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Begone Satan!A Soul-Stirring AccountOf Diabolical PossessionIn IowaAfter 23 Days’ Battle in September, 1928Devil Was Forced to Leave229870076200JOS. F. BUSCHImprimatur9982200Bishop of St. CloudSt. Cloud, July 23, 1935.Nihil ObstatRT. REV. JOHN P. DURHAMPublished with permission of Rt. Rev. Alcuin Deutch, O. S. B.,St. John’s Abbey[[@Page:1]]BEGONE SATAN!A Soul-Stirring Account of DiabolicalPossessionWoman Cursed by Her Own Father,Possessed from 14th Year TillHer 40th YearDevils Appearing: Beelzebub, Lucifer, Judas,Jacob and MinaPublished byRev. Celestine Kapsner, O. S. B.St. John’s AbbeyCollegeville, Minn.[[@Page:2]]Translated from the German written by Rev. Carl Vogel andtranslated by Rev. Celestine Kapsner, O. S. B.BEGONE SATAN![[@Page:3]]A Sensational Expulsion of the Devil in Iowa 1928Nineteen hundred years ago, Christ, the Son of God, came upon this earth. He gained the victory over the Prince of this World, Satan, and founded His own Kingdom, the Church. He vested His Church with the same powers which He had received from the Father. “As the Father sent me, so I send you.”Holy Mother the Church when preparing her candidates for the ministry hands these powers over to them that they may continue the mission of Christ’s Kingdom on earth. Preparatory to the H. Priesthood the candidate receives the so-called minor and major orders. Among the minor orders is one called Exorcist. When the Bishop confers this order he pronounces the following significant words: You receive also the power to place your hands upon those possessed and through the imposition of the hands, the grace of the H. Ghost and the words of exorcism you shall drive evil spirits out of the bodies of those so possessed. The solemn and powerful meaning attached to this ceremony, not conferred in any of the other orders, can be gleaned from the words: Receive and impress upon your mind that you receive the right to place your hands upon those possessed. Later in his prayer the Bishop invites the faithful to unite in prayer with him that he who is to receive this order may be an effective agent in expelling the evil spirit from those possessed. He continues to pray that the candidate may become an approved physician of the Church through the gift of healing conferred upon her by the Almighty Himself.The Church bases her action on the example of Christ Himself, Who frequently drove out evil spirits and endowed His disciples with full authority to do [[@Page:4]]likewise. The superficial faith of our age regards such an order as superfluous. The reality of hell, devils and cases of possession have been denied as myths of the dark ages. Even if Christ and the Apostles repeatedly emphasized the powers of the evil spirit, today they are looked upon as merely superstitious, That Satan has succeeded in making man so indifferent regarding his actions of misleading men is one of his greatest and most advantageous accomplishments. People will no longer listen to anything of a supernatural nature.All the more striking therefore are actual happenings of the supernatural in our times that cannot so readily be dismissed by a mere shrug of the shoulders; facts such as the numerous and indisputable miracles at Lourdes, the extraordinary visions, stigmata, abstention from food and gift of languages of Theresa Neumann; the life of the Cure of Ars, recently proclaimed a saint of the Church, to whom for 35 years the sight of hell was constantly and really an ordinary experience. Then the cases of possession occurring in our times are worthy of note: the case of a boy possessed in Wemding, Suabia, Bavaria 1891; the case in St. Michael’s Mission in Africa in 1906 of two girls being possessed, one of whom is still living; the noted case of the Chinese woman Lautien in Honan, China, in 1926 and 1929 under the direction of Father Peter Heier, S. V. D., from Hague, N. D., now a Missioner in China.The priest has frequent opportunities for using his power of Exorcism. The blessing of holy water, as well as its various uses, blessing of houses and the many other blessings and benedictions of the church in her sacramentals are dependent upon this power. Pope Leo XIII in our own time has [[@Page:5]]composed a powerful and solemn prayer of exorcism for priests against the fallen angels and evil spirits. It is said that this Pope, after God permitted him in a vision to see the great devastation Satan is carrying on in our times, composed the prayer of exorcism in honor of St. Michael now recited in the vernacular as one of the prayers after Mass.Recent Case of Possession and Expulsion in Earling, IowaThe following soul stirring case of actual possession and successful expulsion through the powers given to the Church over the evil one, becomes all the more striking in view of the above explanations. The facts herein narrated are testified to by the Rev. Joseph Steiger who was a personal witness of the scenes heroin narrated. It was in 1928 whilst conducting a mission in the parish of Earling that Father Theophilus Riesinger, O. M. Cap., asked the Rev. Pastor for permission to have a certain person possessed by the devil brought into his parish and to be permitted to use the solemn formula of exorcism over her whilst she would be detained in the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters who were active in the parish. Father Steiger happened to be a personal friend of Father Theophilus for many years past.“What, again a case of possession?” replied the pastor. “Are these cases still on the increase? You have already dispossessed the devil in a number of such cases!”“That is indeed true, however, the Bishop has again entrusted this case into my hands. The lady in question lives at a distance from Earling. I would like to have her brought here since in her home it would create too much excitement and perhaps would be the cause of many disturbances to the person herself.” “But why just here in my own parish?”“It is just here in an outlying country district that the case may be disposed of in a quiet manner. Two places are available, either over there in the Sisters’ Convent or here in the sacristy. So it is quite possible to relieve the unfortunate person of her burden without anybody out in the world becoming aware of it.”“My dear Father, do you really think that the [[@Page:6]]Mother Superior would permit anything like that to take place under her convent roof? I don’t believe it. And to take the person into my own house, would be out of the question altogether.”“My dear friend,” smilingly replied the Father, “tell me this one thing: will you give me your approval, should the Mother Superior be willing?”“Well, all right, but only under this condition. I do not believe that you will have any success at the convent.”“I thank you for your permission. The case is therefore settled, as the Mother Superior did give her consent from the very beginning. I have made all arrangements with her for this case provided the pastor would give his full approval.”Thus it was agreed to have the exorcism performed. As it was a country place and summer time the people were actively engaged with their work in the open fields and so no one was the wiser much less would bother himself about it.For safety’s sake the case was submitted to the Bishop, who called the pastor to himself to acquaint him with matters that he might expect to happen. “So, my Father, you have given your consent that this may take place in your parish. Have you thought the matter over sufficiently?”“Your Lordship, to be honest I was not very anxious to have it. I have a rather strong aversion for such unusual affairs. But Father Theophilus explained that my country parish together with the easy access to the convent would be just suitable for such an undertaking, and so I disliked to refuse.”“As Bishop I will caution you most emphatically, that there may be some very serious consequences resulting to you in person. Should the Rev. Father not have enlightened you regarding the matter then I wish to give you information based upon sound facts and similar experiences. The devil will certainly try his utmost to seek revenge against you should you be willing [[@Page:7]]that this unfortunate woman be relieved of this terrible oppression.”‘“Well, I hardly think that it will be as bad as all that. God’s protecting hand will not fail me. The devil has no more influence than God permits. And if God will not permit it, the devil will not be able to harm me in the least. So I have no misgivings. I am a man of my word, I have given my consent, and for that very reason I would not care to withdraw it again. And should it^ntail some sacrifices, I shall be only too glad to bring them if only an immortal soul shall benefit by it and shall be freed from the terrible stranglehold of that infernal being.”The pastor had little suspicion what the future had in store for him. Today he would hesitate more than once before consenting so readily again. Far be it from him that he should ever live through such experiences again.The Lady in QuestionThe unfortunate woman was not known to the pastor. She lived far from Earling and up till then he had heard nothing about her. The Capuchin Father made clear to him what her actual condition was, that she was a very pious and respectable person now in her 40th year. Throughout her youth she led a religious, fervent and blameless life, in fact she approached the sacraments frequently. After her 14th year some unusual experiences manifested themselves. She wanted to pray, wanted to go to church and as usual receive H. Communion. But it seemed as if some interior hidden power was interfering with her plans. Instead of improving, the situation became worse. Words cannot express what she had to suffer. She was actually barred from the consolations of the Church, torn away from them by force. She could not help herself in any way and seemed to be in the clutches of some mysterious power. She was conscious of some inner sinister voices that kept on suggesting [[@Page:8]]to her most disagreeable things. These voices tried their utmost to arouse thoughts within her of the most shameful type, tried to induce her to do things unmentionable and even to bring her to despair. The poor creature was helpless, and secretly was of the opinion that she would lose her mind and become insane. There were times when she would gleefully have shattered her holy water font, when she would have attacked her spiritual adviser and would have suffocated him; yes, there were thoughts impelling her to tear down the very house of God.