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Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

FEAST DAY: FEBRUARY 11

Preliminary prayer to be said each day:

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings; deign to cast upon us a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favours, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request.

(Mention your request)

Through gratitude for your favours, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

DAY 1

O Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, Virgin and Mother, Queen of Heaven, chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word and in virtue of this title preserved from original sin, we kneel before you as did little Bernadette at Lourdes and pray with childlike trust in you that as we contemplate your glorious appearance at Lourdes, you will look with mercy on our present petition and secure for us a favourable answer to the request for which we are making this novena.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 2

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest yourself shining with light, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child Saint Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception!" O Mary Immaculate, inflame our hearts with one ray of the burning love of your pure heart. Let them be consumed with love for Jesus and for you, in order that we may merit one day to enjoy your glorious eternity. O dispenser of His graces here below, take into your keeping and present to your Divine Son the petition for which we are making this novena.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 3

"You are all fair, O Mary, and there is in you no stain of original sin." "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." O brilliant star of sanctity, as on that lovely day, upon a rough rock in Lourdes you spoke to the child Bernadette and a fountain broke from the plain earth and miracles happened and the great shrine of Lourdes began, so now hear our fervent prayer and grant us, we beseech you, the petition we so earnestly seek.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 4

O Immaculate Queen of Heaven, we your wayward, erring children, join our unworthy prayers of praise and thanksgiving to those of the angels and saints and to your own, that the One, Holy, and Undivided Trinity may be glorified in heaven and on earth. Our Lady of Lourdes, as you looked down with love and mercy upon Bernadette as she prayed her rosary in the Grotto, look down now, we beseech you, with love and mercy upon us. From the abundance of graces granted you by your Divine Son, sweet Mother of God, give to each of us all that your motherly heart sees we need and at this moment look with special favour on the grace we seek in this novena.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 5

O Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our mother, from the heights of your dignity look down mercifully upon us while we, full of confidence in your unbounded goodness and confident that your Divine Son will look favourably upon any request you make of Him in our behalf, we beseech you to come to our aid and secure for us the favour we seek in this novena.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 6

O glorious Mother of God, so powerful under your special title of Our Lady of Lourdes, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare and for the special favour we so earnestly seek in this novena.

(Mention your request)

O Lady of Bernadette, with the stars of heaven in your hair and the roses of earth at your feet, look with compassion upon us today as you did so long ago on Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes.

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 7

O Almighty God, Who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we humbly beseech You that as we contemplate the apparition of Our Lady in the Grotto of Lourdes, we may be blessed with health of mind and body. O most gracious Mother Mary, beloved Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer, look with favour upon us as you did that day on Bernadette and intercede with Him for us that the favour we now so earnestly seek may be granted to us.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 8

O Immaculate Mother of God, from heaven itself you came to appear to the little Bernadette in the rough Grotto of Lourdes. As Bernadette knelt at your feet and the miraculous spring burst forth from the earth, as multitudes have knelt ever since before your shrine, O Mother of God, we kneel before you today to ask that in your mercy you plead with your Divine Son to grant the special favour we seek in this novena.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

DAY 9

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favour we seek at this time, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

(Mention your request)

O brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

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Satanists Install Devil Figure Next to Baby Jesus at Illinois State Capitol, but Catholics React

Satanists Install Devil Figure Next to Baby Jesus at Illinois State Capitol, but Catholics React

During the Christmas season, Christians the world over admire beautiful nativity scenes celebrating the birthof the Prince of Peace in a manger. The Illinois State Capitol has one on display. However, this year, asatanic “baby” Baphomet figure (the devil depicted as half goat half man) received government approval togo on display at the State House rotunda in Springfield, Illinois, right next to the Nativity scene of Jesus,Mary, and Joseph.

Only days before Christmas, The Satanic Temple announced that it would install the abomination onDecember 20, 2021. The Satanists cynically invited the bishop of Springfield to attend the event after hepublished a statement against the sinful act.

Last Minute Crusade

After attending Sunday Mass on December 19, members of the American Society of Tradition, Family, andProperty (TFP) found out about the blasphemy. TFP Student Action director John Ritchie decided that thefourteen-hour drive to Springfield to protest the disturbing event was still possible. In less than 24-hours,thirteen young TFP volunteers reached the Capitol building at 11:00 AM, December 20.

Quis Ut Deus: Who Is Like unto God?

Once inside the Capitol building, local Catholics joined TFP volunteers in prayer around the nativity scene in the rotunda. Two TFP members in their ceremonial habits stood next to the nativity scene holding a statue of the Infant Jesus on a golden damask pillow.

The recitation of the rosary and the Christmas carols echoed into the grand capitol’s cupula. Those gathered to defend God’s honour also displayed banners reading, “Satan has no rights,” “Stop Blasphemy Now,” and “Begone Satan! Mary crushes the serpent.”

