage City, not far from Mount Rainier, Maryland. (Some sources claim a popular Mount Ranier location as the site of the boy’s home. The house at this location has been torn down and a dance studio is now on the site. The diary gives the Cottage City location, instead. I do not feel it appropriate to give the full address. However, since Catholics in the past identified themselves by their parishes, we might still regard this as the Mount Ranier Case. The boy converted to the Catholic faith and claimed St. James Parish as his own in Mount Ranier.) The first signs of trouble started on January 15, 1949. He was thirteen years old. While his parents were out that evening, he and his grandmother heard a dripping sound in the house. It only lasted for a brief period and then a picture of Jesus on the wall began to shake as if something had bumped into it. When his parents had returned home, a definite scratching noise could be heard under the floorboards next to his grandmother’s bed. This sound of scratching was repeated each night from about 7:00 PM until midnight. Logically, the family figured that there must be a rodent problem. An exterminator was called. However, despite taking up the floorboards and wall panels to spread poison, the sound did not cease. Indeed, the disturbing noises became worse.
Some ten days afterwards the noises ceased and all believed the rodent to be dead. Nevertheless, the boy was under the impression that he could still hear the scratching noises. Three days later the sound became audible to the rest of the family again.
The exorcist writes:
“When the sound became audible again, it was no longer in the upstairs bedroom but had moved downstairs to the boy’s bedroom. It was heard as the sound of squeaking shoes along the bed and was heard only at night when the boy went to bed. The squeaking sound continued for six nights, on the sixth night scratching again was audible.”
It appears that the invitation for this spiritual invasion was inadvertently initiated through a favorite aunt of the boy. She had died in St. Louis two weeks prior to the first registered phenomena.
“It developed that the aunt of the boy and his parents had used a Ouija board, and this probably gave the devil his first entrance.”
Many religious authorities are convinced that such a so-called toy actually offers an invitation to evil spirits. Aunt Tillie had been an enthusiast of spiritualism. Suspecting something supernatural in the sound of marching feet, the boy’s mother asked (according to the exorcist’s journal):
“‘Is that you Aunt Tillie?’ She obtained no verbal reply and continued: (evidently aware of the methods employed by spiritualists) ‘If this is you, knock three times.’ There were waves of air striking the grandmother, mother and boy, and three distinct knocks were heard on the floor. The mother asked again: ‘If you are Tillie, tell me positively by knocking four times.’ Four distinct knocks were heard.”
As time went by, it became evident that strange occurrences and sounds seemed to follow the boy.
“An orange and a pear flew across the entire room where he was standing.”
“The kitchen table was upset without any movement on the boy’s part.”
“Milk and food were thrown off the table and stove.”
“The breadboard was thrown onto the floor.”
“Outside the kitchen a coat on its hanger flew across the room.”
“A Bible was thrown directly at the foot of the boy but did not injure him in any way.”
“His desk at school moved about on the floor similar to the planchette on an Ouija board.” (This latter evidence of telekinesis forced the boy to quit school because of embarrassment.)
Things became increasingly worse at home.
“On one occasion the coverlet of the bed was pulled out from under the mattress and the edges stood up above the surface of the bed in a curled form as though held up with starch. When the bystanders touched the bedspread, the sides fell back to normal position.”
It was also stated that “At first everybody, including the boy, took it as a kind of joke, but it became more than a joke.” Soon thereafter, “the word LOUIS was written in deep red on the boy’s ribs,” seeming to indicate that some invisible force desired that the boy travel to St. Louis where his favorite aunt lived.
The Lutheran Minister
His mother called a minister of her faith, a local Lutheran pastor. He was dubious about the whole matter. Although suspicious of the chest message, written upside down as if self-inflicted, he requested that the family come to his home. What happened next struck him as defying any natural explanation. His offer to keep the boy over at his home was accepted. It was the 17th of February in 1949. At about 10:00 PM, they decided to go to bed. The room contained twin beds. After about ten minutes, the boy’s bed began to vibrate. The headboard was banging against the frame.
The minister reported:
“It made a lot of racket. I thought he was shaking it but he was making no visible movement.”
Seeking a practical remedy to the situation, he placed the boy in a large overstuffed chair and sat beside him. Slowly the chair began to tilt upon its side and the minister had to grab it before it fell over. The good pastor insisted that there was no way the boy could be pushing the chair over since his legs were thoroughly tucked beneath him. He then placed the boy on a scatter rug upon the floor. Certainly, this would resolve the matter for the night. But no, the rug “moved slowly until it got to the wall and then it stopped.” The poor clergyman was utterly befuddled.
“I remember thinking he must be doing it himself but I realized later that would have been impossible. There was no movement of his body.”
The boy was delivered home the next day. Because of his Protestant theology, the minister sought a natural explanation. Unable to come up with one, he categorized the whole incident under unknown forces.
From Shrink to Witchdoctor to Priest
A psychiatrist from Georgetown University was called in but refusing to believe in the phenomena he simply reported that the boy was normal but “somewhat high-strung.” The family complicated matters further by calling a spiritualist. However, his incantations for dispelling spirits failed. Indeed, the situation became graver.