“Hallucination, a pure hysterical case, nervous spells” such and the like one will hear to account for such experiences. True, similar happenings do occur in nervous and hysterical cases. However, this case many doctors had in charge for years, and finally the best specialists in the profession examined her. But their thorough examinations brought them all to the unanimous conclusion, that the lady in question does not betray the least sign of nervousness, that she is normal in the fullest sense. There was not the slightest indication that would suggest physical illness. Her undeniable and unusual experiences could not be accounted for. As the doctors could not help her it was thought proper to seek advice in another field, may be that would bring results.Many years passed. Since the natural powers, the medical means and professional knowledge were of no avail, recourse was had to the Church and the powers of the priesthood. For some years a reserved and skeptical attitude was maintained towards such a procedure. Constant examinations and observations were made. However, gradually it became evident that strange preternatural powers were at play. The woman understood languages which she had never heard or read. When the priest spoke the language of the Church and blessed her in the Latin tongue she sensed and understood it at once, at the same time she foamed and became enraged about it. When he, continued [[@Page:9]]in classical Latin she regained her former ease. She was conscious at once when some one gave her articles sprinkled with holy water or presented her with things secretly blessed, whereas ordinary secular objects would leave her perfectly indifferent.In short, after years of trial and observations she reached her 40th year, when finally the ecclesiastical authorities were convinced that they here had to do with a clear case of demoniacal possession. The Church must step in and deliver the poor creature from the powers of the evil one. The cause of the possession could not be ascertained. The woman herself could not give any information about this matter. Only later during the process of solemn exorcism was this made known. Father Theophilus spent many years giving missions in the United States and was familiar with cases of possession. He had already dispossessed the evil one in many instances, and to him was entrusted this case by Holy Mother Church. His stainless career, as also his successful encounter in numerous similar possessions singled him out as the one best suited to take hold of this instance. Little suspicion did he have that there he would meet with the severest experience as yet encountered and that matters of such a nature would confront him that would tax the limit of his physical endurance. Though this Capuchin Father is the very picture of health in his 60th year, he needed every available help that ho could muster to be able to carry things to a successful finish.The day agreed upon and set aside by the Bishop for the exorcism at Earling, Iowa, was at hand. Besides the pastor and his sister, who was his housekeeper, and the Ven. Sisters not a soul was aware of this proceeding. This had been strictly agreed upon before hand. The main purpose of this silent procedure was chiefly to protect the name of the woman lest anything of the affair might get out among the people, that they might not point to her: “This is [[@Page:10]]the one once possessed by the devil.” As she was to travel by train it was found necessary to inform the personnel of the train in case anything should happen on the way so that their help would be available in case the demoniacal influences should create any disturbance. It was not in vain for the officers had their hands full. They, however, did not know what the underlying disturbance was. The poor creature was only too willing to submit to this ecclesiastical procedure so that she might be delivered from these terrible molestations. Yet she did not always have the necessary control over herself. This she made known after her delivery. Thus, the very night when she arrived at the station of Earling she was so enraged over those that were to meet her that she felt like taking hold of them and choking them.It had been previously arranged that Father Theophilus was also to arrive that night but by another route. The pastor took his own auto and went to meet him at the depot. Though the new car was always running in tip top order on this trip it would not pick up with the usual speed. Everything possible was tried yet the car would not make any headway towards the station though no flaw could be found with it. The distance was not even worth mentioning yet it took two hours before the pastor arrived at the depot. He excused himself to his guest for causing such a delay and disappointment.To which the latter replied very calmly: “My dear friend, I was not wrought up about it at all. I would have been much more surprised, if everything had gone smoothly. Difficulties will arise, they must be expected to arise. The devil will try his utmost to foil our plans. While waiting I prayed constantly that the evil spirit would not be able to harm you, as I suspected that he would try to interfere with your coming, yea, that he would try to injure you personally.” Now the pastor first became aware why his auto balked. This was to be the beginning of many other unpleasant [[@Page:11]]happenings. After this foreboding news the reader can imagine that the missioner entered the car with some misgivings. But he took precautions. With the sign of the cross he first blessed the auto and then seated himself in the rear of the car. During the short ride to the rectory he quietly recited the rosary by himself lest anything might happen on the way that would spoil the attempt at exorcism.They arrived without the slightest trouble. Thank God, the woman also had arrived safely at the Sisters’ Convent. Thus re-assured the difficult task could quietly begin on the morrow. However, that very night the enemy displayed his true color. News was dispatched from the convent to the rectory next door that the woman caused difficulties at the very start. The well-meaning sister in the kitchen had sprinkled the food on the tray with holy water before she carried the supper to her room. The woman, however, would not be tricked, she was aware at once of th<i presence of the blessed food and became terribly enraged about it. She purred like a cat and it was absolutely impossible to make her eat any of that food. Nothing daunted, the blessed food was taken back to the kitchen to be exchanged for unblessed food, otherwise the soup bowls with the plates might have crashed through the window. It was not, possible to trick her with any blessed or consecrated article, the very presence of it would bring about in her such intense suffering as though her very body were encased in glowing coal.The Decisive Moment Had ArrivedThe pastor as also the minister offered up Holy Mass in the parish church that morning. The greater part of the towns people had gone out into the country to work on their fields. All was quiet. Then they went over to the convent where in a large room everything was in readiness for the exorcism. Fortified with the Church’s spiritual weapons they would [[@Page:12]]dislodge Satan from his stronghold in the person of the possessed lady. How long would this process last? That the devil would leave his victim so soon without a fight was not to be expected. Certainly a few days would pass by before the powers of darkness would give in to the powers of Light, before the devils would let loose of the soul redeemed by Christ and return back to hell. Well it was that neither the pastor nor the Father was aware with what kind of a horde of evil spirits they had to battle.The woman was placed firmly upon the mattress of an iron bed. Upon the advice of the Father, her arm-sleeves as also her dress were tightly bound so as to prevent any devilish tricks. The strongest nuns were selected to assist her in case anything might happen. Suspicion was had that the devil might attempt attacking Father during the ceremony. Should anything unusual happen the nuns were to hold her quiet upon her bed. Soon after the prescribed prayers of the Church were begun the woman sank into unconsciousness and remained in that state throughout the period of exorcism. Her eyes closed up tight so that no force could open them.Hardly had Father begun the formula of exorcism in the name of the Blessed Trinity, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in the name of the Crucified Savior when a terrible scene followed. With lightning speed the possessed dislodged herself from her bed and the hands of the protectors, her body, carried through the air, landed high above the door of the room and clung to the wall with cat-like grips. All present were struck with a trembling fear. Father alone kept his peace. “Pull her down, she must be brought back to her place upon the bed!”Real force had to be applied to her feet to bring her down from the high position on the wall. The mystery was that she could have clung to the wall at all! This was through the powers of the evil spirit, who had taken possession of her body.