A group of Satanists arrived in the middle of the rosary—what a stark contrast. On one side of the rotunda was a group of concerned Catholics holding the Prince of Peace, praying and singing. Just a few feet away stood about twenty Satanists dressed in macabre black, holding a hideous statue of a withered and twisted goat-like creature. All the Satanists shrieked together, “Hail Satan!” while flashing the devil symbol with their hands into the air. Pentagrams and occultist symbols marked their clothing, including the ubiquitous pro-LGBT rainbow flag. One Satanist wore a demon mask with horns.

At one point, a Satanist tried to scream out a type of prayer to the devil. However, his attempt was drowned out by the Hail Marys recited by TFP Student Action volunteers. With holy indignation, the young Catholics boldly said:

  • “Together with St. Michael, we cry: Quis ut Deus! Who is like unto God?”
  • “America is one nation under God – one nation under God.”
  • “Satan has no rights!”
  • “Shame, shame, shame!”
  • “Reparation, reparation, reparation!”
  • “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and crush the head of the wicked serpent!”
  • “Long live the Prince of Peace. Down with the father of lies, a murderer from the beginning.” (John 8:44)

Adoration of the Child Jesus

The satanic blasphemy did not last long. After a few minutes, the Satanists dispersed leaving the appalling “baby” Baphomet imp on display next to the traditional nativity scene.

But the Catholics did not stop praying.

After completing their rosary, John Ritchie encouraged those present to come before the statue of the Christ Child and venerate Him. To the calm strains of “What Child is This?” many stepped forward to kiss the feet of the Divine Infant. Three faithful prostrated themselves in the form of a cross on the rotunda floor in front of the Infant Jesus. One man was moved to tears by the spontaneous ceremony.

Employees at the State House were visibly shocked by the satanic display, and some shook their heads in disapproval and gave the Catholics protesters a thumbs up. One worker at the capitol was so grateful that she joined the rosary, gave a donation, and offered Christmas treats to the TFP volunteers.

“What Child Is This?”

There is a profound spiritual battle unfolding before us. The outcome of this conflict will shape the future of society. The agents of Lucifer are more and more brazen in their mockery of God. In the face of this constant barrage against Christ and Christian Civilization it is easy to become desensitized and forget what is at stake. The temptation is to ignore, disconnect and forget. But we must not be indifferent but rather reject the sin committed with every fibre of our hearts and souls.

Who was attacked on December 20 in such a public forum?

“What Child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!”

Let us gather before the Infant Jesus this Christmas and beseech Him to send His Angels to expel the forces of darkness working to destroy our beloved nation.

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Fighting Satan on the Last Frontier

No Coexistence: When Crusaders Clash With Satanists at Historic Cross

TFP protestingA spiritual battle took place on the Last Frontier as forty local activists joined with members of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property and its Return to Order campaign in Soldotna, Alaska. They were there to protest the Satanic invocation that opened the Kenai Peninsula Borough Public Assembly on June 18, 2019.

The sun shone brightly in the Alaskan afternoon as the red and gold standard of the American TFP was unfurled and a corps of prayer warriors brandished their rosaries to make reparation for the public offense against God.

The lively group of protesters was met by a disjointed opposition. One protester came out with signs promoting abortion and mocked the praying of the rosary. A young woman who joined her even bragged that she had had an abortion and enjoyed it. What united the counter-demonstrators was a hatred of the Catholic Church.

But a battle without a foe is hardly worth fighting, and TFP members were avid to make reparation and engage in open debate.

“We were expecting some people to come,” said Zechariah Long, who flew in from Texas, “But this is amazing!”

TFP member Rex Teodosio encouraged the locals to keep up the fight to defend the public square against Satanism. “I know it is easy to forget about the battles fought here against Satanism, since Alaska is so distant for many.” He said, “But I hope that our presence here will encourage those that are already fighting, and inspire others to join in making their voices heard for God’s truth.”

The delegation also delivered the 25,000 signatures gathered by the Return to Order campaign to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. Satanism is increasingly showing its ugly head in the public. Acts of public reparation and protest are perfect means to show that the devil is not welcome in society.

“We need to remember,” Mr. John Horvat said, “Satan is only allowed to do what God permits him to do. But God expects us to react accordingly, especially when Satanism becomes public.”

“Our efforts are therefore very important,” Mr. Horvat continued, “We must always remember that Lucifer is the eternal loser. And that the Blessed Virgin will fulfill the prophecy of old: She [the Virgin] shall crush his head!”

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When Crusaders Clash With Satanists at Historic Cross

No Coexistence: When Crusaders Clash With Satanists at Historic Cross

Crusaders protesting at Historic CrossSatan showed his ugly head and was crushed by the Virgin at the Bladensburg Cross Memorial in Maryland.

