Category Archives: exorcisms

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi Has Home Exorcism Performed

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Pope Francis, greets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her husband, Paul Pelosi before celebrating a Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Pelosi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, witnesses said, despite her position in support of abortion rights. (Vatican Media via AP)

Over the Thanksgiving break, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi requested the assistance from the Catholic Church to exorcize the evil left from last year’s attack on her husband, Paul.

Last October, David DePape, a 42-year-old Canadian who was in the country illegally, broke into Pelosi’s three-story townhouse in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco shouting “Where’s Nancy?” He intended to kidnap the former speaker. Instead, he violently attacked her 82-year-old husband with a hammer. Mr. Pelosi’s injuries were critical. He has since recovered. DePape has been charged with 6 felonies.

Speaker Pelosi reportedly felt great guilt over the attack. She was distressed and sought help from her church.

Pelosi is a devout Catholic. The Catholic Church performs thousands of similar rituals annually. According to Father Vincent Lampert, designated exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, he receives thousands of requests at his location every year. The rite consists of various prayers, rituals, and recitations from the Bible. Sometimes the ritual must be repeated.

Father Arturo Albano, St. Vincent de Paul Church, stated his church did not participate.

An exorcism makes sense. She may have had the home re-blessed, foregoing the longer ritual. Whatever course of action, Speaker Pelosi felt the need to re-consecrate her home and protect from any evil that may have been brought in by DePape or attracted to the home from the assault.

A home blessing is common. Clergy can perform the blessing; however, there are online instructions for people to perform themselves. I would caution anyone who undertakes this. Know what you’re doing. All you need is holy water and exorcized salt with a prayer to your God.

Home Exorcism Leads to Medical Diagnosis

20 Sunday Jan 2019

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Home Exorcism Leads to Medical Diagnosis

An Albuquerque, New Mexico, man thought his wife was possessed by the devil. Stephen Gutierrez performed a home exorcism dousing his wife, Lorina, with holy water before taking her back to the hospital, where doctors finally diagnosed her with a rare disease.

Initially, Lorina was diagnosed with the flu. However, she began to suffer from paranoia, memory loss, and the inability to speak coherently. After a brief stay in a psychiatric hospital, Lorina was sent home. Her behavior worsened, leading Stephen to believe she was possessed by a demon.

Stephen took matters into his own hands. He attempted to perform an amateurish—and ill-advised—home exorcism. It didn’t work. Stephen then returned Lorina to the hospital.

Doctors diagnosed the 39-year-old mother of three with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a newly discovered disease where antibodies cause the brain to swell. Tumors are associated with half of all cases. Doctors located and removed a 6” tumor from her ovary.

This is another case where a premature exorcism was performed before a person was competently and completely examined. The Gutierrez family is incredibly lucky. Although Lorina’s disease cannot be cured, it can be treated.

 

5 Things I Learned from The Nun

09 Sunday Sep 2018

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5 Things I Learned from The Nun

  1. Father Burke, played by Demián Bichir, is called a “Miracle Hunter,” not an exorcist. Watch the movie and decide if the correct title is used.

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  1. The Carta Monastery in Romania, the named location in the film, was built by Benedictine monks around 1202-1206. At no point in time did it transfer into the hands of a sadistic Count.
  2. The Corvin Castle, where the movie was filmed, may have a checkered past; however, that past is nothing compared to the story relayed in the film. The Romanian Minister of Culture owns the castle.

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  1. This addition to The Conjuring franchise focuses on the Catholic Church the most. That may explain the couple next to me who left. Using a religious relic from Christ may have been a bridge too far for some moviegoers.
  2. The movie opens claiming, incorrectly, that it is set in 1952 and based on a true story. Most Conjuring franchise fans know this is incorrect. However, there are still many moviegoers—and I mean a lot—who fall for this marketing ploy.

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Meet Me In …

11 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in Colleges & Universities, Conferences, exorcisms, Mothman, Research, Uncategorized

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In addition to my appearance at this year’s DragonCon, Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta, I will be speaking at two academic conferences. These are fantastic conferences on everything related to Pop Culture.

  1. “Using the Paranormal Phenomenon of Mothman to Teach Research.” Pop Culture Association in the South & American Culture Association in the South (PCAS/ACAS), New Orleans, LA, October 4-6, 2018.
  2. “Exorcists Needed: Filling the Gap.” 2018 Annual Conference of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association, Baltimore, MD, November 8-10, 2018.

If you’re attending, look me up. For more information, please visit the organization websites at http://pcasacas.org/dir/2018-pcasacas-new-orleans-conference/ and https://mapaca.net/.

Exorcists Needed: Filling the Gap

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Catholic Church, Churches, exorcisms, Uncategorized

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Exorcists Needed: Filling the Gap

According to the Catholic Church, nearly 500,000 cases of demonic possession are reported every year in Italy. It is easy to extrapolate that there are more people in need. There is a growing need for professionally trained exorcists, denominational and non-denominational included.