[[@Page:13]]Again she was resting upon the mattress. To avoid another such feat precautions were taken and she was gripped tightly with strong hands on her feet, hands and hips.The exorcism was resumed as before. The prayers of the Church were continued. Suddenly a loud shrill voice rent the air. The noise in the room sounded as though it was afar off, somewhere in a desert. Satan howled as though he had been struck over the head with a club. Like a pack of wild beasts suddenly let loose sounded the terrifying noises as they came out of the mouth of the possessed girl. Those present were struck with an awful fear that entered into the very marrow of their bones. “Silence Satan, keep quiet, you infamous reprobate!” But as one clubbed and trampled did he continue to yell and howl, so that despite the closed windows the noises reverberated throughout the village quarters. Awestruck the people came running hither and thither: “What is the matter, what is up? Is there someone in the convent being murdered?” Not even a pig stabbed with a butcher knife yells with such shrieking sounds as this one did.Like a prairie fire did the news travel through the entire parish: “At the convent they are trying to drive out the devil from one possessed.” Larger and smaller groups were filled with terror as they approached the scene of action and heard with their own ears the unearthly noises and howlings caused by the evil spirits. The weaker members of the crowd were not able to endure the continued rage coming from the underworld. It was even more tense for those actually present at the real scene, witnesses with their own eyes and ears to what was going on before them. The physical appearance of the possessed with the distorted members of her body presented such a gruesome sight that it was unbearable. The sisters, and even the pastor could not bear it. Occasionally they had to leave the room to recuperate themselves in the fresh [[@Page:14]]air, to gain new strength for a continued observance of the horrible ordeal. The most valiant and self-composed was Father Theophilus. He had been accustomed to Satan’s howling displays and flusterings from previous experiences with him at exorcism. God seems to have favored him with special gifts and qualities to face such ordeals. On such occasions with the permission of the Bishop he carried upon his breast a consecrated host in a pyx to safeguard himself against direct attacks and injuries of the evil one. Several times it happened that he was twisted about as by a whirl wind, trembling in the shakeup like a fluttering leaf.One may ask: Does Satan dare at all to remain in the presence of the All Holy? How can he endure it. does he not run like a whipped cur? All we need to remember is that Satan dared to approach our Lord fasting in the desert, he even dared to take the Savior upon a high pinnacle of Jerusalem, and again he lifted Him up on a high mountain top. If he showed himself so powerful then, he hasn’t changed any since. On the contrary the devils living in the possessed displayed different reactions. Those that hailed from the realm of the fallen angels gave evidence of a greater reserve. These twisted about and howled mournfully in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, similar to a whipped cur, who would growl and snarl under the pain of the biting lash. Different did those react that were once the active souls of men upon earth and were condemned to hell due to their sinful lives. These showed themselves unusually bold and fearless as if every moment they wanted to assail the consecrated species only to discover that they were powerless. Frothing and spitting and vomiting forth unmentionable excrements out of the mouth of the poor creature they would try to beat off the influence of the exorcist. Evidently they were trying to befoul the consecrated host in the pyx but apparently they missed their aim. It was evidently not granted them to spit upon the All [[@Page:15]]Holy directly. At times they would spout forth torrents of spittle and filth out of the entrails of the helpless woman in order to give vent to their bitter spleen and hatred against the All Holy One.You say torrents? Actually those present had to live through some terrible experiences. It was heart-rending and often seemingly unbearable, most unnatural what all came forth from the pitiable creature, outpourings that would fill a pitcher, yes, even a pail full of the most obnoxious stench. And that in quantities that were humanly speaking impossible to be found in a normal being. At that the poor creature had eaten hardly anything for weeks, yes, they had reasons to fear that she would not survive. At one time the emission was a whole bowl full as if vomitted macaroni, at another time an even greater measure having the appearance of sliced and chewed tobacco leaves. From 10 to 20 times a day this wretched creature was forced to vomit though she had taken in at the highest only a teaspoonful of water or milk in an artificial way.One or More DevilsDuring this exorcism it was necessary to find out definitely whether in the case of the possessed woman he had to deal with one or more devils. It is also important for the exorcist to insist upon getting the name of the devil, otherwise there is no hope of getting control over the person and to dispossess the devil. On various occasions there were different voices coming out of the woman which pointed to the fact that unnumbered spirits were here involved. There were voices that sounded bestial like and most unnatural, uttering inexpressible grief and hatred that no human could reproduce. Again voices were heard that were quite human, breathing an atmosphere of keen suffering and indicating bitter feelings of disappointment. As is common experience, through the solemn exorcism of the Church, Satan can be forced to speak and [[@Page:16]]give answer. Also he can finally be forced to speak the truth even though he is the father of lies from the beginning. Naturally he tries to mislead and sidetrack the exorcist. It is also common experience that Satan at first tries to sidestep the answers with clever witty evasions, direct lies, shrewd simulations.When Satan was asked in the Name of Jesus, the crucified Savior, to give answer whether there were more spirits involved in the possession of the woman, he did not attempt to feign in the least but braggingly admitted that there were a number of them present. As soon as the name of Jesus was mentioned he began to foam through the woman and howled like a raving wild animal.This ugly bellowing and howling took place every day and at times lasted for hours. At times it sounded as though a horde of lions and hyenas were let loose, then again as the mewing of cats, the bellowing of cattle and the barking of dogs. Also a regular uproar of different animal noises would resound. This was rather strenuous on the nerves of those present at first, forcing the twelve nuns to take turns at assisting in order to save themselves and have the necessary strength to continue facing the siege.The exorcist: “In the name of Jesus and His most Blessed Mother, Mary, the Immaculate who crushed the head of the serpent, tell me the truth. Who is the leader or prince among you? What is your name?”Devil, barking like the hound of hell: “Beelzebub.”Exorcist: “Beelzebub you call yourself. You are not the prince of the devils, Lucifer?”Devil: “No, not the prince, the chieftain, but one of the leaders.”Father: “You were therefore not a human being, but you are one of the fallen angels, who with selfish pride wanted to be like unto God?”[[@Page:17]]Devil with grinding teeth: “Yes, that is so. Ha, how we hate Him.”Father: “Why are you called Beelzebub if you are not the prince of the devils?”Devil: “Enough, my name is Beelzebub.”Father: “From the point of influence and dignity you must rank near Lucifer, or do you hail from the lower choir of angels?”Devil: “I once belonged to the Seraphic choir.” Father: “What would you do, if God made it possible for you to atone for your injustice to Him?” Demoniacal sneering: “Are you a competent theologian?”“How long have you been torturing the poor girl?”“Already since her 14th year.”“How dare you enter into that innocent girl and torture her like that?”Sneeringly: “Ha, did not her own father curse us into her?”“But that just you, Beelzebub, took possession of her? Who gave you that permission?”“Don’t ask so foolishly. Don’t I have to render obedience to Satan?”“Then you are here at the direction and command of Lucifer?”“Well, how could it be otherwise?”Be it also noted, that Father addressed the devil now in English, now in German, again in Latin. And in the languages in which the devil, Beelzebub, and all the others were addressed, so did they reply correctly in the very same tongue. Apparently they would have understood any language spoken today and would have answered in the same. Sometimes it happened that Father in an exhausted state of mind would make slight mispronunciations in his Latin prayers and words of exorcism. At once Beelzebub would intrude and shriek out: “So and so is right! Dumbbell, you don’t know anything!”[[@Page:18]]Once it happened that Father did not catch the words the devil spoke in an inarticulate mumbling voice. So he asked the pastor: “What did he say?” Neither had he understood the devil. Then the nuns were asked: “What did he say?” Then one answered: “So and so I think, he spoke.” Then the devil bellowed and yelped at them: “You, I did not say that. Stick to the truth!”Father Theophilus indeed was anxious to know, why the father had cursed his own daughter. But he only received a curt uncivil reply: “You can ask him himself. Let me in peace for once.”Father: “Is then the father of the woman also present as one of the devils? Since when then?”Devil: “What a foolish question. He has been with us ever since he was damned.” A terrible sneering laughter followed brim full of malicious joy.Father: “Then I solemnly command in the name of the Crucified Savior of Nazareth that you present the father of this child and that he give me answer!” A deep rough voice announced itself which had already been noticed along side of the voice of Beelzebub.Father: “Are you the unfortunate father, that has cursed his own child?”With a defiant roar: “No.”“Who are you then?”“I am Judas.”“What, Judas? Are you Judas Iscariot, the former Apostle?”Thereupon followed a horribly, woefully prolonged: “Y-e-s, I am the one.” This was a howling in the deepest bass voice that set the whole room a-quivering so that out of pure fright and horror the pastor and some of the nuns ran out. Then followed a regular disgusting spitting and vomitting as if Judas was intending to spit at his Lord and Master with all his bodily might, as though he had in mind to unloose his inner waste and filth upon Him.[[@Page:19]]Finally Judas was asked; “What business have you here?”“To bring her to despair, so that she would commit suicide and hang herself! She must get the rope, she must go to hell!”“Is it then a fact that everyone that commits suicide goes to hell?”“Rather not.”“Why not?”“Ha, we devils are the ones that urge them to commit suicide, to hang themselves, just as I did myself.”“Do you not regret that you have committed such a despicable deed?”A terrible curse followed: “Let me alone, don’t bother me with your fake god. It was my own fault.” Then he kept raving on in a terrible rage.The Demon JacobUpon a renewed prayer of exorcism the demon Jacob made his appearance with a healthy manly voice. One could detect at once in him as also in Judas that they once had been human beings.“What kind of a Jacob are you?”