Followers of the Satanic Temple planned a July 10 rally at the Bladensburg cross in Maryland to declare the controversial cross to be a symbol for Satanists. However, Satan received a mighty blow when the Temple members found Our Lady and nearly 130 prayer warriors already on the scene.

On July 10, members of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) hosted a Rosary rally in front of the Bladensburg Cross Memorial. The cross is a solemn landmark, which honours American veterans of World War I. It was the object of a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court battle where enemies of the cross tried to have it torn down. Fortunately, the Court ruled 7-2 in favour of this symbol of salvation.

Members of the Satanic Temple sought to dedicate the cross to those Satanists that died in World War I during their rally. However, Catholic protesters foiled their efforts as TFP members and friends offered reparation and showed their devotion to Christ’s cross. The friends of the cross to the opposition were approximately 130 participants to 70.

To be consistent with its stated purpose, the Temple’s rally should have been held under the cross on the traffic island where it is located. However, police kept people off the traffic island. The prayer protest was right next to the cross. The Satanic rally was far from the Cross, more than one hundred yards away. This can be considered a victory since the Satanists had no direct access to the Cross.

Reliving the Ancient Angelic Battle

Crusaders protesting at Historic CrossThe street across from the towering 40-foot concrete cross was lined with Catholics holding signs that reaffirmed their allegiance to God. One could compare the Catholic crowd to the angels who answered Saint Michael’s call to battle when he said: “Quis ut Deus!” “Who is like unto God?”

The scene became a battle between two polar opposites. On one side were the Satanic Temple supporters. They were dressed in black, playing esoteric music and even wearing devil horns. The noisy mob shouted Hail Satan in unison with arms uplifted with fingers forming horns.

On the spiritual battle scene near the cross, Catholics loudly prayed the rosary and other prayers. No one could miss the 19–foot sign that read: “Begone Satan! Mary crushes the serpent!” Bagpipers played Marian hymns. The enthusiasm of the crowd far outshone that of the other side. The presence of so many Catholics renewing their rejection of Satan humiliated the Devil. Once again, he lost.

The Cross Is a Religious Symbol

The cross is a religious symbol that is venerated by the Catholic Church. The forces of darkness would love to see the Bladensburg Cross turned into a secular war memorial. However, all Christians know Who died on that cross so long ago. Our Lord gave His life upon the cross, sanctifying its wood. Every replica of Christ’s cross is always a reminder to serve God until the end, with all one’s strength and soul – the exact opposite of what Satan did.

For the Satanic Temple to try to appropriate this symbol is not only blasphemous but impossible.

Americans Choose God and Reject Satan

The signs that read: “Honk for the cross” caused an uproar in the traffic. Many gave thumbs up, smiles, or other gestures of approval of the campaign. Many were encouraged by the sound of bagpipes that played traditional and religious hymns.

TFP members wearing their ceremonial habits escorted a statue of the Blessed Virgin to a place of honour, taking their position on a curb across the road from the cross. The campaign participants were confident knowing that Satan is an eternal loser, whereas the children of light have every reason to hope for victory.

By putting the campaign under the patronage of the Blessed Mother, the rally participants were assured of victory and protection. After all, no evildoer has the commission of God to win – while God did bestow such a promise upon the Blessed Virgin – the “New Eve.” Our Lady was given the promise of victory over her enemy, as Saint Louis de Montfort loves to recount in the story of Genesis 3:15. “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” In his book, True Devotion to Mary, Saint Louis de Montfort writes:

“The most terrible of all the enemies which God has set up against the devil is His holy Mother, Mary.”1

With such an august Queen as their general, the rally was assured of victory from the start.

Fighting for God and America’s Future

This spiritual clash of two lineages, between the race of the Virgin and the race of the Serpent, is not an isolated event. The Satanic Temple has shown its head in many public events in recent years. Sadly, these demonstrations do not seem to be slowing down.

Thus, the faithful must legally and peacefully combat these manifestations every step of the way. To give in to complacency would mean the irreplaceable loss of souls – which no Catholic could ever want.

Come and stand in the ranks of Our Lady’s army. Accept her call to defend the Faith publicly. The invitation to be part of this noble cause is now extended.

Footnotes:

  • 1. Saint Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, trans. Fr. William Faber (Spring Grove, Penn.: America Needs Fatima, 2019) 20.

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The Real Sword of Saint Michael

The Real Sword of Saint Michael (PHOTOS)

Saint Michael's swordQuis ut Deus? Who is like unto God? This was the battle cry issued by Saint Michael the Archangel at the beginning of the first war in history, a war which will be fought until the end of time. That is, the struggle between the children of God and the children of Lucifer, that old serpent. It is no surprise, then, that this glorious champion of God’s cause in heaven would be a suitable patron for those devoted to His most sacred cause on Earth.

