Beware the Night
Authors: Ralph Sarchie
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Contents
13.
A Deadly Sin
Appendix I: Prayers of Exorcism
Appendix III: Act of Consecration to the Virgin Mary
THE DEVIL COMES TO NEW YORK
A
S THE PAIN
in my head got stronger, my stomach churned and I felt like I was going to vomit. There was no outward sign of anything that I could see—just a feeling of hellish terror and absolute evil. I was too frozen to move my lips or speak, so in my mind I commanded the demon to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. It released its hold on me just enough so I could reach the bottle of holy water in my pocket. I threw holy water at the doors and was able to back away to the stairs …
Once I reached the living room, where the family was waiting, the pain and the sick feeling disappeared. I took Joe aside and told him what happened.
“Ralph, I think you should take a look at this,” he said, handing a note the “ghost” had dictated … the night before.
One sentence leapt out: “Harm will come to those below. Beware the night!”
To my beautiful daughters, Christina Marie and Daniella Ann, your love and support in my life has enabled me to carry on. My whole world revolves around you both, and I feel God has blessed me. I will love you both forever. To my grandson Jacob Michael, God keeps blessing me and I love you little man.
R
ALPH
S
ARCHIE
To John, Alison, Georgia, and Rosalie, you lift my spirit with your love and laughter.
L
ISA
C
OLLIER
C
OOL
A special dedication to the late Father Malachi Martin, one of God’s great warriors.
Foreword
N
O ONE CAN
claim to be a Christian, much less Catholic, who doubts or denies the Devil. Christ came to redeem mankind from the dominions of Satan and his apostate legions of fallen angels. “Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [on the cross] will draw all things to myself” (John 12:31–32). The instances recounted in the Gospel of Jesus casting out devils from possessed persons demonstrate the reality of these unseen spirits. In the words of the Church’s traditional prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, they “wander the world seeking the ruin of souls.”
Today more than ever! Along with the ever-expanding abyss of immorality engulfing the world is a deluge of preternatural demonic infestation. The Devil’s hand in immorality is on the ordinary level—Satan is the standard-bearer of sinners—but the demonic infestation involves his invasion of mind and body. When I was ordained some forty years ago, diabolical obsession and possession of people was almost unheard of—something the average priest, even though ordained an exorcist, would hardly encounter in his lifetime; something confined to the theology textbooks. But today, for those who have eyes to see, it is almost commonplace.
Exorcism exposes the Devil behind the veil of all too many, if not most, “psychiatric” cases. He talks to you, he defies you, he threatens you. He torments his victim in front of you and can test every fiber of those restraining him. Not in every case—in some he plays deaf and dumb—but in enough to show the pattern.
Whence this deluge? It stems from the spread—nay the plague—of the occult. In nine out of ten cases, the victim of demonic oppression has had connection, directly or indirectly, with witchcraft, open or disguised. This connection ranges from the possession of superstitious artifacts, such as Ouija boards, to “harmless” charms and outright satanic rituals. In between the two extremes are Charismatic and New Age movements. Satanism itself has been accepted as a religion, and there is even a “Bible” of Satan. Those who seek knowledge and power outside the order instituted by God seek it from His enemy and stand, for their correction, to be handed over to His power and suffer the consequences.
Ralph Sarchie, author of this book, is well qualified to write on the demonic. For years he has been investigating cases of it, and he, with others, has stood by me in exorcisms. Without assistants to restrain those who may become violent, it is perilous, as I have indicated, to exorcise anyone who is possessed. No subject, I daresay, could be of more practical, if not urgent, interest. May this book serve the humanitarian purpose for which it has been undertaken.
Bishop Robert F. McKenna, O.P.
Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel
Monroe, Connecticut
Preface
I
NEVER SET
out to write a book about the supernatural. I am a New York City police sergeant, and cops write about police work, not demons, ghosts, and exorcism. But I live in two worlds: one of cop life, down and dirty in the streets with very real blood and guts, and one plagued by a different sort of crime, perpetuated by forces that are evil beyond imagination. These worlds seem very far apart for most. People ask me, “How can you see all that gritty reality as a cop for sixteen years and then believe in the spirit world?” But I have found that most cops do believe in spirits, and, most important of all, the vast majority believe in God and are religious people. That makes me happy because what cops see every day can have a corrosive effect on spirituality. I have experienced that effect firsthand.
It is because of my profession that I can distinguish between the two worlds and know that the preternatural and supernatural exist. To live in the world of crime and justice helps me to deal with the reality of pure evil when it strikes real people with real terror. As Joe Forrester, my partner in spiritual investigations, so eloquently says, two different types of evil exist: primary evil, which comes from the Devil, and secondary evil, which is the evil that people do. Although all evil stems from the Devil, I am not always quick to blame the Devil for the nasty deeds that one human being can inflict on another. I know the difference between human and inhuman evil when I see it.
I had no idea what I was letting myself in for when, a decade ago, I started in “the Work,” investigating haunted houses and cases of demonic possession. Like police work, it takes its toll on you, but I have no regrets. Due to the Work my faith has grown, and my love for Jesus Christ is just as real as the love I have for my wife and children. When you read this book, keep one thing in mind: The book is not about some cop or the Devil, it is about God. When you read about a situation that seems hopeless for the people involved, always remember that with God all things are possible. Although some of the people I write about continue to experience their troubles, one thing has changed for them: God has now entered their lives, and He makes it bearable for them to live with their spiritual problems.