“The father of the possessed girl.”Later findings disclosed that whilst he was living he had led a frightfully coarse and brutal life, a passionately unchaste and debased life. He now admitted in the exorcism that he had repeatedly tried to force his own daughter to commit incest with him. She however resisted him with her utmost strength. Therefore he had cursed her and wished in an inhuman manner that the devils should enter into her and ruin her body and soul and should entice her to every possible sin against chastity. He also admitted that he did not die suddenly but that he was permitted to receive the sacrament of Extreme Unction. But this was of no avail as he, even in his last moments, scoffed at and ridiculed the priest ministering to him. In the [[@Page:20]]judgment after death even all that was pardoned him, but that he had with such inhuman meanness and evil intention cursed his own daughter and had handed her body and soul over to the devil, that ultimately was the cause of his external damnation. And so he was still scheming in hell how he could torture and molest his child. This Lucifer gladly permitted him to do. With him in hell was likewise his paramour. Now that he was in his own daughter he would not, despite all the solemn prayers of the Church, be in the least disposed to give her up or leave her.“And you will obey! The power of Christ and the Blessed Trinity will force you back into the pit of hell where you belong!”Then followed a loud roar and protest: “No, no, only spare me that!”As the prayers of exorcism were continued likewise Jacob’s paramour had to face the ordeal and give answer. Her high pitched voice, almost a falsetto, was even before easily distinguishable among the many other voices. Now she admitted that she was Mina.MinaThe cause of her damnation she admitted was due to her prolonged immoral life with Jacob whilst his wife was still alive. But more specific, the exact reason of her eternal woe in hell was due to her unrepented acts of child murder.Father: “As a woman you committed murder?Whom did you kill?”Bitterly she replied “No, little ones.” Evidently she meant her own children.“Actually, in number how many?”Most unwillingly curt: “Three No, actually four!”This Mina showed herself especially hateful. Her replies were filled with such bitter hatred and spite that they far surpassed all that had happened so far.[[@Page:21]]Her demeanor towards the Blessed Sacrament surpasses description. She would spit and vomit in an unmentionable manner so that both Father Theophilus and the pastor had to use handkerchiefs constantly to wipe off the spittle from the habit and cassock. There were evident signs that the Blessed Sacrament, the Bread of Eternal Life, that should have been the source of her eternal salvation, turned out due to her unworthy communions to be her eternal damnation. This was apparent from her manner of trying to get at the Blessed Sacrament with a burning vengeance and hatred. Mina and Judas were the worst offenders against the Blessed Sacrament.The reader would undoubtedly be misled if he were of the opinion that these word exchanges of questions and answers followed in regular order. Rather the actual facts are that these battles and encounters with the devils were extended over a number of days. At times the answers were interrupted with hours and hours of howling and yelling which could only be brought into submission by prolonged prayer and persistent exorcism. It was only by such a procedure that further answers could be forced from them. In between likewise came the disagreeable and almost unbearable interferences of the countless brats of devils. The woman’s face reacted to these disturbances to such an extent that it became so twisted and distorted that no one would recognize her features. Then along with this her whole body became so horribly disfigured that the appearance of her human shape vanished. Her pale deathlike and emaciated head often extended to the size of an inverted water pitcher, became fiery red and again like glowing embers. Her eyes would protrude, her lips would swell up actually to the size of hands, and her thin emaciated body would bloat up to such enormous size that at the first occurrence the pastor and some of the sisters drew back out of fright, thinking that she would be torn to pieces and burst open. At times [[@Page:22]]her abdominal regions and extremities became hard like iron and stone and were pressed into the iron bedstead so that the iron beams bent to the floor.The solemn exorcism always begins, according to the prescribed formula of the Church, with the recitation of the Litany of All Saints. All those present kneel and answer the prayers. At the beginning the evil spirits usually remained peaceful, but when starting at the petitions: God the Father of heaven, God the Son Redeemer of the World, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity one God, the regular turmoil and gnashing of teeth began. Arriving at the petitions, Holy Mary, St. Michael, they shrank as if a lightning bolt had struck them. A murmuring and muffled groaning arose at the mentioning of the Choir of Angels and the Holy Apostles. “From the persecution of the devil,” the evil spirit jumped up as if a scourge had hit him. “From the spirit of uncleanliness,” how he squirmed! “Through Thy Cross and Passion,” how he moaned and yelped like a beaten cur!What Pained the Devil Most AcutelyAs the exercises progressed one could know precisely what pained the devil most acutely. This was the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. That was always something unbearable for him. How he spat and vomited! At the blessing with the Relic of the Cross, he twisted and raved! Whenever the priest approached him with the cross and the prescribed words: “Look at the wood of the cross! Begone ye powers of hell! The lion of the tribe of Juda shall conquer,” he acted up terribly. It seemed and it sounded as if he wanted to scream: “Stop it, stop it, I cannot bear that, I cannot listen to this!”Even when the pastor approached with the relic of the cross hidden under his cassock, Satan became a raving maniac. “Begone, begone,” he would howl, “I cannot bear that, oh, that is tormenting, it is unbearable!” Also the intercession “Mary, the [[@Page:23]]Immaculate Conception” caused him fearful agony. When he was addressed: “I command you in the name of the Immaculate Conception, in the name of her who crushed the head of the serpent”, he wilted and languished, he bloated up the woman’s body, then suddenly relaxed as though a club had struck him on the head.Holy WaterHoly Water was likewise something hateful to him. Whenever one approached him with holy water he screamed: “Away, away with it, away with that abominable dirt! Oh, that burns, that scorches!” On one occasion a piece of paper was placed on her head, bearing the inscription of a fake Latin prayer. Even the good nuns believed it. In reality they were the words out of a pagan classic. The nuns were very much surprised that he remained so quiet under the experiment. The Father, however, knew the cause of it. Immediately after, he placed a second prepared paper upon the head of the woman, which beforehand he had blessed with the sign of the cross and holy water without anybody noticing it. In an instant the piece of paper was torn into thousands of shreds.Little Flower of the Child JesusWithout the knowledge of Father Theophilus the pastor had kept a small relic of the Little Flower of the Child Jesus in his sacristy in a small pyx. For protection’s sake he one day placed this is a side-pocket of his cassock and entered the convent where the exorcism was going on. He was hardly in the room when the devil began to rave: “Away, away with that! Away with the relic of the Little Flower, away with that weathercock!”Father: “We have no relic of the Little Therese!” “Certainly, this one back there who just entered has one. Away with it!” At the same time the pastor approached with the relic. How the devil began to spit and to resist! At other times the Little Flower played a more important part. One could likewise easily [[@Page:24]]notice what a terrific battle Satan had with St. Michael.St. MichaelAt the very mentioning of this name, he began to recoil. It was a regular torture for him when in the exorcism prayer according to Pope Leo [[@Page:25]]XIII against the fallen angels the solemn petition in behalf of St. Michael was reached. Absolutely he would not listen to the statement, that St. Michael as leader of the faithful angels cast Lucifer together with his legions into the very abyss of hell. It was something very unusual how he dreaded the prayer in honor of St. Michael commonly recited at the end of the Mass. The readers will know it: “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and destruction of the devil. Restrain him O God, we humbly beseech Thee, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host by the power of God cast him into hell with the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”Would that we as Christians recite this prayer in honor of St. Michael with greater fervor and devotion. It was a rather peculiar circumstance that induced Pope Leo XIII to compose this powerful prayer. After celebrating Mass he had an appointment to meet the Cardinals for a discourse. Suddenly he sank down before them as one that had fainted. The doctor was summoned at once, even several of them came. There was no sign of any pulse beating, the very life seemed to have ebbed away from the already weakened and aged body. Suddenly he awoke, was as alive as even a few minutes before and then spoke: “What a horrible picture was given me to see!” He saw what the coming times would be, the misleading powers and the raving of the devils in all countries against the Church. In the nick of time St. Michael appeared again and cast Satan and his cohorts into the abyss of hell. This was the occasion that caused Pope Leo XIII to have this prayer recited at the end of the Mass over the entire world.A Crucifix, or Relic of the CrossAs indicated before Satan dreaded the sign of the cross, a crucifix, or relic of the cross. On one occasion a different cross from the usual cross was handed to Father. Behold, this time Satan broke out in a sneering and ridiculing laughter: “Ha, so you arrived with a pasteboard cross! Since when then did “He” die on a paper cross? If my knowledge doesn’t fail me He was nailed to a wooden cross.”Only now the crucifix was examined more carefully and truly, it was not of wood but of papier-mache (paper pressed together). On another occasion he made fun of the manner in which Christ was nailed to the cross. Were not the feet of Jesus nailed one on top of the other, and not aside of each other? Catherine Emmerich gives the same information. She says that the left foot was nailed first with a shorter nail. Then they took a long and strong nail, at the sight of which the Saviour should have shuddered as they drove it with all force first through the right foot and then through the left. Those that stood near saw very plainly how the nail penetrated both feet.This does not mean, now we are sure how the feet of our Saviour were placed upon the cross, even if Beelzebub’s statement tends to confirm the description of Catherine Emmerich. By no means will we give the father of lies credit as a reliable witness in such things as the crucifixion even if there wouldn’t be the slightest doubt that many devils were personal witnesses to the crucifixion of Christ. In like manner I would not have it misunderstood: now we know for certain that Judas is in hell, since he appeared in person as one of the damned in the Earling case of possession. Holy Mother Church never as yet has given a decision regarding this matter even though the words of our Saviour about Judas are thought-provoking: “It would have been better if that man had never been born.”