Devotion to Saint Michael flourished in the Middle Ages, particularly among the monastic orders as they viewed themselves as warriors of Christ. It follows naturally that these spiritual “special forces” in the combat for the salvation of souls would name their monasteries and shrines after Saint Michael the Archangel.

A great, yet largely unknown, sign of this devotion is the existence of a perfect ley line, known as the Sword of St. Michael, which connects a line of monasteries from Ireland to the very heart of the faith, the Holy Land. Let us take a journey through these spiritual battlegrounds.

Skellig Michael (Ireland)

Skellig MichaelThe first shrine to Saint Michael is known as Skellig Michael, a craggy mountainous island off the West coast of Ireland. In the sixth century, Saint Fionan occupied the island and founded a Celtic monastic community there. The monks lived in stone huts and were not only subject to the deprivations inherent to their ascetic life, but also the hardship of sustaining themselves given the difficulty of maintaining crops and herds in such a hostile environment. Despite harsh living conditions, the monks remained faithful.

In return for their fidelity, God rewarded the small community with miracles. As Giraldus Cambrensis, a twelfth century Cambro-Norman Archdeacon in Wales, recounts, the wine used for the consecration in the Mass was constantly in full supply, despite the lack of grapes on the island. Another event that is certainly due to the work of Divine Providence was that after a hundred years of Viking raids — which resulted in the death of countless monks — a hermit of Skellig Michael baptized Olaf Trygvasson, the King of Norway, who in turn brought the multitude of his subjects out of the darkness of heathenism.

It is also said that Skellig Michael is the location where St. Patrick waged his final battle against the serpents, expelling them from Ireland forever.

Saint Michael’s Mount (Cornwall, United Kingdom)

Saint Michael's MountNext in line is Saint Michael’s Mount, the lesser known sister-site of the famous Mont-Saint-Michel in France. Like Mont-Saint-Michel, it is on an island accessible by foot only when the tide permits.

Interestingly enough, many of the religious structures on the island were built by the same monks of Mont-Saint-Michel who received the island as a gift from Saint Edward the Confessor, the King of England in the eleventh century.

Long before it was occupied by any order, the island was a site of pilgrimage because of frequent apparitions of Saint Michael. According to sources from the Early Medieval period, the Archangel who is also the patron saint of fishermen, would guide nearby sailors to safety.

Later, the property was seized by the Crown and used as an outpost against the anti-Monarchist, anti-Catholic forces of Oliver Cromwell. Today, the site can still be visited, although much of the monastery has been assumed by secular buildings.

Mont-Saint-Michel (Normandy, France)

Mont-Saint-MichelLike its holy patron, Mont-Saint-Michel reflects the harmony and sacrality of the union of the religious and military spirit. Easily one of the most recognizable landmarks of Christendom, the abbey-fortress on the Norman coast of France traces its origins to the eighth century when St. Albert, bishop of Avranches, was instructed by Saint Michael in a series of visions to build an abbey on the island.

Around that time, France was plagued by attacks from the Vikings. Because of this new pagan threat, the Franks placed themselves under the patronage of Saint Michael, their defender. Eventually, the Norsemen — or Normans — settled down and converted to Catholicism. Naturally, their affinity with all things military brought them into the fold of St. Michael’s devotees.

Under Abbot Hildebrand II, the plan for the structures of Mont-Saint-Michel that we recognize today began. Despite setbacks, the monumental project was finally completed in 1520.

Unfortunately, the Congregation of St. Maur was forcibly removed from the shrine by French Revolutionaries, who turned the monastery into a political prison ironically named Mont Libre.

Sacra di San Michele (Turin, Italy)

Sacra di San MicheleThe origins of this shrine to the Archangel are steeped in history. Roman Legions used the location as a base and later the Lombards occupied the strategic outpost.

The Catholic history of the Sacra di San Michele begins in the tenth century, when Saint Giovanni Vincenzo, a hermit, was commanded by Saint Michael to build a shrine. Located on Mount Pirchiriano, the task before the saint was practically impossible. By a miracle, however, all of the necessary building materials appeared precisely where the shrine stands today.

Not surprisingly, the site quickly attracted pilgrims throughout Italy and beyond, including notable visitors such as Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, whose nephew was a monk there.

Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo (Mount Gargano, Italy)

Sanctuary of Monte Sant’AngeloLike the other shrines, the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo sits high above the surrounding countryside. However, aside from being the oldest shrine of Saint Michael in Western Europe, it is unique because it was consecrated by the Archangel himself.

In the fifth century, while Elvio Emanuele, 33rd commander of the armies of Siponto and local lord, grazed his large herd of cattle on the mountain, something unusual happened: His prized bull went missing. After a laborious search, Elvio finally found the bull at the mouth of a cave used for dark pagan practices. To get the bull to move, the nobleman fired an arrow towards the animal, but the missile bounced back.