Having a relative married to a Catholic, the boy’s mother described the situation to him. His response was “If what you say is true, then you should consult a priest.” The family called the nearby parish, St. James Catholic Church. The boy’s father made an appointment to talk to one of the priests. The clergyman gave him various sacramentals: holy water, blessed candles, and some recommended prayers.
“Once when the mother had sprinkled the holy water around the room, she placed the bottle on a dresser and it was picked up by the spirit and smashed. When one of the candles was lighted, the flame shot up to the ceiling, and the candle was extinguished for fear that the house might be set on fire.”
The suggested prayers seemed to make the phenomena worse. Deciding to call back the priest, the clergyman heard a great crashing sound. The mother of the boy told him that the telephone table she was using had broken into a hundred pieces.
This anxious situation refused to end and matters grew tenser. The priest, Fr. E. Albert Hughes, went to the chancellor of the archdiocese. He was warned to move slowly and not to leap to rash judgments. The young priest explained that he had done as much. After a meeting with the archbishop, Most Reverend Patrick A. O’Boyle, he was authorized to initiate the exorcisms. Fr. Hughes resisted, hoping that an older and more experienced man might be chosen instead.
He “understood that this should be done by a very holy man because the devil is wont to expose the sins of the priest; so the Father went to Baltimore and made a general confession. But the devil is the father of lies, and there is a theological opinion that he is unable to reveal sins that have been forgiven.”
The archbishop insisted, the young priest had to offer the ritual. It would prove a terrible miscalculation. Between February 27 and March 4, the boy was moved to Georgetown University Hospital. A young man and altar server (George Chapman) who was known for his abilities in high school football was drafted by the priest to assist him. This young man grew up and became a leader in the local Knights of Columbus. A good friend, he passed away on January 9, 2009. He told me that he had a terrible struggle to hold the possessed boy down. The boy could spit across the room with deadly accuracy. George said the saliva was like acid and he saw it literally dissolve the priest’s book. At one point George lost his patience and even lightly slugged the other boy to keep him under control. He saw himself as the popular priest’s body guard. The priest made him go to confession and pledged him not to tell his mother and friends the details of the encounters. They tied the hands and feet of the boy to the bedposts. He reacted violently to the ritual. Loose items in the room crashed to the floor. The bed shook uncontrollably. Strenuously the large server sought to hold the bed down. The victim was a small boy and yet he possessed incredible strength. The priest warned his young assistant not to enter into dialogue with the boy, only to give the required responses to the ritual words of the priest. Strange words came forth from the restrained boy, supposedly Aramaic, a form of ancient Hebrew. Previously the boy had taunted the priest in Latin. Objects were thrown around the room. The boy growled like an inhuman animal. Then it happened. Somehow the boy had gotten a hand free of the restraints. He secretly tore through the heavy mattress and ripped out a metal spring. The server responded to the words uttered by Fr. Hughes in the ritual. At the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, the boy attacked the priest and tore a gash into the cleric’s arm from his shoulder to his wrist. Blood exploded over everything! The ritual prayer book was caked in the priest’s blood! He screamed out! The exorcism had ended in failure. The priest’s life was saved by the doctors and his arm had a long track of a hundred plus stitches. He would have lingering problems with the arm and it would visibly drag at the consecration during Masses.
As an interesting aside, the young server in this episode was struck in the eye by the afflicted boy. He would develop a black eye and it was joked that maybe the priest had socked him. When the priest mysteriously left the parish, only he knew the true reason. The good priest would need to recuperate from his terrible encounter and injury. After this event, colleagues of the priest say that Fr. Hughes was never quite the same. He became quieter. He was intensely reserved about what had happened. One remarked that it was as if he was a haunted man. He died in 1980.
The sources are clear about this next point.
“Up to this time everything had been obsession, that is, exterior to the boy, but as soon as the exorcisms began, real possession began.”
They Go to Saint Louis
The boy expressed a desire to go to St. Louis, and since they had relatives they could visit there, the family left with the hope of leaving their troubles behind them. Unfortunately, the problem with the boy did not improve.
“Different displays were witnessed by two aunts of the boy, four uncles and four cousins. The printing ‘No School’ was seen by four people. The swaying of the mattress, the upsetting of bedroom furniture and the scratching on the mattress were observed by the entire group . . . Phenomena indicated that the spirit was not the devil but the soul of deceased Tillie. The spirit confirmed again to all present that she was Tillie by moving a heavy bed two or three feet with not one of the bystanders near the bed.”
Again a priest was consulted from the closest Catholic parish. Fr. Raymond J. Bishop, S.J., a teacher at the university came to the house on March 9.
He “blessed the entire house, and used a special blessing in the boy’s room and on his bed. A second-class relic of St. Margaret Mary was safety-pinned to the extreme border of the pillow. Shortly after the boy retired, the mattress on his bed began to move back and forth in the direction of the bed uprights. The boy lay perfectly still, and did not exert any physical effort. The movement in one direction did not exceed more than three inches; the action was intermittent and completely subsided after a period of approximately fifteen minutes.”
The next day, similar things happened. The relic was thrown to the floor.
“The safety pin was open but no human hand had touched the relic. The boy started up in fright when the relic was thrown down.”
