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It's the First Day of School for Aspiring Vatican Exorcists


ROME (Oct. 14) -- It was the first day of school, so some students were understandably nervous. But then again, they were not taking just any course, but one run by a Vatican university to teach aspiring demonologists and exorcists.

Alessia Pierdomenico, Reuters....

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051014003009990005


10-14-05 06:13 EDT

I was told a story when I was a postulant with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in NYC. One of the friars said that [while it is not widely known] Fr Benedict Groeschel is one of the Archdiocese's exorcists.
Once, when Father was going to perform an exorcism in a church, he and another Capuchin friar snuck into the choir loft to observe.
A little nervous in the dark, candle-lit church, they waited as the ceremony began.
When the organ started playing BY ITSELF they ran down the stairs and out of the church to safety!
-Daniel

I think a certain Fr. James LeBar is the chief exorcist of the New York Archdiocese!

The Chicago Archdiocese has its own chief exorcist but the name of our devilbuster has not been revealed to the public.

Amado

Wow, good story Iconophile.

To be an exorcist one must be very holy or else the evil one will exploit and taunt all the priest's sins.

Alice, who is a fan of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, and who has been blessed to have spoken to him personally at his lectures here in N.Y.

Yes, actually I, one bored within 10 minutes of most homilies, could listen [and have listened] to Fr Benedict for hours; he possesses the right combination of earthiness, holiness and orneriness...
Definitely holy, but definitely not a plaster saint [or an egg tempera saint, for the Orthodox.]
Daniel

Dear Alice and Daniel:

Yes, Fr. Benedict is one heck of a priest!

Have you had the chance to ask him how he survived, at HIS age, when he was struck by a car down in Florida?

Amado

Dear Daniel,

Yup, Father Groeschel does have an incredible personality just as you said...just the right amount of sanctity, just the right amount of humour, just the right amount of earthiness, and absolutely the right amount of all encompassing love and pastoral charity for all, and, in all, situations.

His well known Good Friday sermons are long, but you hardly take note of the length at all, as they are perfect in their enlightened subject focus and spiritually amazing.

In Christ,
Alice

No, I haven't spoken to him since I got too many kids to attend the March for Life in DC in January, for a long time our annual reunion. [I haven't attended for the last five years or so...]
I have my suspicions about his survival: the same combination of holiness, earthiness and orneriness of which I spoke!
-D

And Alice- You should hear him when the cameras aren't on him; he is so funny, and so earthy...I could tell you some great South Bronx stories. But we're getting off-topic, I believe.
-D

Dear Amado,

I haven't spoken to him since, but judging from the many prayers sought by the Franciscan Friars, it must have been nothing short of a complete and total miracle. Thank God that He saw fit, in His Divine Wisdom, to keep Father Groeschel around for all whose souls benefit from his ministry.

In Christ,
Alice

But ofcourse it is his unique quintessential New York humour that makes him so endearing!

Infact, once he was approached by some NY Jewish men on a flight. They said that they loved watching him. A little perplexed, he replied, but you are Jewish?! They replied, "yes, but your humour is SO Jewish"!!!!

Amadeus- "at his age"? Fr Benedict is, I believe, in his early 70s.
When I hung out with him he was in his mid 50s; he seemed much older, had already had a couple of heart surgeries. He seemed not long for this world.
That is, until we went to Italy, with him as the tour guide. He wore us young men out; the man has tremendous energy, not unlike Fr John Hardon, SJ, who taught me theology in the early 80s, and seemed near death at the time.
Of course, he lived another 20 years or so, devoted all the while to intense apostolic work.

Such men have sources of strength that we can only speculate about...

-Daniel

Alice- So true! He is practically a Yiddish Catholic!
Once, when I was living in NYC, I accompanied him on one of his many charitable missions.
We went to a very poor neighborhood in the South Bronx, back when it was a burnt-out and desolate landscape.
We were bringing food to a poor Puerto Rican woman. Father warned me ahead of time: "She lives with a poor Jew; the guy is the schlepp of the world."
We walked up the tenement stairs and gave our gifts to the woman, and her obviously hangdog Jewish friend was sitting at the table in the dimly lit room.
After chatting for a while, we headed down the stairs.
"Hey Father", I said, "You were right, that was the schlepp of the world."
"That wasn't the guy", Fr Benedict replied, "That was another schlepp!"
-D

Iconophile,
Sorry for seeming a little sceptical but it sounds something like a scene from the "Ghost and Mr Chicken", I mean the organ playing by itself.
Love the Icon you have, is it Our Lady of Mt Carmel?
Stephanos I

Thank God for him.

I think he helps to make up for Mother Angelica not being on EWTN now. It takes someone special to pull off the humor that they both have.

This is kind of an intersting story on exorism of Salvador Dali http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2005-10-12_1530421.html