Startled, lord Elvio told the local bishop about the incident. The bishop, equally disturbed, prayed to heaven for guidance. After three days, Saint Michael appeared to the prelate and told him to build a place of Catholic worship at the cave. The bishop procrastinated.

Another miracle associated with the shrine took place not long after when the local town was besieged by a large army. Despite the apparent hopeless situation, Saint Lorenzo beseeched Saint Michael for aid in battle. In turn, the Archangel appeared to him and assured him of victory. When the soldiers of the town met their attackers on the battlefield, lightning and thunder from heaven broke out. When the struggle ended, the enemy was destroyed.

Following this extraordinary victory, Saint Lorenzo, by his own accord and at the behest of the Holy Father, went to consecrate the grotto to their celestial defender. Before he was able to do this, the Archangel announced to the bishop that there was no need to consecrate the site, for Saint Michael had already done so. In thanksgiving, Saint Lorenzo, seven other bishops, and multitudes of clergy and laymen processed to the sacred shrine. As they went, eagles shielded the bishops from the sun with outspread wings and when they arrived, they found a complete altar in place, along with a footprint of the angel.

Saint Michael interceded again in the seventeenth century. At that time, there was a great plague ravaging southern Italy. The archbishop, Alfonso Puccinelli, realized the crisis was beyond a human solution and dedicated himself to prayer. Accompanied by an earthquake, the Archangel appeared to him in splendourous array. He instructed the archbishop to go to the grotto, gather stones, inscribe them with the initials MA (Michael Archangel) and bless them, and distribute them to the sick. The archbishop did as he was commanded and all who possessed the stones were delivered from the pestilence.

Stella Maris Monastery (Haifa, Israel)

Stella Maris MonasteryThe “tip” of the sword rests in the Holy Land, not in Jerusalem, but in Haifa, the site of the Stella Maris (Our Lady Star of the Sea) monastery on Mount Carmel. This is the same place where the prophet Elias resided, who, like St. Michael, wielded his sword against the enemies of God. Is it any surprise then that the spiritual children of this prophet, the Carmelites, live in the same spot as their father once did?

The first Carmelite community on Mount Carmel dates back to the time of the Crusades, when European pilgrims decided to emulate the life of Saint Elias, who they considered to be the first monastic. But their desire to live in isolation and prayer was shattered by the conflict between the Christian West and the Islamic East.

The Carmelites were driven out of the mountain by Saracens in 1291. Four centuries later, the discalced branch of the order returned to Mount Carmel under the guidance of Venerable Fr. Prosper. Only 130 years after rebuilding their community, they were again expelled by Muslims who destroyed the monastery. Undeterred by their setbacks, the holy monks moved their location closer to the mountain cave of the Saint Elias, this time building over the ruins of a Byzantine chapel.

In a subsequent conflict, Muslim forces massacred all the friars at the shrine, dismantled the monastery and used its stones to build a summer palace. The current monastery, a minor basilica, was built in 1836. Today, it is still home to a Carmelite community.

Bibliography:

Zimmerman, Benedict. “The Carmelite Order.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Carmelite Order. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03354a.htm.

“The myths and legends of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.” St Michael’s Mount. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk/explore-the-mount/history-legends.

“ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT.” , St. Michael’s Mount – 1000654| Historic England. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/thelist/ list-entry/1000654.

“The myths and legends of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.” St Michael’s Mount. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk/explore-the-mount/history-legends.

“Skellig Michael.” Historical background. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/skellig-michael/historical-background/.

“Skellig Michael.” Sacred Sites. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://sacredsites.com/europe/ireland/skellig_michael.html.

“Sacra di San Michele.” Wikipedia. September 16, 2017. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacra_di_San_Michele.

“Places associated with St Michael.” HISTORIA VIVENS. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://www.historiavivens.eu/2/places_associated_with_st_michael_1111183.html.

Huddleston, Gilbert. “Mont-St-Michel.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Mont-St-Michel. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10551a.htm.

Carota, Father John. “St. Michael Archangel Apparition Monte Gargano May 8.” Traditional Catholic Priest. May 08, 2015. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2015/05/08/st-michael-archangel-apparition-monte-gargano-may-8/.

Adams, Henry. “Mont Saint Michel.” The Catholic Thing. June 25, 2017. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2017/06/26/montsaint- michel/.

“A Brief History of The Carmelites.” Official Website of the Carmelite Order. Accessed September 26, 2017. http://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/brief-historycarmelites.

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How Saint Michael Saved Brenda

St. Michael Saved Her Life and Arranged a Visit of Our Lady of Fatima

Saint MichaelNever underestimate the power of Saint Michael the Archangel. Sandra, of Ocala, Florida, found this out firsthand. She prayed a novena to the Archangel for her son to overcome an addiction. He was eventually healed. However, Sandra never imagined what her heavenly protector was about to do for her.