Exorcism & Baptism
The next day, Friday, March 11, the priest who would perform the exorcisms visited the family. Fr. Bishop had in turn contacted Fr. William S. Bowdern, S.J. from St. Francis Xavier Church. He was shaken by what he observed. He brought additional relics and a crucifix.
“Shortly after the boy had retired at 11:00 PM, he called downstairs that he had been frightened by a strong force that had thrown some object against the mirror in his bedroom. With safety pin opened, the relic of St. Margaret Mary had been thrown against the mirror and the sound was like a pellet striking the glass. Another occurrence was a cross mark scratched on the boy’s left, outer forearm. The pain was similar to that produced by a scratch of a thorn. The cross remained evident for approximately forty-five minutes.”
The family telephoned the priest in Washington, and after a few days, the priest in St. Louis brought the case to his archbishop (Archbishop Ritter) and was authorized to continue with the exorcisms.
Artist’s Conception of Devil as the Beast
The symptoms of possession seemed to get worse and not better with the new exorcism attempts beginning on March 16.
“The seizures took place in the evening when the boy went to bed and would last from 8:00 to 12 Midnight or 1:00 AM, intermittently, and then the boy would go off into a perfectly normal sleep for nine or ten hours.”
It was decided a few days later to recite the prayers earlier so that everyone could get more sleep. Nevertheless, the seizures were unabated and started about 9:00 at night and lasted until 2:00 or 3:00 AM.
Sometimes as many as ten people were required to hold the boy during seizures. He would tear the sheets and pillows to shreds, as well as the shirts and undershirts of those who restrained him. He was utterly wild, hitting and kicking. He even broke the nose of one of the assisting Jesuit students. One incident had him scratching the exorcist’s arm so badly that he could not lift it for a number of days.
“Coming out of a seizure he would complain of feeling very hot and would ask for a glass of water. After one of the seizures in the beginning, he said that the evil spirit seems to carry him down into a pit about two hundred feet deep where there were intense heat and vile evil spirits. In the beginning also he seemed to be in a long, dark cave with a tiny bit of light at the far end; as the exorcism progressed, the lighted end seemed to grow larger and larger, in one of the exorcisms, the spirit, in the body of the boy, pointed to one of the priests who were assisting and said: ‘What is the use of you being here; you will be with me in hell in 1957.’”
A few days passed. The boy asked to be baptized. It should be noted that his father had been baptized a Catholic and that some of his cousins in St. Louis were Catholics. Once consulted, the parents were agreeable. The boy was instructed and preparations were made to baptize him in church.
“On the appointed morning he rose, took a shower, ate his usual breakfast and set out for the church in a car driven by his uncle. Just before reaching the church the boy grabbed his uncle by the neck and said: ‘You S.O.B., you think I am going to be baptized, but you are going to be fooled.’ The uncle was just able to seize the emergency brake and avert a collision by an inch. It was realized that to baptize the boy in the church would create a scene, so he was taken to the third floor of the rectory, which stands in back of the church but faces Lindell Boulevard. Every time he was asked: ‘Do you renounce Satan and all his works?’ he would go into a rage. Only after several hours of repetition was the boy able to reply: ‘I do renounce Satan and all his works.’ Then it required several more hours to get the water poured on the boy’s head.”
After the rite of initiation, things became calm and quiet for a couple days. However, then the demonic business started up again and worse than before. Some of the phenomenon was quite peculiar.
“One was the amount of spittle that the boy could discharge: there would be half-a-pint at one time. At times he would ask for a glass of water and it would be given to him, although it was known what would happen. It would be spat back on the bystanders. While the priest read the exorcisms, two others would hold a towel in front of his face to protect his glasses, but it was useless; the spittle would go under the towel, over the towel or around the towel and strike directly on the priest’s glasses, and the boy’s eyes would be closed the whole time. Another phenomenon was excessive urination. During the seizures the boy would utter the vilest obscenities, curses, blasphemies and ribald songs, all in a high falsetto voice that was off key.”
It is noted that at one stage, the exorcist had to protect himself with a pillow, for the boy’s head moved like a cobra, aiming non-stop with spittle for his face.
First Communion
The exorcist and the family returned to the Washington, D.C. area. The boy’s parents were at wits end and were suffering from sleep deprivation. Fr. Hughes tried to get the boy committed to a sanatorium or hospital in the Washington-Baltimore area, but none would take him. It was decided to take him to the Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis. He was given instructions in preparation for his first communion. The hope was that receiving the Eucharist might bring the possession to an end.
“When the time came, it was impossible to get the Host near his tongue, but finally, after several hours, they succeeded in placing it on his tongue and three times he spat it out. Eventually success was achieved. This was on April 2, the first Saturday of the month, a day dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. The title was explained to the boy and he showed great interest. But the seizures continued.”
“What is Your NAME?”
During the exorcism, the priest asked for the first time its name.