[[@Page:26]]As days passed by a rather odd experience began to manifest itself in the disposition of the pastor who began to experience a rather strong antipathy against the whole procedure of driving out the devil.ANTIPATHY AGAINST THE WHOLE PROCEDURE OF DRIVING OUT THE DEVILHe could no longer bear the presence of Father Theophilus who had all along been a dear friend of his, whom he had known for years and with whom he had been intimate over a long period. If he would only be out of the way, out of his sight! He now wished that he had refused him the use of church and cloister, and had sent him directly out of the house. He became so worked up about it that he finally opened up his sentiments of ill feeling to Father Theophilus. The latter did not show the least surprise. Such experiences were only too familiar to him from former instances. The case was still in the developing stages and the devil would have recourse to any source of temptation and annoyance to foil the ultimate success of being dislodged from the possessed one.Furthermore the devil used every occasion to display his hatred towards the pastor. “You are the cause of this whole affair, you are the one that tortures us so painfully,” and with similar words did the devil scold him. On one occasion the Father commanded him: “Be quiet, you hellish serpent and once and for all let the pastor in peace! He is not harming you any. I am doing this with the powers of exorcism.” This riled the devil all the more: “It is the pastor! He is at fault. Had he not given you permission to use his church and cloister, you wouldn’t be able to do a thing. And even today if he would retract his assent, you would be helpless against us.”This is a most interesting proof of how the devil feels and recognizes authority. He made this evident to every superior, whilst he acted rather civilly [[@Page:27]]towards the subordinates. It was thus that he never attacked the nuns nor the pastor’s cook. All that was necessary was for the pastor or the mother superior to appear on the scene and the disturbance and raving was on. The mother superior once received such a hard blow in the face that sent her reeling into the corner of the room.He threatened the pastor, Father Steiger, repeatedly : “You will have to suffer for that.”“You can’t harm me anyway. I am standing under the protection of Almighty God and against His power you are absolutely helpless, you detestable hellhound.” “Just wait, I will make you repent of that. I will incite the whole parish against you and I will calumniate you in such a way that you will no longer be able to defend yourself. Then you can pack up and leave in shame and regret.”“If that be the will of God, then God be praised! But against Him you are powerless, you vile serpent, you man killer from the beginning!”“Just wait! I will fix both you and your Lord and Master.”“Ha, how dare you speak thus against the Almighty, you despicable worm crawling in the very dust of the earth!”“No, I cannot harm God directly. But I can touch you and His Church.” And he continued with scorn and sarcasm. “Is it not true ? Do you not know the history of Mexico? There we have prepared a nice mess for Him.”“Who? You? You devils?”“Who else did it?” And then he bragged: “We have brought that about, that was entirely our making. And He will learn to know us better. Lucifer is stirring the kettle for Him, he is on His tracks, and he will make it hot and heavy for Him. Ha, ha, ha.”A week later the devil advanced a little closer upon the pastor with his plans of revenge. “Just [[@Page:28]]wait” he threatened “at the end of the week! Once Friday will be here, then—”The pastor did not take the last threat to heart. He had been listening day after day to the howlings and yelps of the devil and he was getting sick of it. Indeed on a certain Friday the pastor did have a narrow escape.THE EXPERIENCE OF HIS LIFEIt was Friday after Mass was finished the telephone rang in the parish house. It was a call from a distant farmer, whose mother was mortally ill. If the pastor would be so kind and give her the last sacraments of the dying. He wanted to come and get the pastor himself with his own car, but somehow his auto was out of order and he couldn’t find out the trouble. He had been trying over an hour but in vain, it simply would not start. So he asked the pastor to come with his own auto, or to hire a taxi at the farmer’s expense.In a quarter of an hour the pastor, having the Blessed Sacrament with him, was on his way to help the dying. After dispensing the last sacraments he sped again on his journey homeward towards Earling. That road was familiar to him, he had gone that way hundreds of times, by night and day, every bump and stone was known to him. As he was steering a brand new auto he was very careful at the steering wheel, mindful of the devil’s threats, that he might in an unexpected moment trick him. He prayed to his Guardian Angel and to his Patron Saint, St. Joseph, for a safe journey home. Alas, what is up? In an instant something like a dense black cloud sank before the eyes of the pastor. It was just at the place where he was to pass a bridge over a deep ravine. Great God, it seemed as if his eyes were blindfolded. In the next moment a crash, a smashup, that dumbfounded him. He was in a wreck, a mess of ruins. The auto crashed into the railing of the bridge and with an indescribable force, though he had jerked the [[@Page:29]]car into low. The auto was a complete wreck and was dangling on the iron trellis threatening every moment to drop into the deep abyss. The noise of the crash was so loud that a farmer ploughing at a great distance from the scene in the field with a bulldog pacing aside of him and with all the noise about him was struck with terror. Full of anxiety he hastened hither. Great God, it is the pastor’s car! “Father, Father, what is the matter? Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?” Scared to death the pastor slowly crawled out from underneath the debris. His legs would hardly bear him up. Even the steering wheel was in pieces. The surprise was as happens frequently in such instances that the rod of the wheel had not pierced his breast. At once the farmer hastened home and reappeared on the scene with his own car. Abandoning the wrecked car on the railing he took the pastor, still nervous with deathlike pallor, into his own car and hastened directly to the nearest doctor to ascertain if there had been any internal injuries. But thank God, he was not injured. The doctor could only discover some external scars and a state of nervous excitement, but there was no sign of any internal injury. Thank God, that was a great relief!From the doctor’s office they drove straight to the parish house of Earling. Nobody was at home, everybody was over at the convent witnessing the exorcism of the devil, so he proceeded there likewise. Hardly had the pastor entered the room when he was greeted with a roaring laughter full of revenge and bitter spleen: “Hahaha—hahaha!” as if the devil was about to burst in a fit of malicious joy at besting him: “Today he pulled in his proud neck and was outpointed! I certainly showed him up today; What about your auto, that new auto, that dandy car! That went crash to pieces. And so it serves him right!”All present looked highly surprised at the pastor. Indeed he was still pale in the face, but outside of that nothing ailed him. “Rev. Pastor, is it true, what the [[@Page:30]]devil just said?” “Yes, it is true, my auto is a complete wreck. But he was not able to injure me in person.” A quick reply from the devil: “Our aim was to get you, but somehow we could not touch you. It was your powerful Patron Saint that prevented us.”News of this accident soon spread abroad and the people in sympathy with their beloved pastor collected enough to buy him a new car so as not to give the devil any satisfaction at his pranks. Again and again the devil gleefully hinted to the pastor about this incident and thereby warned him to be ready for a whole lot more fun.During this event the devil likewise betrayed himself. He said that he is often back of like auto accidents as a quick way of bringing people into eternal ruin. It is thus that he can get his revenge and let loose his anger since frequently lawsuits result as a consequence and are the cause of much hatred and misunderstanding among people.The reader may make his own conclusion and resolutions following this. It cannot be so readily denied that the enemy of mankind actually plays a great part in such accidents. Is he not a “mankiller from the very beginning?” Hence a timely warning to those that use the auto for evil purposes, decorate it with all kinds of nonsense and even display figures of an alluring attraction. Just for such a need the Church has provided a special blessing under the protection of St. Christopher. It is therefore customary to put one of these blessed medals or medallions in every car for safety’s sake. St. Paul calls attention that the very air is filled with evil spirits.SATAN’S TALKS AND ANSWERSLet it be noted that Satan in his speeches and answers did not use the tongue of the poor possessed girl to make himself understood. The helpless creature had been unconscious for the greater period of the [[@Page:31]]trial, her mouth was closed tight. Even when it was open there was not the slightest sign that the lips moved or that there were any changes of the position of the mouth. It was possible for these evil spirits to speak in an audible manner from somewhere within the girl, possibly they used some inner organ of the body.We know from the early Christian writers who wrote during the early Roman period that the heathens frequently heard voices coming out of their idols. Catherine Emmerich also states this that in these idols the evil spirits took up their abode and could clearly be heard to speak from within them, in order to confirm the heathens in their delusion of idolatry. So it is conceivable how even among the highly educated heathens