On the morning of May 12, 2021, she fell asleep at the wheel of her car, which went catapulting, end over end, through a cow pasture. It flipped seven times, and the first responders are not sure how, but Sandra was ejected from the car and found peacefully lying in a patch of wildflowers.

She was flown to a nearby hospital and spent the next days recovering from eight fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated eye caused by being thrown through a barbed wire fence when she ejected. Little did she know that Saint Michael was preparing something even more unexpected in her life!

Two weeks later, Sandra received a call from Bob at America Needs Fatima. He wanted to schedule a visit of the pilgrimstatue of Our Lady of Fatima with someone named “Mary.” He dialed the wrong number. Sandra was a devotee of Saint Michael, but she was not on the America Needs Fatima list. In fact, she was not even a Catholic. Nevertheless, she enthusiastically asked if Our Lady could visit her home.

On June 16, 2021, America Needs Fatima volunteer Zechariah Long and I took Our Lady to the home of this devotee of Saint Michael. On the table reserved for Our Lady, we were touched to see a statue of the Winged Warrior. We were both impressed by her devotion and marveled at what Saint Michael had done for this woman. He not only healed her son but saved her from what could have been a violent death. We were now standing in her home with a statue of the Blessed Mother. We took the opportunity to give her a rosary and a booklet explaining how to pray it. Since our Lady’s visit, Sandra has expressed a desire to convert to the Catholic faith, and steps are being taken to fulfill her wish.

This story should inspire those who have lost belief in the holy angels and their solicitude for our well-being. God did not just create angels to help little children cross a bridge. They have an unbelievable power to convert souls trapped in addiction and prevent physical catastrophes. Indeed, Bob did not dial the wrong number but called the person for whom Saint Michael had a special love.

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How Saint Michael Saved This U.S. Marine

How Saint Michael Saved This U.S. Marine

Mont Saint Michel

U.S. Soldiers in the Korean War

This is the true story of a Marine wounded in Korea in 1950. Writing to his mother, he told her of a fascinating encounter he experienced in the war. Father Walter Muldy, a U.S. Navy chaplain, who spoke to the young Marine and his mother as well as to the squad commander, always affirmed the veracity of this narrative.

We heard it from someone who read the original letter and retell the story here in all its details and in the first person to better convey some of the impact it must have had when first told by the son to his mother.

Dear Mom,

I'm writing to you from a hospital bed. Don’t worry, Mom, I'm okay. I was wounded, but the doctor says that I'll be up in no time.

But that’s not what I have to tell you, Mom. Something happened to me that I don’t dare tell anyone else for fear of their disbelief. But I have to tell you, the one person I can confide in, though even you may find it hard to believe.

You remember the prayer to Saint Michael that you taught me to pray when I was little: “Michael, Michael of the morning,…” Before I left home for Korea, you urged me to remember this prayer before any confrontation with the enemy. But you really didn’t have to remind me, Mom. I've always prayed it, and when I got to Korea, I sometimes said it a couple of times a day while marching or resting.

Well, one day, we were told to move forward to scout for Commies. It was a really cold day. As I was walking along, I perceived another fellow walking beside me, and I looked to see who it was.

He was a big fellow, a Marine about 6’4″ and built proportionally. Funny, but I didn’t know him, and I thought I knew everyone in my unit. I was glad to have the company and broke the silence between us:

“Chilly today, isn’t it?” Then, I chuckled, because suddenly it seemed absurd to talk about the weather when we were advancing to meet the enemy. He chuckled too, softly.

“I thought I knew everyone in my outfit,” I continued, “but I've never seen you before.”

“No,” he agreed, “I've just joined. The name is Michael.”

“Really?! That’s mine, too.”

“I know,” the Marine said, “Michael, Michael of the morning…”

Mom, I was really surprised that he knew about my prayer, but I had taught it to many of the other guys, so I supposed that the newcomer must have picked it up from someone else. As a matter of fact, it had gotten around to the extent that some of the fellows were calling me “Saint Michael.”

Then, out of the blue, Michael said, “There’s going to be trouble ahead.”

I wondered how he could know that. I was breathing hard from the march, and my breath hit the cold air like dense clouds of fog. Michael seemed to be in top shape because I couldn’t see his breath at all. Just then, it started to snow heavily, and soon it was so dense I could no longer hear or see the rest of my unit. I got a little scared and yelled, “Michael!” Then I felt his strong hand on my shoulder and heard his voice in my ear, “It’s going to clear up soon.”

It did clear up, suddenly. And then, just a short distance ahead of us, like so many dreadful realities, were seven Commies, looking rather comical in their funny hats. But there was nothing funny about them now; their guns were steady and pointed straight in our direction.