“What is your name and when will you depart?” The response was simply “Shut up, shut up.” Later, “in answer to the question of his name, the words, ‘Hell, Spirit,’ appeared in red letters on the boy’s chest. In reply to the question of departure, red numbers: 4, 8, 10, 16, some Roman numerals appeared on the boy’s body. He said: ‘I will not go until a certain word is pronounced and this boy will never say it.’ There also appeared a red arrow extending from the boy’s throat to the bottom of his abdomen, and it was thought that the spirit might go out by the way of urine, as has happened in some cases.”
An appendage to the diary tells us that “the boy would greet the priests with filthy, foul obscenities, fluently answer the exorcist’s questions in Latin, a language he had never studied.” One day the boy was sitting in bed reading about Our Lady of Fatima with the book on his knees when he was thrown into a seizure. He threw the book across the room. On another occasion, he was given a glass of milk and threw that across the room. On one of the final days, a Jesuit scholastic gave the boy a plate of chipped beef. He grabbed the plate, jumped to one side of the room, and threatened to brain anyone approaching him. While one assistant approached him from one side, the scholastic crawled under the bed to seize him. The boy threw and smashed the dish of food against the wall.
Liberation at Last
Despite hope that the possession would end during Holy Week, it continued through Easter Sunday with particularly violent seizures. The worst day of all was April 18, Easter Monday. The exorcist and his assistants were becoming completely discouraged.
“Suddenly, at 11:00 PM, a new voice was heard from the boy; a beautiful, rich, deep bass voice exclaimed: ‘Satan, Satan, go, now, now, now to the pit where you belong, in the name of DOMINUS (the Lord).’ That was the word and at that moment the boy felt a tearing sensation in his stomach, relaxed and lay perfectly quiet. He described what has happened. He saw a brilliant figure, visible from the waist up, clothed in a close-fitting white garment which had the appearance of scales; the hair was long and flowing in a wind; the right hand held something like a flaming sword or light pointing downward. It was St. Michael the Archangel. When he spoke, the evil spirit rebelled against going until the word ‘Dominus’ was spoken and at this moment the boy felt the tearing sensation in his stomach. Then at some distance down he saw some evil spirits standing at the mouth of a cave from which flames issued. Then the spirits reluctantly withdrew into the cave, the opening closed and across it appeared the word: ‘Spite.’ Thus the possession was ended.”
Closing Remarks
The diary tells us that the exorcist and his assistants “observed some severe fasting, mindful of the admonition of Christ that some devils can be driven out only by prayer and fasting.” There had been at least twenty exorcisms performed. One Jesuit involved remarked: “Only by examining the record after possession was ended, was it possible to see the meaning of the replies (the red marks on the boy’s body). The numbers may have been the days on which certain spirits departed from the boy, if there were actually more than one in his body.”
The Jesuit priest, Fr. Bowdern, passed away in 1983 and his assistant and then scholastic, Fr. Walter Halloran died from cancer March 1, 2005. The young server who tried to help Fr. Hughes desired to remain anonymous while he was alive. An interesting side note, George (the server) told me that when the boy returned to Washington, he could not remember the active possession episodes. The possessed man is still living and there has been no trouble since. He married and had a nice family. Life went on.
A FEW ADDENDUM NEWSPAPER CITATIONS
An aunt of the boy said in a New York Times article from August 1972:
(Upon the boy’s visit to her home) “All of a sudden the mattress starts going, just raised up in the air, and down, up and down, and my sister hollered for me, . . . oh I tell you that mattress just raised both of us right up in the air . . . . I happened to have a table against the wall with a vase of flowers on it and I got out but as my nephew tried to leave, that table actually flew in front of the door and would not let him out . . . .” In the same article it quotes what a Jesuit priest confided to him, “I assure you, Gene — I saw this with my own eyes — the boy did not tear the Ritual book, he dissolved it! The book vaporized into confetti and fell in small pieces to the floor!”
The staff writer Jeremiah O’Leary reported in The Evening Star that the boy spoke an unknown language that sounded similar to Hebrew.
“A professor of Oriental languages from Catholic University was called in and he was shocked to discover the words coming from the boy’s mouth were in Aramaic, the language spoken in Palestine in Jesus’ day.”
RECOMMENDED READING:
Allen, Thomas B. POSSESSED. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
Exploitation & Where Do We Really Find Evil?
After reading the sensational article “Possessed,” by Thomas B. Allen in June 1993’s edition of Washingtonian Magazine, many people were eager to buy the book of the same title released in July of that year. Having read the book, it must be admitted that there are elements to the tale that seem to validate Christian faith in God and in his mercy; however, at the same time I fear that it’s telling will surrender true religion to mockery and to superstition. No suggestion is made in the article and none in the book until the very end, that there might still be more to the story than the supernatural. However, even if it should be the case, books and films tend to give more emphasis to the demonic than to the divine. Producers and writers work ever harder to shock their patrons, an audience made increasingly insensitive to violence and to “things that go bump in the night.” We want to be entertained and producers of horror films and writers know all too well how to excite the masses with fear and gross happenings. Even the 1973 film, The Exorcist, based on William Peter Blatty’s book, opted to highlight vulgar language, Eucharistic desecration, obscene gestures, fanciful special effects, and finally the death and failure of the two priests. I would suspect that the battle between good and evil is more frequently invisible to the movie camera and ignored by novelists seeking to sell books. Indeed, just as the case here began as one of demonic obsession and only later became possession when the exorcisms were attempted; might a heightened concentration upon this issue similarly endanger people? Such worries me in my own retelling, although I offer the corrective that Christ is really the one with all the power. Satan is pathetic by comparison to our Lord. The end of the story, the real story, is what makes a big difference. God’s grace is victorious over sin. Evil is repulsed. Having said this, while it is true that the devil should not become a scapegoat for all human ills, it is almost impossible to believe that he is not involved with the atrocities at home and abroad. In language, popular music, drug experiences, new cult religions, escalating crime, immoral lifestyles, terrorism, wars and genocide, abortion, euthanasia, etc., Satan is exerting an obsessive influence, numbing consciences and helping to distort values.