they worshipped these statues made by the hands of man, offered sacrifices to them as if they were gods. The honor due to God alone they rendered with deepest sincerity to these idols.RATHER EMBARRASSING WAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SATANRather embarrassing was the knowledge of Satan about the sins and the condition of the souls of those present. At that in this case at Earling there were no disturbing revelations made along that line as there were only nuns and the priests present. But even here he would make insinuating remarks: “Is it not so, that you have acted so and so in your past life, that you began this in your childhood days?” Namely he had reference to acts and matter which the one for whom they were intended hardly remembered any more. The evil spirit, however, tried to create a scene about it. To that the party replied: “If before God I am not guilty of greater faults in my later years than these sins of my childhood days, then I am not afraid.” Then followed a most astonishing confession:[[@Page:32]]“WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY CONFESSED, I DO NOT KNOW”What follows from this? Apparently Satan does know only the sins not confessed and not repented. What has been submitted to the keys seems to be out of his reach. From this it would seem that the sacrament of penance blots out or obliterates sins from the soul so as not to leave the slightest vestige for Satan to discover them. Through the sacrament of penance everything so to say is drowned in the abyss of God’s mercy.The rubrics in the Roman Ritual for exorcism thus wisely and on well established grounds demand that all those that shall participate, not only the priest exorcising, but also all that are witnesses as also those called upon to subdue the possessed person, should make a thorough general confession or at least a sincere act of perfect contrition. Once cleansed from sin they are more at ease to face Satan and will not be subject to annoying remarks on the part of Satan for the sins committed in the past.It happened about 40 years ago in a case of possession at Wemding, Germany, that during the process of exorcism they had made the mistake to call in the strongest men of the parish, men of good repute, to subdue the raving young boy. But these good men had no suspicion with whom they had to deal. The horrible beastlike howling and yelping was the least, but what made their hair stand up were the reproofs of the devil about one or the other of these men concerning their secret sins and other mistakes they had made. He described them in the minutest details. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that few people care to be present at such an exorcism, even if they could make themselves useful in many ways. Furthermore, it must be remembered that Satan, the father of lies, often twists small acts into unusually and seemingly grievous ones, and at times [[@Page:33]]purposely distorts them, mixes up truth with falsehood with the intention to create the greatest disorder and lasting enmity.In order to avoid such inconvenient consequences Father Theophilus richer by mature experiences undertakes his exorcism in consecrated or religious houses with only the assistance of priests and nuns. In spite of these precautions even then things have happened. Satan with his shrewd and sagacious mind disclosed hidden matter that made the respective persons blush from shame, yea, made them quiver with fear that he would expose them still more. All the more is God to be praised that such experiences will henceforth be closed under the seal of secrecy and will no longer be broadcast into the wide world.The meanness of the devil and the many odd happenings in Earling became common knowledge in the bordering communities. The pastor of Earling, Father Steiger, had asked his people to unite in prayer and penance and to make visits to Christ in the tabernacle that the evil spirit might soon be mastered. Despite this common knowledge of the unusual happenings never once did one ask to be permitted even out of curiosity for the experience to be an eyewitness. Even if they had asked, permission would not have been granted except to priests from the neighborhood.It has been intimated above that out of the voices coming forth from the possessed woman, four could always be very clearly distinguished. They announced themselves as Beelzebub, Judas Iscariot, the Apostle, Jacob the father of the possessed woman, and Mina for years the concubine of Jacob.The possessed woman, had a clear memory when her godless father cursed her and handed her over to the devil. She did not mention any further details about her unfortunate father, but other sources confirmed that he was one of the worst persecutors of priests and Church. In sensual lust and excesses he was a monster of the worst type, kept his distance [[@Page:34]]from the Church and her sacramental ministrations, and used every opportunity to ridicule spiritual things. If now and then he was present at divine service on solemn feasts his attendance was only a side issue to acquire new material from the sermons or the solemn functions to bolster up his ridicule and criticisms among friends and companions. Hence we can understand how even in his last moments with death staring him in the face, even though a merciful God granted him the grace of the last sacrament of Extreme Unction, he persisted in ridiculing the priest and his actions. As you live, so you die. His concubine Mina, his lifelong adulteress, was fully equal to him in her dispositions. Birds of a feather flock together.What was most surprising was that such a wicked and blasphemous father was blessed with such a virtuous child. Her sincere piety, her pure and innocent disposition, her diligent application was very apparent. Even during the period of possession the devil could not disturb her inner basic disposition because the devil has no power over the free will of a human being. It was evident that together with the above mentioned devils there were also a great number of other unclean spirits in her. Among these especially the so-called dumb devils and avenging spirits made themselves prominent.DUMB DEVILS AND AVENGING SPIRITSThe number of silent devils was countless. They did not display any mark of strength and power, apparently they were from the lower classes. Their voices were rather a confusion from which no definite answers could be gotten. It was no articulate speech, rather a pitiful moaning and subdued howling. They could put up little resistance against the powerful exorcism. It seemed as though they came and left in hordes to be relieved again by other crowds. They reminded one of the traveler’s plight suddenly over [[@Page:35]]taken by a swarm of mosquitoes. A few puffs of tobacco drives them away, only shortly to be pestered again with a similar swarm. Something altogether different were the avenging spirits.AVENGING SPIRITSThese were wild and violent fellows, of rough and ill-mannered character. They were filled with hatred and anger against all human beings made to the image of God. Their whole presence left an ugly and disgusting aftertaste of a mixture of hatred and envy, meanness and revenge, deception and trickery. These were precisely the ones that had threatened the pastor that he would rue the deed, that they would make him swallow his own bitter pill. They had in mind to stir up the whole parish against him, they would misrepresent him wherever they could so that he would have to pack up and leave in disgust. One might presume from this that the devils have not a little to do in bringing about misunderstandings between pastor and people. Often you hear pastors relate how they sacrificed themselves, even ruined their health for the good of the people and despite all their untiring efforts some of the most inconceivable misinterpretations and misrepresentations take place in their parishes. Some people seem to make it their business by word and deed to make the life of their shepherd so miserable as to bring him to the point of despair, all his good intentions bring him only persecutions of the worst sort. Hence it would not at all be amiss for pastors often to use the small formula of exorcism to protect their flock from such meddlings or to use the prayers composed by Pope Leo XIII just for such an emergency.The scheming and plotting of these avenging spirits almost succeeded in inciting the pastor of Earling to white heat against his long time friend, Father Theophilus, no doubt with the intention of diverting the success of the exorcism. He was wrought up to such an extent over the procedure that he had in mind [[@Page:36]]to bring the whole affair to an abrupt close by driving Father Theophilus from his church and convent with the sharpest words of reproof.NIGHT PROWLERSIn the course of these days the evil spirits repeatedly gave utterance to the effect that they would tire and weary the pastor. Once in the middle of the night he suddenly woke up scared stiff. What is the trouble in this room? Are there rats in here? Listen, now it is between the walls near his bed. Is there so much room in there that these rats can run about so freely? During the 14 years that he had lived in the house never yet had he experienced anything of that kind. Was he to be bothered with such miserable pests at last? With his fist he pounded the wall to scare away the animals. But to no avail. He grabs first his stick, then his shoe aside of the bed and pounds on the wall. Instead of letting up it became worse. Perhaps the night prowlers will disappear of their own accord. He waits, and waits. They run up and down between the walls as if possessed, even threatening to bring down with them brick and mortar.He was in need of the nightly rest after all those disturbances during the day. It seemed altogether too foolish. Is there perhaps some relation between these night prowlers and the evil spirits of the exorcism affair? Did not the devil threaten him to tire him out? Perhaps that is what they meant. Then there is only one choice left, use the spiritual weapons of the priest against these intruders. The pastor took his stola and again retires for sleep. At last, the noise let up, but not altogether. “Wait, you cursed hellrats, I’ll approach you a little stronger!” Again he rose, lit two candles before the crucifix and recited the small formula of exorcism against evil spirits. Listen, that is the language these hellrats understood. They took to flight, between the walls it was quiet, they seemed to [[@Page:37]]have been blown off, though before, all the thumping and pounding brought no results.A few nights thereafter