“Down, Michael!!” I yelled as I dove for cover. Even as I was hitting the ground, I looked up and saw Michael still standing, as if paralyzed by fear, or so I thought at the time. Bullets were spurting all over the place, and Mom, there was no way those Commies could've missed at that short distance. I jumped up to pull him down, and then I was hit. The pain was like a hot fire in my chest, and as I fell, my head swooned and I remember thinking, “I must be dying…” Someone was laying me down, strong arms were holding me and laying me gently on the snow. Through the daze, I opened my eyes, and the sun seemed to blaze in my eyes. Michael was standing still, and there was a terrible splendour in his face. Suddenly, he seemed to grow, like the sun, the splendour increasing intensely around him like the wings of an angel. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I saw that Michael held a sword in his hand, and it flashed like a million lights.

Later on, when I woke up, the rest of the guys came to see me with the sergeant.

“How did you do it, son?” he asked me.

“Where’s Michael?” I asked in reply.

“Michael who?” The sergeant seemed puzzled.

“Michael, the big Marine walking with me, right up to the last moment. I saw him there as I fell.”

“Son,” the sergeant said gravely, “you’re the only Michael in my unit. I hand-picked all you fellows, and there’s only one Michael. You. And son, you weren’t walking with anyone. I was watching you because you were too far off from us, and I was worried.

“Now tell me, son,” he repeated, “how did you do it?”

It was the second time he had asked me that, and I found it irritating.

“How did I do what?”

“How did you kill those seven Commies? There wasn’t a single bullet fired from your rifle.”

“What?”

“Come on, son. They were strewn all around you, each one killed by a swordstroke.”

And that, Mom, is the end of my story. It may have been the pain, or the blazing sun, or the chilling cold. I don’t know, Mom, but there is one thing I'm sure about. It happened.

Love, your son,

— Michael

Michael, Michael of the Morning Prayer

The prayer to Saint Michael mentioned in the story seems to be this one:

Michael, Michael of the morning,
Fresh chord of Heaven adorning,
Keep me safe today,
And in time of temptation
Drive the devil away. Amen.

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Mont Saint Michel: An Angelic Island on Earth

Mont Saint Michel: An Angelic Island on Earth

Mont Saint Michel

“a sublime example of angelic influence
in Christian Civilization”

The incredible island of Mont Saint Michel is a sublime example of angelic influence in Christian Civilization.

The small patch of land lies in a bay off the coast of Normandy, France, and has held a Catholic presence since the eighth century when Saint Michael the Archangel appeared and requested that a church be erected there in his honour.

Over the centuries, the small church was expanded to an abbey hosting a community of Benedictine monks, then to a monastery with crypts and cloisters, and eventually, to a strategic military position with defensive fortifications and a medieval village.

The mount’s surreal beauty provokes great joy and awe. From the coast, the tower is visible miles away, and at that hazy distance appears like a fantastic mirage more than a solid stronghold. This idyllic view invites marveling souls to turn beyond worldly considerations, and contemplate higher ideals.

The harmony of the military fortifications and the religious abbey perfectly honour Saint Michael in his different attributes. He is the one who rallied the angelic hosts with the cry of, “Who is like unto God?” and cast the rebellious angels along with Satan out of heaven. According to tradition, he is also one of the angels who stand before the throne of God singing eternal praise.

In a word, Mont Saint Michel’s transcendent beauty is an example of divine grace. Grace is the created participation in the uncreated life of God. When men correspond to the grace of God, the great marvels of history are worked and angelic edifices such as Mont Saint Michel are built.

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How Saint Michael Inspires Perfect Knighthood

How Saint Michael Inspires Perfect Knighthood

Saint MichaelThe Catholic calendar reads for the feast of Saint Michael: Saint Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Host fought the rebel angels in the heavenly battle. He continues to lead the battle to free us from the devil. Our guardian angels depend on him. He is the custodian angel of the Church and the one who presents the Eucharistic Oblation to the Eternal Father. We are in the novena of Our Lady of the Rosary and in the novena of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces.

I call your attention to the fact that Saint Michael is the chief who fought against the devil and cast him into hell. He is the leader of the guardian angels of individuals and also of the guardian angels of institutions. He is himself the guardian angel of the Institution of institutions, the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Therefore, he has a custodian function, which one may ask how it relates to his attitude or mission of casting into hell those who rose up against Our Lord, on the one hand, and on the other hand the protection he gives the Church and men in this vale of tears and in this arena of life. And we see that these two missions are related. He defended God; God wanted to use him as His shield against the devil. God wants him to be the shield of men against the devil. God wants him to be the shield of the Holy Catholic Church against the devil. But he is not merely a shield: he is also a sword. He not only defends but also defeats and casts into hell.