“Okay, maybe this story should not have been told?”
Sometimes the devil is incredibly subtle; at other times he shocks us by his audacity and malice. If people want to be frightened, then here is the real thing of which to be afraid; but, only if we separate ourselves by sin from Christ and the sacraments. Most of us, probably all of us after the age of reason, are no longer bystanders to the devil’s malevolence, but in every sin, large and small, accomplices. God’s grace can turn this around, if we really want Satan exorcised from our society and world.
Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Recommended Books
An Exorcist Tells His Story by Gabriele Amorth. (Ignatius Press, 1999).
An Exorcist: More Stories by Gabriele Amorth. (Ignatius Press, 2002).
Angels and Demons by Peter J. Kreeft. (Ignatius Press, 1995).
Ghosts and Poltergeists by Herbert Thurston, S.J. (H. Regnery Company, 1954).
Filed under: Catholic, Exorcism, Faith, Sacramentals |
Blogger Priest 
And Father, post something about the case of Anneliese Michel; I hope you get what I mean. I have a lot of questions regarding that.
And one more thing, have you ever had an experience of a real event like this or do you just go with the flow, no offence?
Are you avoiding me father?
Just because I am not a Catholic or so, if yes, then say so.
Or else answer my post, the one which you deleted.
Father,
I am Hindu. But, I believe in all religions. I am in the twelfth standard now and I would like to be your apprentice (successor). Do you have one? I already know many things about this stuff.
There is just one thing I do not understand. How could the devil touch the holy cross or the relic placed by the priest on the boy?
Let me know your answer.
I am all pure and I confess every day, not to Jesus or any Hindu or Muslim god; I confess to the almighty power, god.
To be one of you or to perform an exorcism or to pray to Christ, is it important to be Christian?
You have mentioned somewhere that Christ is the only power; but, what about the religions and beliefs of other people? How can Christ be the ONLY power? I trust him and hope that Christ may forgive me for saying that and for all my sins. But, don’t you think, even to Christ, all people are the same? Is the problem just that people have promoted Christianity in a wrong way?
Hi, Father Joe
Thanks for the very informative article and the bibliographic references.
I notice, however, that you interpret Blatty’s Exorcist story as depicting the priests as having failed. This was not the way I read it at all. My take is that the old priest has the strength of will and personal faith to defeat or expel the demon, but dies of natural causes before he can do so. This suddenly puts the onus of rescuing the girl onto the younger priest. In a very Christ-hearted act of self-sacrifice, he tells the demon to take him in her place. The demon comes into the young priest’s body and throws him out the window to his death. A tragic but by no means ignoble end that to me seems very much in the spirit of Christ, in that he thus delivers her from evil.
Regards,
Papa Jim
Is there any evidence beyond hear-say and dubious written accounts to corroborate this?
Father Joe,
I did not grow up in a religious family; although I often went to church with my neighbors as a kid and have been a beliver most of my life. My question is: I have nightmares all the time. In those dreams I am continually batteling demonic spirits. Then I awake and can feel their presence in my room or home. It had been this way since I was a child. We used to have scary things happen like evil sounding voices echo down the halls or hearing knock and pounding noises. Since moving out of my parents home long ago those kind of activities have stopped but the dreams still occur on a regular basis. Can you maybe tell me if that is something I need to worry about?
I’ve talked with a few demons before. Some of them were mean but a couple others weren’t. It was very interesting to talk to them and hard to not ask them stupid questions.
Hello, I just came across this site and have so far found it immensely interesting. When I was younger, I had an encounter with demons as well. It was not long after my mother passed away, the first time it happened, and it terrified me. It has happened three times so far in my life, once every three years, I found the pattern a while back. It is getting near the three year mark again, and I was wondering if you had any advice on keeping it from happening again. Thank you! Faoiltiarna
Father Joe,
I am neither Catholic nor know your beliefs; however, I do believe in Christ. What has drawn my attention to you, which I found by searching the web, was to find out more information about exorcism.
My 14 year old teen is out of control. She has opened the door for evil to come in by the use of drugs & experimenting with witchcraft— which in turn has brought evil into my home.
I first noticed it when I started having nightmares; but, I would awake and no one was there. Then there were whispers into my ear at the witching hour. My teen has been in and out of mental hospitals. She has been given meds that do not help. She has run away twice. She cusses like a sailor and is very hateful. She openly tells me that she speaks to a demon named Jimmy.