Before I go on to acknowledge the many people whom I have become friends with due to the Work, friends I hold dear in my own way, I want to say that I have always handled my investigations in an honest, straightforward, and professional manner. Everything in this book taken from my cases is exactly as it was told to me by eyewitnesses or from what I observed personally. These events are documented in my notes, and in the video- and audiotapes I’ve made of my investigations. My experiences are not embellished in any way; I have changed some names and certain identifying details to protect the privacy of families or individuals who sought my help.
To my daughters, Christina and Daniella, I have no words to express my love for you both, and I thank God every day for the special blessings that you are. You are my pride and my joy, and I will love you both for eternity.
My mother, Lillian, has always been a source of joy and inspiration for me—keep smiling, Mom. My father, Ralph Sr., has taught me more than he will ever realize: Dad, your guidance has enabled me to reach this point in my life. To my sister Lisa, although you are scared witless about the Work, you have unfailingly given me your support, and your kindness is heartfelt. To my godson, Joseph, my nieces Stephanie and Jessica, and my nephew, Vincent, may the good Lord watch over you and smile on you all your days. To all my brothers and sisters in the New York City Police Department, you do a fantastic job serving the people of this city.
To Bishop McKenna, without your love for God and humanity, many would suffer. You have given me and countless others the opportunity to carry on. To Sister Mary Philomena, I owe you special gratitude for so graciously leading me to the Blessed Virgin Mary and teaching me that the rosary is a devotion that I should not be without. To all the Sisters at Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel, thank you for all your kindness and prayers. Monsignor Richard M., you gave generously of yourself, and your friendship is greatly valued. Father Mike S., Father Mike T., Father Frank P., and Father John F., I rejoice in your friendship and your prayers. Brother Andrew, I have no words to honor you enough for all that you have done for me, both in the Work and in my personal life. Without you I don’t know how things would have turned out for me, but you know better than anybody.
Without these people, the Work would have been next to impossible. I thank each and every one of them for giving of themselves and being dedicated to the service that they provided to the children of God. Phil W., Rose W., Chris W., Tony B., Antonio and Vicki B., Kathy D., Fred K., Dennis M., Millie M., Marie P. (may you rest in peace), Scott S., John Z., Joe Z., Dean L., Steve I., David A., and Matt M.—although I have lost contact with some of you, you will forever be in my memory and prayers.
Lisa Collier Cool, thanks for putting up with me on this journey. I could not have a better writer working on this book with me. Jimmy Vines, this was all your idea, and I thank you for having faith in me. Doug Montero, your interest got the ball rolling and for that I am grateful. Joe Veltre and Joe Cleemann, your editorial wisdom has been a tremendous help in guiding this book to publication.
And last, but not least, to my special friend and partner Joe Forrester: From the very beginning, you have taught me the most in the Work, and your everlasting friendship is cherished. You are a man I have entrusted with my life on so many occasions without hesitation. Thank you for all your guidance and your help in writing this book. With the grace of God our friendship will last throughout the ages, in this life and the next.
I would like to leave you, the reader, with one thing. You can tell me that you don’t believe a damn word that I say about my cases and the demonic. If you’re skeptical, that’s okay—but if just one person tells me that he believes in God after reading these stories, I will walk away from this project smiling. I know if you are that person, you’ve won half the battle.
God bless you all,
Ralph Sarchie
Bethpage, New York
Chapter One
The Halloween Horror
I
HATE
H
ALLOWEEN
. It wasn’t always this way: When I was a child, I liked to dress up and collect candy from the neighbors; and when I was a little older, I was one of those guys who would go out with eggs and shaving cream, ready for a night of nasty fun. After I became a cop, patrolling dangerous public housing projects, I saw another side of this holiday: Every pervert and nutjob in New York thinks it’s suddenly open season on kids. At the Forty-sixth Precinct in the South Bronx, where I work as a sergeant, the 911 calls start pouring in. We race from one crime scene to the next, our sirens screaming, locking up the animals who prey on children as fast as we can. But awful as the crimes of man can be—and in my sixteen years on the police force, I’ve seen more blood and gore than you could ever imagine—they’re not the only evil that intensifies on October 31.
Halloween has a malevolent history: According to two-thousand-year-old legends, it’s the night when spirits of the dead roam the world, intent on playing terrifying tricks. To appease ghosts, our ancestors used to leave food offerings outside their homes and sacrifice animals. Early Europeans feared that these marauding spirits had a much darker motive: They were hunting for live bodies to inhabit. To prevent possession, it became the custom to wear a mask or disguise on the Day of the Dead, as this holiday is known in some countries. The ancient dread of this date is rooted in more than just folklore or superstition, I discovered after I entered what I now call “the Work”—investigating haunted houses and demonic possession. Almost invariably, I get a sudden surge of cases around the end of October, either on Halloween itself or the day before, which, appropriately enough, is called Devil’s or Mischief Night.