Deliver Us from Evil (40 page)

“Give me a break, Captain,” I said. “I'm trying to get promoted here.” Seeing my serious look, he didn't push the joke any further.

After the review, Vinnie came up to me. “There's something I've been wondering,” he said. “What is this exorcism stuff the captain was talking about?” When I gave him a quick rundown, he was amazed. “You're kidding! Tell me more.” I did, and he was so interested that he's phoned me several times since to talk about exorcisms—and God. During these talks, he told me that our chance conversation had sparked an intense spiritual hunger in him. Although he was already a Catholic, from that moment on he became more religious. God can enter your life just as suddenly as the demonic can. Once God was foremost in his mind, Vinnie realized that up to that point, his life had been dismal and dead. Rediscovering his faith gave him renewed hope, helping him cope with some personal problems he was having at that time.

I take no credit for Vinnie's return to faith, just as Joe and I take no credit for the successes we've had in the Work. We know better than to swell up with pride, because these victories have nothing to do with us. All credit belongs to God, who works through people for His greater glory. Our payment—our glory—is serving His will. Two of the most important commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor. There are many ways of showing this love. Some people visit the sick and read to them. Some people donate their time to soup kitchens to feed the hungry. Some go into prisons to spread the word about God. My act of Christian charity is to help people who fall under the sway of the Devil. It's just one charity in a sea of charities offered up to God.

It troubles me when I see the Web sites of some paranormal investigators. You'll see boasts like “We're number one. We're the famous ghost hunters.” I know how these people work. They'll go out on a case and it's circus time. Some of them exploit people's pain and fear for financial gain, by charging for their services. Others want to be paid in publicity and walk in with news cameras and reporters to further their own fame. Instead of trying to help people who are snared in a living hell, they're too busy taking infrared photos and exclaiming “Wow, look at this! The temperature dropped!” Then they'll say “Good-bye and thanks for all the good stuff,” while the frightened family is saying “Please don't go! We're being thrown out of bed at night. We're getting beaten up and terrorized by something we can't even see.” But the ghost hunters don't want to hear it. “It's just spirit and that won't hurt you,” they'll say. Or maybe they'll brush it off as electromagnetic energy—or tell the people to consult a shrink.

That's a travesty of everything Joe and I believe in. We're not in this for the hoopla. Our only concern is to help people solve their problem, if we possibly can, then leave—leaving the family with the name of Jesus on their lips. We're not out to sell T-shirts, as some of these people do, or enrich ourselves. Like everyone who goes up against ultimate evil, we've paid a price. When I look back on my very first case, I had no idea that I was crossing a dangerous line when I decided to battle the Devil. As to my wife and daughters, they had no say in the matter and were dragged along with me. Being involved in the Work has caused problems in my marriage and my home life, but I will not blame it all on the demonic. Even with all the adversity we've had to deal with, Jen has given me her support in many ways that have enabled me to continue the Work.

As a husband and father, I don't like my family to experience these things, but the graces from God outweigh the negatives. So I continue in the Work, and look forward to helping more people who are caught up in the very dangerous and terrifying world of the demonic—a world where nightmares become real. People often ask, “Why does God allow this to happen?” That's one of the toughest questions to answer, since God allows things to happen for His own reasons. I'm a firm believer that evil does not go unchecked. Whenever something bad happens in someone's life, something good comes out of it. Jesus asks us to follow Him and pick up our cross. Some of us suffer so others can benefit. How can they deny the existence of God when they are victims of the demonic?

As I close the door on the cases in this book and anticipate new battles I may embark on in God's name, I think of my favorite quotation from Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “There are 10,000 times 10,000 roads down which we may travel. It makes no difference which, but at the end of those roads, you're going to see one of two faces, either the beatific face of Jesus or the miserific face of Satan. One or the other, there's no escape.”

 

LETTER TO THE READER

I hope you've enjoyed my book. If you have any comments, or want to contact me, you can reach me by writing to me care of my publisher, St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Since I continue to work full-time on the New York City police force and remain involved in the Work, my free time is extremely limited, but I'll try to respond as quickly as I can.

May God bless you and keep you,
Ralph Sarchie
Bethpage, New York

 

APPENDIX I:

PRAYERS OF EXORCISM

The following prayers are excerpted with permission from the third edition of the
Catholic Laypersons' Exorcism Prayer Manuel
,
*
by Joseph Forrester. These are the prayers we actually recite in our cases. They've been reviewed by Father Malachi Martin, who thought so highly of them that he recommended them to other Catholic clergy. We invite you to use them yourself, if you wish. The symbol “†” indicates that the sign of the cross should be made at this point in the prayer.

*   *   *

Prayer when preparing to repulse the attacks of powers of darkness or their human agents, and when arriving at a site of demonic infestation.

†

Eternal God, Our Father, let not the enemy prevail against us, nor let the son of iniquity have the power to harm us. For our faith is in you our God who made heaven and earth, not just in our religious beliefs or the power of our prayers. Rather, it is in you our God who can do all things if You choose. So Father have mercy on us, grant us the grace of perfect contrition that we may be cleansed from all sin, attachment to sin, plans to sin, and fond memories of sin. Free us from any false prideful belief that we deserve to be punished for our lives.