She is headed down the road to hell and dragging us down with her! I’m about to lose my mind! I know what you are thinking, that it is a discipline problem— no, it I way beyond that! I fear now for her soul even though she does not even care for her life!
She is scheduled to go to truancy court soon where she will be sentenced for deliberately skipping school. I do not know what the sentence will be; it could be just house arrest— which will only be more damnation on me!
What would you do or do you have any suggestions?
Truly,
Hopeless
Hi Father Joe, it is Nicklaus again.
All my siblings are Baptist, my mother and stepfather both atheist. I am 17 years old, though I am turning 18 on February 4. I would not consider my stepfather and mother Godly, though they also do not dabble with anything in the occult. Although about two years ago, my brother drew a pentagram in my room to scare me after we watched a movie, and it has since been removed. Can it still have an effect after it has been bleached away? This Sunday I plan to go to a local Catholic church and talk to a Priest, and possibly attend Confession in the near future if I can learn the times it is held… I have gotten many crucifixes since the incident, but I must be forgetful because I keep losing them. I always think I place them on my bedside before I sleep, but my dog must take them because I have lost 4 already. I plan to get my own bible again very soon, and it will be near me at all times.. Any more advice on what to do? Thank you Father Joe.
I believe that evil exists and that exorcisms have a REAL PURPOSE at times. I also have faith that the dark one or the fallen angel is on the losing team and that love and light is ALWAYS stronger. I’m not religious but I think it says in the bible, “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation …Whom Shall I Fear?”
That said I have also read some stories that MAY be the result of people that suffering with delusions, PTSD from accidents or neurological events in the brain. I myself have heard voices and seen things that seemed real till I was diagnosed with a Genetic Brain disease. That does not mean that I don’t believe in spiritual experiences but the #1) rule in the Catholic Church before exorcism is to rule out psychological and biological causes. Do your due diligence BEFORE you convince yourself that you are up at night talking to a demon or one is in your room. Anxiety, Depression and many other diseases and a vivid imagination can create things that MAY BE ILLUSIONS OR DILUSIONS IN THE MIND ?
I would say it’s always good to pray for the truth when you are in the situation. IT’s always good to pray for protection when you are scared. God will reveal the truth and set you free after you keep up your prayers in sincerity. But …..PLEASE…..do NOT BE AFRAID to speak to your doctor, a neurologist or a psychiatrist to rule out psychological or neurological issues. These events can be a blessing that look and feel like a curse.
Dear Father,
I fled home because my evil aunt and her accomplices influenced my parents to put herbs in my food. From the time I ate it, my life has been a tirade of hopelessness, misfortune and struggle to remain in the Lord. I tried talking to priests but they think my problem is psychological. I tried exorcising myself after failing to find a priest willing to do it but my cousin walked into the room whilst I did this and the prayer failed. I have tried novena masses, the rosary…. at this point I seek that God take my life because I feel a force luring me to Pentecostalism and luxuries which are not from the Lord’s hand. Please pray for me for I know now anymore what prayer to say, what to do. I need and ask for wisdom above all else. Thank you. Worse of all, my neighbors are dominantly Pentecostal and each time my prayer life seems to be picking up they do stuff that influences me down to zero again. Whenever I talk to someone about it or try to make friends, something negative happens to them and they dissociate from me. at this point I trust no one, have no friends and I’m afraid to associate with anyone incase I transmit my ‘curse’ or whatever it is on them. It’s a long story but please guide me with a prayer or solution that will heal and restore me. Thanks. God bless.
Hello Father,
I have a question. I am a second career seminarian and have heard that the seminaries are full of demons and they try to trip us. Is this true?
Also, I don’t like all the focus on exorcisms. I don’t focus on them; but I also think that a lot of Catholics don’t believe in the devil and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
In this seminary, there are a couple of seminarians that think he is a literary device. What can we do as Catholics, whether Clergy or lay, to teach without all this sensationalism, about the four final absolutes: Life, Death, Heaven and Hell?
There is a priest named Fr. Gary Thomas. I read an article in a Catholic magazine while waiting in the Chancery. He is stating that exorcisms are on the rise. Fr Gary said in the article that they deal with more of an attachment, not full possession. Is this true?
Being a seminarian, I am very careful not to fall victim to sensationalism, as we all want to “see” something and whatever it is, as long as it is “something.” I say this as I want to convey to you and all who read my post that I am well aware of the harm from sensationalism. First, it makes this ministry more difficult than if we just left the professionals alone to do their work. Second, if we focus on exorcisms and not on Jesus the Christ, we lose our mission.
My last question is this: how can a seminarian like me learn about this subject in a positive and constructive way without detracting from the severity of this true ministry. If I am ever ordained, I am not interested in performing exorcisms. Neither do I want to fill my shelves with DVD movies of exorcisms. I just want to be more educated.
Thanks so much Father, God bless,
Tom
I have done alot of research on possession and evil spirits, i am very young and still trying to research to answer my questions. i have seen EVERY movie on exorcisms and each one is the same and different in there own way, of course its Hollywood so they will add non sense things but Are exorcisms real, or are they just a mental illness?