again a restless night was spent. Are the doors rattling, is the house quaking? What is it? Oh, it is only a heavy express train that pulled through and these are only the after rumblings of the jarred earth. The railroad track was only a short distance away. He waited for the train to start from the depot, but he heard no move. Perhaps it is the rattling of machinery in the near-by electric shop?He was not aware of hearing that for a long time. Just a minute, there it is again, this time right above the door. Maybe the door is ajar so that a draft is swaying her back and forth. But there is no stop, he has to get up again. But lo! the door is firmly shut. With a firm grip he took hold of the knob, pulling hard, but it did not shake. What, is the devil again at his pranks to tire him out, to rob him of his night’s rest? The pastor took the holy water, sprinkled the door, windows, and room and recited the short formula of exorcism. Again it was quiet, not a stir afoot. “O you miserable Satan, now I know your stealthy cunning. Just wait, I will soon teach you good manners.”Only later it was learnt that other priests who had likewise attended the process of expelling the devil experienced similar inconveniences and annoyances. Even worse happened to them so that they would not retire without having holy water and the stola with them. The noises were so persistent that some of them were obliged to get up at night and seek the place and cause of disturbance and only after praying with book and stola did they find peace again. Such night prowlers have been met with at other cases of exorcism even long after the evil spirits had been driven out of the possessed.[[@Page:38]]HOW THE POSSESSED WOMAN FAREDIt was a daily occurrence that shortly after the formula of exorcism had begun the woman lost consciousness and become utterly helpless. Shortly after the exercises ceased she woke up and was herself again. She always declared that she was not in the least aware what transpired during the exercises. She was quite exhausted and so had to be carried to the place of exorcism. During all this time she could not take any solid foods and only small doses in liquid form were injected. The great surprise was how such a weak creature entirely spent could vomit such quantities of material as indicated above. That she vomited 20 to 30 times a day was nothing unusual and that in surprising masses and a most filthy material.It was almost unbelievable how her weakened body during the three weeks of prolonged exorcism from morning till night could stand the strain. Then added to that the devil abused her body in a terrible way. On one occasion she suffered so intensely that she assumed a death-like color, she seemed ready to pass away any moment. “Great God, she is dying, I will quickly get the holy oils!” broke out the pastor, to whom it certainly would have been something terrible if she had died under these conditions. The rebuke, that the priests caused her death through the strain of exorcism certainly would have been launched against him. Father Theophilus with maturer experience in such matters calmly replied: “Just remain here, my friend, the woman will not die. Absolutely not. It is only one of Satan’s cunning devices. He cannot and will not be permitted to kill her. Absolutely not.”EXORCISM LASTED 23 DAYSThe period of exorcism was extended over an unusually long period of time. Never before did it take so long as far as we know. It lasted just 23 days. And remember well: this was from early morning till [[@Page:39]]late at night. The devil tried his utmost to tire the priests and nuns and to induce them to let up in their untiring efforts. The pastor could not always be present. His care of souls in the parish kept him away at times for hours. Neither was he physically able to sacrifice so many hours of the night for this purpose. Thus it happened that many interesting facts and that some of the terrible happenings took place in his absence for which the others were trustworthy witnesses.For more than two weeks the solemn formula of exorcism was in progress before there were any indications that they could force the devil to depart from the poor helpless possessed woman. Even though Father succeeded through the great powers of the prayers and exorcisms to deliver her from a large number of devils the four meanest and persistent ones could not be dislodged. In place of those cast out swarms of others came. Satan seemed to wager his victory upon the very last resort of hell itself.SUPERIOR COMMANDERIt was very evident that the forces of hell were under the direction of a superior commander who like a general and field marshall sent forth new recruits for battle whenever the veterans in their exhausted condition were forced to retire. What pitiful sighs and pleadings they sent forth. You could hear voices to this effect. “Oh, what we have to put up with here; it is just terrible all that we have to suffer.” There were other voices in between that kept on urging their fellow damned partners not to let up: “And how we will again have to suffer and cringe under him, how he will torture us again, if we return without having accomplished our task.” They clearly referred to Lucifer as the torturer.So as not to give Satan with his hordes any peace whatever Father Theophilus finally decided to continue the exorcisms himself throughout the night, as he expected thereby to achieve his victory. Father was [[@Page:40]]blessed with a muscular figure and a body with nerves of steel. These he had tested out with a rigorous and abstemious life of self-denial that gave him great enduring powers. Yes, almost something superhuman was to be exacted from him. For three days and three nights he kept on without any intermission. Even the sisters who were changing off with each other were on the verge of a breakdown. And even at that the desired effect did not come. It was only with the summoning of his last strength, that he would dare; to continue. And at the close of the 23 days he was completely spent. He had the appearance of a walking corpse, a figure which any moment might collapse completely. His own countenance had apparently aged 20 years during those 3 weeks.The reader may at this time be inclined to ask if the devil did make known things that would be of general interest. For instance the question of Antichrist. What did he have to say about him?It must be clearly borne in mind that the questions directed to the devil and the answers given to them were by no means a comical dialogue between the evil spirits and the exorcist. On occasions a long time intervened before another answer could be forced out of Satan. For the greater part it was a ghastly bellowing, groaning and howling whenever he was coerced to give answer under the powers of exorcism. Often it was such a heathenish drudgery, so exhaustingly tiresome and irritating, that some days Father was wringing wet with perspiration. He had to change his shirt and underwear as often as 3 to 4 times a day, and even had to put on another habit. Towards the close of those terrible days he became so weak, that he placed his entire trust to the supernatural help from above, yes, even pleaded for the grace to be spared his own life. Curious questions not strictly related to the present exorcism were never purposely asked. At times it happened that some of the answers [[@Page:41]]given by the devil suggested other questions not strictly pertaining to this matter. On such occasions Father was snubbed by the devil with coarse and harsh replies: “Shut up, that is none of your business!” Often he used the crisp Latin expression: “Non ad rem!” Which means, “not to the point,” that has nothing to do with this affair.ANTICHRISTOnce he became rather talkative about Antichrist. Namely the time he had so triumphantly referred to the Mexican affair that Satan would stir up a fine mess for Him (Jesus) and His Church far more detrimental than hitherto. Upon the query whether by that he meant perhaps the furious rage of Antichrist against the Church of God he asserted that that was self-evident and insolently continued: “Yes, Satan is already abroad, is already born in Palestine. (On another occasion he also mentioned America.) But he is still young and small. He must first grow up in secret, before he can let you feel his power.” It was in another case that he gave the years 1952-55 as the time when he will make his appearence.A peculiar coincidence is that Catherine Emmerich mentioned a similar period. Reference is here had to her description of Christ’s descent into hell after His death upon the cross: “When the portals of hell were opened by the angels there was a scene of terrible uproar, cursing, scolding, howling and moaning. Individual angels were hurling regular hordes of evil spirits aside. All had to appear and adore Jesus, this caused them the greatest of pain. In the middle there was a bottomless abyss as of night. Into this depth Lucifer was cast bound in chains with darkness all about him. All this happened in accordance with set laws. I heard that Lucifer if I am not mistaken, would again for a time be let free about 50 or 60 years before the year 2000 in the year of our Lord. A number of other devils as a punishment and source of [[@Page:42]]temptation would be released somewhat earlier.”On one occasion when Father insisted that the devil once and for all should depart and return back to hell he growled dog-fashion: “How can you banish me to hell, as I must be free to prepare the way for Antichrist?” Again did he speak out of the possessed: “We know a lot. We read the signs of the times. This century is the last. When they will write 2,000 the end will approach.”Whether thereby the “Father of lies” as our Lord Himself styles Satan, spoke the truth, is hard to judge. In either case we do well if in accordance with our Lord’s suggestion we try to understand the signs of the times. One thing cannot be overlooked that the powers of hell are putting up a desperate attempt in our times to ruin the Church of Christ.* * * * * * * * *On one occasion the evil spirits howled and yelped something fearful when the prayers of exorcism were solemnly pronounced and the blessing with the relic of the cross and the consecrated host was given: “Oh, we cannot bear it any longer. We suffer intensely, something terrible. Do stop it, do stop it! This beats hell two and threefold.” These groans due to their pain and suffering cut to the quick.“Therefore depart for once, ye cursed! It is entirely within your power to free yourselves from these sufferings. At last let this poor woman in peace! I conjure you in the name of the Almighty God, in the name of the Crucified Jesus of Nazareth, in the name of His purest Mother, the Virgin Mary, in the name of the Archangel Michael!”