Forgive us O Lord so that in right relationship to Jesus—we as members of His mystical body, may claim His authority over all spirits not in worship to Your Holy Trinity. Send us the holy Paraclete to purify our hearts so we may truly forgive all who have wronged us, and let the Holy Spirit illumine our minds and wills—so we may proclaim Your Son who told us: “Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to all creation … and these signs shall attend those who believe … in My name they shall cast out devils … they shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall be healed.” (Mark 16: 15–18)

†

“I will go to the altar of God—the God of my joy and my youth.”

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil … take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one; and accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the spirit gives you. Do all this asking for God's help.” (Paul to Ephesians)

†

In the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of His precious blood shed on the cross at Calvary, we as members of his mystical body and fully imbued with the Holy Spirit, bind all spirits not in worship to the Trinity not to interfere with, impede or evade our holy work. We adjure you in Jesus' name not to hurt or molest any living creatures of God nor bother in any way ourselves, our loved ones, our families, our friends, our neighbors or acquaintances, even our pets or homes and personal property now and in the future.

We beg God send his angels to block all psychic powers sent against us. And we plead the blood of Jesus over every living creature in our lives, in this building on this land and in this place or neighborhood. And in Jesus' name we take authority over all spirits of any kind not in worship to the Trinity from the North—South—East—West, in the air and below the ground, in fire, water and nature. By the power of the precious blood we bind these forces in Jesus' name.

Heavenly Father, mark not our sins but the faith of Your church and send Your warrior angels to rebuke all forces of evil that are presently among us; let them clear a path before us and link arms around this building and property to prevent all communication between the enemy here and elsewhere.

We ask this in Jesus' name not for our own ego, reputation or to impress any being—rather knowing our sinfulness we offer this work for the glory of Thy name. Amen.

*   *   *

“Not by might, nor by power but by My spirit say the Lord of Hosts. You will succeed because of My spirit though you are few and weak.” (Zechariah 4:6)

*   *   *

This is a modified version of the Pope Leo XIII exorcism prayer, which the Holy Pontiff gave express permission to all Catholics to say in their own name to repulse the attacks of evil. Such permission, once given by the Vicar of Christ, may not be revoked by anyone at any time. This version has been modified by addition only; no deletions were made from the original form, which received the imprimatur from Manuel, Bishop of Barcelona, December 19, 1931, and again from Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, February 24, 1961.

†

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Glorious prince of the Heavenly Host, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the conflicts which we have to sustain “against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places.” (Ephes. 6:12) Come to the rescue of men, whom God has created to His image and likeness, and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.

It is Thou whom Holy Church venerates as her guardian and protector, Thou whom the Lord has charged to conduct redeemed souls into Heaven. Pray, therefore, the God of Peace to subdue Satan beneath our feet, that he may no longer retain men captive nor do injury to the Church.

Present our prayers to the Most High, that without delay they may draw His mercy down upon us. Seize “the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan,” bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit “… that he may no more seduce the nations.” (Apoc. 20:2–3)

Exorcism

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, by the power of His Precious Blood, and strengthened through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, of St. Michael, St. Rafael, St. Gabriel, and all the Heavenly Host, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints; we, in union with the mystical body of Christ, baptized and sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and given authority over all evil spirits by our Lord Jesus Himself, now confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Him flee before His face. “As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.” (Psalm 68:2)

V. Behold the cross of the Lord! Flee bands of enemies.

E. The lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David, hath conquered!

V. May Thy mercy descend upon us.

R. As great as our hope in Thee.

*   *   *

We drive you from us whoever you may be, unclean spirits, satanic powers, infernal invaders, wicked legions, assemblies and sects, all malfeasant workings or creations and all spirits not in worship to the Trinity. In the Name and by the virtue of our Lord Jesus Christ (†), may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb (†).

Cease by your audacity, cunning serpent, to delude the human race, to persecute the Church, to torment God's elect, and to sift them as wheat (†). This is the command made to you by the Most High God (†) with whom in your haughty insolence you still pretend to be equal (†), the God “who will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4)

†

Binding

In the Name of Jesus Christ Crucified, we plead His Precious Blood against all inhuman and human spirits not in worship to the Holy Trinity and all evil—attacking and desecrating (this child of God), (these children of God), (this creature of God), and infesting (this home) (this place) (this land) (this thing).

Furthermore in Jesus' Name, we bind you evil spirits by His Precious Blood that you may not transfer into any living or dead person or creature nor take refuge within or in any inanimate object; that you will remain silent; that you will not harm any person, creature, place or thing while you remain, depart or at any future time in any way, nor will you cause any such harm now or at any future time.

V. The Blood of Christ binds Thee!

R. O Father in Heaven—in Jesus' name so be it!

†

In the Name of the Father—depart!

In the Name of the Son—depart!

In the Name of the Holy Ghost—depart!

In the Name of the Holy Trinity—depart!

In the Name of Mary, the Immaculate Conception—depart!

In the Name of St. Joseph, Protector of Jesus and Mary—depart!