Dear Kimberly,
It is hard to answer because there is so much I do not know, like your age and what medicines you may or may not be taking. A lack of sleep is not a sign of possession and neither is talking or walking in your sleep. What is it that you think you hear and see? Is it possible that you are still dealing with the trauma of the accident? If you are a minor and live with parents, I would suggest talking to them about what is going on and your fears. A doctor might help. I do not know your religion, but prayer is something that often eases my heart and mind. Seek out your local priest or minister. God watches over his children and stands with them.
The Lord is our help,
Father Joe
Hi Father,
Um, this is a little different for me to be asking because I am an out-going kind of person and never really believed in these kinds of things; but, within the past few years, I have started to believe. And, well as stupid as this may sound, I think I may have a demon. I never seem to sleep and my younger brother says that I seem to sleep walk and talk to him. He says that he can never understand what I am saying because it sounds always so scary. I never remember any of it. I get so scared just thinking about it. But it has only been within the past 6 months that I have really believed. It is because I was in a really bad car accident and hurt myself really badly. I am okay now but ever night after that, things have changed. I see things and hear things.
Please Help Me,
Kimberly
Dear April,
It certainly sounds like you have had more than your fair share of pain and struggle. I suspect that most of your problems have been of the natural order. My recommendation would be to take needed medicine and to trust in God’s grace to help you.
God touches us in many ways and I suspect he wants you to live out your discipleship with your husband as “people of the Church.” My reference to demonic oppression refers to those who want nothing to do with the Church. They seek to silence the voice of God and his Church in the world. They live only for themselves and shun the values of the Gospels and the commandments. Instead of invoking the Holy Spirit to lead them in truth, they summon the darker spirits of deceit, selfishness and enmity. It is okay to ask questions. Faith can start out very small but grow over time. Do not despair but trust in the love and mercy of Jesus. Jesus knew what it was to be betrayed, to suffer and to die. But he has promised his friends a share in his risen life. He tells us not to be afraid. When you feel lost, you can look at a picture of Jesus and say, “I feel confused and lost but I will follow you. There is nowhere else to go. You have the words of eternal life.”
As for the Ying Yang symbols, many teens wore them as jewelry. Your pastor’s concern was that they are also religious symbols. They imply that there are two equal forces, one good and the other bad. Such Asian philosophy runs against the teachings of Christianity. We believe in an infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good God. There is no equal bad force. The devil is a fallen angel, a tragic creature who has turned away from his Creator. He is nothing compared to God. Evil cannot compare with good. I suspect that your pastor wanted you to reject superstition and to vanquish the demonic which attaches itself to false worship and the charms of superstition.
God bless!
Father Joe
Father Joe,
I grew up Baptist; but was confused as a child. I would visit a lot of other religions; not sure why, because I was so young. I watched Williams Blatty’s Exorcist, and to this day I’m terrified of the thought of it. I am 29. I was 6 when I saw it. I have had a hard life and a stroke at 18, after my first born on 2001. Then I was plagued by a lot of diseases. I was diagnosed as manic depressive. Because of my childhood trauma and family history, some question if that is the case now. I have not been on meds going on 3 years for it.
One day in 2005, I was struck with physical ailments, like feeling scared 24-7. Doctors said it was anxiety; but I did not fit the textbook definition. Shortly after a brain operation, while driving, I got hot all over, sick and scared. I pulled over on route 95 and thought to myself, “OMG, I’m dying!” Instantly a strange sensation came over me; I felt as if in a trance. I got back into my car and drove home. My number one fear in life is death. I believe on that day, God touched me.
I had another episode of anxiety lasting about 5 months straight. Doctors say, however, that anxiety lasts for few minutes at a time. So now that I have read this, I wonder if I was possessed or something? Also, what is demonic oppression? My faith, well I don’t know if I have faith, because I have so many questions that no one can answer, at least not without already having it. My husband of 10 years was raised Catholic. He went every Saturday but he does not seem to know much. We want to be people of the Church but wherever we go we feel like we do not belong. I feel so lost.
Oh, also, I was told as a teen by our pastor that I had to get all my Yin Yang symbols and burn them while praying with him. I asked why and he said that it means “good and evil together” or “equal and peace.” He said that it would never happen. Is this true?
April
Dear Fr Joe,
We read, in Holy Scripture, that much of Jesus’ active ministry was casting out demons, and it was a given that evil spirits were possessing unfortunates back, some 2,000 years ago. Now some might just say that it was epilepsy or mental illness and Jesus was curing that, but He certainly acted as if it was always an exorcism, and instructed His followers as such.
Has possession become less of an phenomena or is Satan just being more discrete, as it were?
I ask this because it seems to me that we are becoming as it was in the times of Noah, and as most Catholic explanation of Revelation seems to define it as relating to the last years of St John and possible a hundred years or so after, there still has been no good explanation of the ‘Wormwood’ prophesy, and several of the more future or fortune telling aspects that many ‘End of World’ dramatists avow.
Is Satan still trying to gather lost souls to himself and possess the Godless, or is that just a rarity and a thing of the past?
Best Wishes, Paul.