“Oh yes,” they groaned “we. are willing. But Lucifer does not let us.”“Tell the truth, is Lucifer alone the cause of it?” “No, he alone would not be able. Also God’s justice does as yet not permit it. There has as yet not sufficient atonement been made for her.”[[@Page:43]]This admission was valuable. It was a greater inducement than ever to arouse the members of the parish to increase their acts of expiation for her.MORE ATONEMENTIn accordance with the request of their shepherd the parishioners gladly went to church to keep regular hours of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. They stormed heaven to destroy the powers of Satan, to grant the Church the victory to deliver the victim from her oppression. Following the directions of the ritual the pastor kept on encouraging his people to private fast and penance that their prayers would be more efficacious in strengthening the prayers of exorcism. Our Lord Himself, when putting the devil to flight, after beseeching all to pray, told the Apostles: this kind of devils can only be driven out through prayers and fasting. Hence the devil’s own statement that not sufficient penance had been done brought about all the more fervent prayers and severer penances. From now on the faithful flocked to church in large numbers from early morn till late in the evening that by their prayers they might add their mite to the aid of the Church in her mission. It could not continue at great length as the reserve strength of those actually engaged was being vitally sapped.BATTLES BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITSIt was during this time also that the poor woman admitted during her periods of rest that she had seen in spirit terrible battles between the good and evil spirits. Countless numbers of evil spirits continually arrived. Satan sought his utmost not to be outdone this time. Also the good angels came to assist. Many approached seated on white horses (Vid. Apocalypse 19, 15) and under the leadership of St. Michael completely routed the infernal serpents and drove the demons back to the abyss of hell.[[@Page:44]]THE LITTLE FLOWER OF THE CHILD JESUSThe Little Flower of Jesus also appeared to the woman during these crucial days and spoke to her these consoling words: “Do not lose courage! Especially should the pastor not give up hope. The end will soon be at hand.” This took place on a certain evening when the nuns and the pastor’s sister to their surprise suddenly noticed a cluster of white roses on the ceiling of the wall. After a while they gradually disappeared. The pastor noticed the anxious gaze of these ladies directed towards the ceiling but ha himself did not see the flowers.The words of encouragement from the Little Flower gave a new impetus to the priests. Now they knew, thank God, that victory was not far off. During the latter days the devils betrayed great fear upon their return to hell. Father Theophilus insisted upon their departure again and again. They pleaded pityingly: “Anything but that, anything but that.” To be banished to another place, into another creature would have been more bearable, they would have accepted that at once, only not to be driven back to Hell.“But you are already in Hell.”“True, true,” they groaned “we drag hell along with us. Yet it is a relief to be permitted to roam about the earth until (at the last judgment) we shall be cast off and damned to hell for eternity.”THE DEVILS LEAVEGradually the resistance of the devils began to wane. They seemed to become more docile. Their bold, bitter demeanor gave way to more moaning despairing tones. They could not bear the tortures of exorcism any longer. With great uneasiness they explained that they would finally return to hell. But how often are they deceptive and unreliable! Experience teaches that at times they pretend to leave the possessed for a while entirely at ease, in order to side-[[@Page:45]]track the unwary observer and thus purposely deceive him.For this reason did the Father demand with the last energy left in him in the name of the Most Blessed Trinity that at their departure they should give a sign of their leavetaking from the possessed woman the respective names of each one. “Are you going to do that?” They promised with an emphatic “Yes.”It was on the 23 day of Sept. 1928, in the evening about 9 o’clock that with a sudden jerk the possessed loosened the grip of her protectors with lightning speed and stood erect before them. It was only with her heels that she touched her bed. At first sight it appeared as if she were to be hurled up to the ceiling. “Pull her down, tear her down” called the pastor whilst Father blessed her with the relic of the cross: “Depart ye fiends of hell! Begone Satan, the Lion of Juda reigns!” At that very moment the stiffness of her body gave way and she broke down reclining on the bed upon her knees. Such a terrible sound rent the air at that very moment that would have made your body shiver with trembling anxiety: “Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, Mina,” And this was repeated again and again till it faded far away in the distance: “Beelzebub,—Judas,—Jacob,—Mina.” To these were added: “Hell,—hell,—hell!” It was a gruesome, chilling terror that almost made your heartbeat stop. On the other hand it was the long awaited sign that Satan at last had to leave his victim and together with his associates was forced to return to hell.And what a happy sight! The girl opened her eyes and mouth for the first time, something that never took place during the whole process of exorcism. A kind smile rolled over her countenance as if she wanted to say: “From what a terrible burden have I at last been freed!” And she spoke with childlike piety: “My Jesus Mercy! Praised be Jesus Christ!” And that for the first time in 12 years. For 12 years she could not pronounce the sweet name of [[@Page:46]]Jesus with her lips, she had been Satan’s slave. Tears of joy rolled out of her eyes, as also out of all those present.During the first thrills of joy they were not even aware of the terrible odor that filled the room. All the windows had to be opened, the stench was something unearthly, simply unbearable. It was the last souvenir of the infernal devils for those they had to abandon upon earth.All knelt down to say a sincere prayer of thanksgiving. What a day of joy it was also for the whole parish! Te Deum laudamus, Holy God we praise Thy name. Not to us, not to us O Lord, but Thy name is worthy of praise. The woman, sincerely good, pious and religious, from that time frequently paid visits to the Blessed Sacrament and assisted at Holy Mass. Whenever possible she received daily Communion in a most edifying manner. That which was so terrible for her whilst she was under the torturing powers of Satan is now the peaceful joy of her heart and soul.THERESA NEUMANNTheresa Neumann of Konnersreuth also was concerned in this affair. Bishop Eis from Switzerland who had been well informed about the case paid a visit later to Theresa whilst she was in one of her ecstatic visions on Friday. He asked her whilst in her ecstasy whether she was aware of the terrible case of demoniacal possession in America. Upon which she immediately answered: “Is it not so, you mean the case in Earling, Iowa, about which so many priests scoffed and were indifferent!” Then she continued with a most remarkable saying: “The good woman will later again be possessed. This will be for her own personal benefit so as to purify her as also to make complete atonement.” Furthermore the stigmatic girl of Konnersreuth had a terrible vision on the Feast of St. Michael relating to the exorcism that had taken place in Earling. [[@Page:47]]She witnessed the frightful battle between the angels of heaven under their leader St. Michael with the infernal demons under the command of Lucifer. She was so shocked and confused thereby that she expressed later: “If it be not against the will of God, I will ask Him never again to permit me to witness something so terrible.” It was by far the worst that she ever experienced.Father Theophilus is of the opinion based upon his numerous experiences in cases of possession that the hour of Anti-christ is not far distant. Lucifer himself was present for about 14 days, he with all his forces of hell at his disposal tried his utmost to make this a test case. Once Father Theophilus saw Lucifer standing before him in person for half an hour clearly visible, a fiery being like glowing iron in his characteristically demoniac reality. He bore a crown upon his head and a fiery sword was in his grasp. Alongside of him stood visible Beelzebub. During the same time the whole room was filled with flames of fire. Lucifer was cursing and blaspheming in a terrible manner: “If I only could, I would have choked you long ago. If I only had my former powers, you would experience, what I could do to you.” Through the powers of Christ he has been deprived of his original might as also now through exorcism his influence is further diminished. Father asked him once: “What can you accomplish, you helpless Lucifer?” To that he replied: “What could you do, if you were bound like I am.”Among the devils present in the possessed there were also the four demons that had formerly been tied in the River Euphret and that had perpetrated great harm to the Church in the past. Even today as Father Theophilus remarked it is not altogether well, with the Church. This case in Earling, Iowa, brought many priests and bishops to a more serious consciousness of actual conditions. Many of them inquired with a skeptical mind about such matters. They came in the [[@Page:48]]spirit of a doubting Thomas but left humbled with deeper faith.Father who has had nineteen case of possession under his care within recent years seems convinced that present times indicate that we are at the beginning of the great battle between Christ and Antichrist. He also seems to have learnt that Judas will appear as Antichrist and in such a manner that a human person soon after being born of woman shall be controlled and completely ruled by him. The false prophet that shall be next to Antichrist and shall perform wonderful things as also false miracles, will be Lucifer himself. He shall not be born of a woman, much rather will Lucifer construct his body himself from earthly matter in order to plot as a human being among humans. But the faithful need not be afraid, for all the powers of heaven with its countless angels will be fighting on their side. ................
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