A few years ago, the Catholic Church’s Exorcist Benigno Palilla spoke on the Vatican Radio discussing the Church’s push to train more exorcists. These ordained male priests would train for a minimum of one week. Palilla warned of self-taught exorcists. Therefore, the Church authorized the formation of The International Association of Exorcists (IAE) in 2014. The organization has over 200 members working on 6 continents. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church only assists Catholics.

The International Catholic Association of Exorcists (ICAOE) supports ordained Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox people who are firm in their beliefs and want to combat Satan. The organization formed in 2010. It, too, has over 200 members practicing on 6 continents. Founded by The Most Reverend David Biery, Th.D., the organization has helped over 38,000 people. They live by the motto: “all Catholics are NOT Roman, but all Romans are Catholics.”

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Other non-Catholic denominations perform exorcisms. However, this is troublesome, as some feel that anyone can conduct an exorcism without any training. The two aforementioned organizations stress training. The Catholic Church is the One True Church of Jesus Christ. The Rite of Exorcism is uniquely Catholic. Other religions may perform exorcisms; however, they are not conducting the exorcism in the name of Jesus. Be cautious of any non-Catholic religion/church claiming to perform exorcisms in the name of Jesus but discount the role of the Catholic Church. They do not speak in the name of Jesus. They may cause more harm than good.

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Exorcists do not need to be ordained in a religion. Satan works his evil on non-Catholics. Quite a few religions have their form of exorcisms. In fact, an exorcist may not be attached to any church. R.H. Stavis is a female non-denominational exorcist. Read the review of her book at https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2018/02/13/sister-of-darkness-the-chronicles-of-a-modern-exorcist/. Stavis is an example of a Spiritual person who has been called to God’s work.

Exorcists seem to be everywhere in the media. The hit show Supernatural may encourage someone to take up arms. But they should not. Religious affiliation is not mandatory. Experience is.

Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist

13 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Book Review, exorcisms, Uncategorized

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Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist

“I’m just Rachel Stavis, the exorcist next door.”

Self-professed “Goth Barbie” is not your stereotypical exorcist. She’s not a Catholic priest. In fact, she’s non-denominational. She’s incredibly likeable. But most importantly: She’s genuine.

Exorcists need not be Catholic priests. Hollywood likes portraying exorcists as male priests. It’s an oversimplification yet one that audiences expect. Peruse any motion picture listing of movies on exorcisms, and you will find males taking the lead. In reality, women are fully capable of performing exorcisms. Enter R.H. Stavis.

Rachel Stavis breaks the mold and her semi-autobiographical book highlighting some of her most interesting cases showcases her skills as a modern-day exorcist. Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist, published this month, is part biography, part educational reference book. Every paranormal investigator should own a copy highlighting the invaluable information contained within.

Stavis is a professional writer. She has authored 4 books under her initials R.H. Stavis. She is most known for creating the backstory for Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. Yet, something kept tugging her into the paranormal realm.

From an early age, Stavis has seen entities, abstract smoke or blobs floating or attached to humans. She pushed these images aside until finally giving in and embracing whom she would become: Professional Exorcist.

Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist is a refreshing look at the work an exorcist performs. Stavis offers sage wisdom explaining her classification system on the entities she sees. And it makes sense. All of it makes sense.

Sister of Darkness is well written, as well as, well laid out. Stavis’ chatty nature makes for an enjoyable read, even though the topic is extremely serious.

Stavis’ book is a cautionary tale about the dark powers continually working to devour and to disrupt. Heed her warnings. Most importantly, practice what she preaches.

Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist is available online in hardback and electronically. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RHStavis to see where she is signing books.

 

#4: The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)

22 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by in Catholic Church, exorcisms, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Uncategorized

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#4: The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)

Sometimes it’s all in the timing. The Blackcoat’s Daughter debuted March 31, 2017, two years after production ended. Oz (Osgood) Perkins wrote and directed this independent full-length feature film. Originally titled February, this movie is another exorcism, low-budget film worth viewing.

The all-female lead actors save this incredibly slow movie. Two boarding school girls are left at the school over the break. Not friends (played by Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton), they battle their own evil. Enter Emma Roberts. She’s a drifter heading toward the Catholic prep school. The movie unfolds, or rather unfolding backwards. Multiple viewings are encouraged.

Film critics enjoyed the film. The Washington Post’s Michael O’Sullivan sums it up: “Although very little happens in the way of traditional horror-movie jump-scares, Blackcoat builds and builds toward a profoundly disquieting sense that something really bad is coming.”

If there was a genre of arthouse horror movies, this film would be the shining example. Rated R for bloody violence, the movie runs an hour and 33 minutes.