I must say your account of the information about the “Mt. Rainier” exorcism is extremely accurate, I knew Fr. Hughes and Bishop Lyons personally. Bishop Lyons confirmed me at St. James and Fr, Hughes, I believe was the pastor at the time. Fr. Nagle was the pastor of St. James before Fr. Hughes. It was said that when Fr. Hughes arrived back at St. James as pastor he stated, “fiinally home.” Fr. Frank Bober was his assistant pastor when he died and I am friends with him and talk to him regularly. My cousin, the late Msgr. Gerhardt who spent most of his priestly ministry was at the pastoral center as judge and canon lawyer and in residence at St. Matthews Cathedral.. Bernie was a joy and I enjoyed the many times we shared when we were together at St. Matthews Cathedral.
As I read your account of Fr. Hughes and the arm injury, not to many people knew that. Fr. Hughes would were long sleeve clergy shirts to cover the scar. When he wore a shirt that exposed the scar and someone asked, he would polite like dismiss the question or politely change the topic or attend to some thing else and the issue would be “dropped.” Fr. Hughes was an extremely Holy Priest and did not lie. During the Masses I served as an altar boy with Fr. Hughes after the consecration of the bread and wine, he would hold the bread and chalice up for a long period and whispered prayers in latin and look at the Body of Christ and the Chalice holding the Blood of Christ elevated for a significant period show a great adoration. As a server I would ring the bells for a long time, so it was very noticable that what Fr. Hughes was doing. Fr. Hughes had a great devotion for the Eucharist and Mary. Fr. Hughes was and still is one of many profoundly pious priest I have ever known. I guess after experience what he experienced, it would bring someone closer to a relationship with God.
There are a lot of things I remember about St. James and Fr. Hughes. Fr. Hughes was one of the priest that help me decided my vocation. I hope to share some of the memories of the late Holy Fr. Albert Hughes with you.
Just to let you know I am a novice at typing and I am trying to get better, so please excuse any mistakes or typos. I don’t have time to proof read this.
Thanks and God Bless!
Father Joe,
My name is Nicklaus and I have been a devoted Christian from an early age, and take more interest in Catholicism, though I attend a baptist church because the rest of my family is baptist. I want to get my house blessed and out any…presence you could say.
You see, a few years ago I woke up and was in a cold sweat, and standing in front of me was a tall figure, dressed in a black cloak with no visible face lurking in my room. I was filled with terror, not even able to breath for however long I was staring at it. I felt such hatred emitting from the creature towards me. After a minute, I blinked and it was gone. Since then, I have woken up many times in sweat and a sore throat, from what I believe may be yelling though no one else in the house seems to have heard me.
If I get the house blessed by a Father, will it take any affect even though I am the only one who believes in the Catholic church? Is there anything I can do to not feel the fear I have when I go to sleep?
Great explanation Father Joe. What do you think about the Anneliese Michel story? How about her first experience with seizures and sleep paralysis (chest pressure, unable to speak, and immobile, and etc) symptoms as age 19?
Prior to this experience, Anneliese never endured any problems. (IMO) The 1969 experience seemed to have opened up possible demonic possession. If you look at her picture, you would never think a nice girl would end up passing away. Sad story. Do you believe in the Anneliese Michel story of multiple demonic possession? Thank you Father Joe.
Dear Father Joe, I am sure that you receive many letters from crackpots seeking attention. To continue on with this letter is disturbing, and somewhat traitorous to my family. For many years there has been an unspoken vow of silence concerning disturbing events at my grandmother’s house. The people who lived in the house (my family) have all had experiences that some people would consider paranormal, but what I believe to be demonic manifestations. I am 39 years old and still have nightmares about some of the things that went on there. I believe that a demon (or a familiar spirit?) possessed different members of my family at different times. I would like for you to contact me.
Hello Father Joe, my name is Hannah. I found this site out of boredom, actually. I was raised with no religion and my family members are all atheists. So, although I am 14, I find that I am interested in learning about religion. I guess you can call it one of my hobbies. At any rate, I read a lot about exorcisms and it always leaves me wondering about how could this horrible thing actually happen? Of course, my parents deny it ever happening. But then again, they also deny there is a God. Anyways, I was wondering, is it illegal to perform exorcisms nowadays? And how can the Church tell between people who are crazy (or pretending to be possessed) from the actually possessed people? And also, why do demons feel the need to possess people? How do they choose the people they possess? Why those people!? It confuses me. Anyways, I appreciate your time. Best Regards, Hannah
Dear Father, I am happy that I stumbled on this webpage. I am a Roman Catholic. Why is it, that people are drawn to the paranormal? Does that mean we are just curious or does it mean we are being tempted by Lucifer? I enjoy watching ghost hunters/ghost adventures over the reality junk that plays on TV on a constant basis nowadays. Please let me know your thoughts on this. I love reading your responses, they are very insightful. God Bless.
Yes, he was taken to the Whitehouse Retreat in Oakville Mo. At one point, while walking the Stations of the Cross, a change came over him; he broke free from the Priest, started running and tried to take a plunge off the bluffs. They were able to tackle him before that happened. I asked the same question when I became associated with Whitehouse and was told this by one of the Jesuits in charge there. There is also a room where he spent the night. I am not sure how many nights or days he visited. But yes, it is true.