This is, therefore, the twofold mission of Saint Michael. This is why in the Middle Ages the knights considered Saint Michael the first of all knights; the heavenly knight, perfectly loyal as a knight must be, ideally strong as a knight must be, pure as an angel as a knight must be, and victorious as a knight must be; a knight who placed his whole confidence in God, and then, after she was born, also in Our Lady.

So we should consider admirable Saint Michael as our natural ally in the struggle; because the counter-revolutionary movement wants to be nothing other than a group of men who execute, on a human level, mutatis mutandis, the task of Saint Michael the Archangel; in other words, to defend the honour of God, the glory of Our Lady, the Catholic Church, and Christian civilization. Therefore, we see this has an enormous affinity with us and that it is very fitting for counter-revolutionaries to make Saint Michael the Archangel their special patron.

Dom Guéranger has a text on the angels’ contemplative devotion:

“The Church considers Saint Michael as the mediator of her liturgical prayer. He stands between humanity and divinity. For His own glory, God, Who has established in admirable fashion the visible and invisible hierarchies, abundantly uses in His service these heavenly spirits who incessantly contemplate the adorable face of the Father and who know, better than men, how to contemplate the beauty of His infinite perfections.”

This is where it goes on to say that Saint Michael also presents the Eucharistic oblation to the Eternal Father. And this is also how he appeared to the three little shepherds at Fatima — with the chalice in hand.

“Mi – cha – El: who is like God? Of itself, this name expresses, in its brevity, the most perfect adoration, the most complete recognition of divine transcendence, and a creature’s humblest confession of his own nothingness; he is, therefore, the model of humility.”

Because he who exclaims that no one is like God, exclaims that he himself is nothing; this is perfect humility. The knight’s form of humility is not a gooey, sugary and illogic sentimentality.

“So also the Church invites the heavenly spirits to bless the Lord and sing His praises; to laud and bless Him incessantly. This contemplative vocation of the angels is the model of our own, as the beautiful preface to the Sacramentary of Saint Leo reminds us. It is truly fitting to render graces to Thee Who teaches us through the Apostle that our lives are meant for heaven; Who benevolently wishes us to transport ourselves in spirit to the place where these whom we venerate serve Thee, and especially to soar to those heights on the feast of the blessed Saint Michael the Archangel.”

This is a remarkable trait of devotion to the angels. The angels are inhabitants of the heavenly Court. And in the heavenly Court they live in eternal contemplation, a contemplation of one who sees God face-to-face; and all the great mystics tell us about their visions of parties that are held in heaven, which are true feasts indeed. They are not mere images or chimeras; they are true feasts in which God successively manifests His grandeurs and they acclaim Him with new triumphs which absolutely never end.

There is a heavenly happiness, a sense that heaven is the homeland of our soul and precisely the order of things for which we have been created; the one that fully corresponds to all our aspirations. There is such a sense of heavenly happiness through the face-to-face contemplation of God, Who is the absolute perfection of all things that some of it can and must transpire to earth. And in epochs of true faith some of that happiness filters down; something of that piety is felt by pious souls and communicated through the most pious ones to become a common treasure of the whole Church.

And that is what we lack so direly nowadays: One has no idea of heavenly happiness; and without the idea of a heavenly happiness one has no appetite for heaven; and people wallow in the sheer craving of the goods of the earth. But if they were able to understand even for a moment what the consolation of the Holy Ghost is like, what a grace from the Holy Ghost is like, what type of happiness the consideration of the heavenly goods actually brings; if they were able to understand that even for a minute they would begin to become detached from the goods of the earth and to understand how everything is fleeting, how all this is nothing, how there are values which are above all this and make the earth a little handful of dust.

That is exactly what is missing and what the angels can obtain for us; they, who are inundated with this happiness and, once in a while, communicate it to the saints. There is a kind of mystical phenomenon which is a concert — Saint Thérèse the Little Flower experienced it and tells about in The Story of a Soul — a marvellous, faraway concert with marvellous, otherworldly harmonies. It is a little bit of the eternal canticle of the angels that thus arrives to the ears of the blessed, precisely to give them an appetite for the things of heaven.

This appetite is abysmally absent in our times. Many people are only interested in and enthralled with things of the earth — money, politicking, worldliness, trivia in the daily news — but they are not enthused with elevated things, doctrinal things, and even less for specifically heavenly things.

Let us therefore ask the angels to communicate to us this desire of heavenly things with which they overflow. This is an excellent intention to be added to the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel: that he make us his imitators and perfect knights of Our Lady on this earth.

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This Is How Saint Michael Cast Out Satan From Robbie Mannheim

This Is How Saint Michael Cast Out Satan From Robbie Mannheim

Saint Michael

This Is How Saint Michael Cast Out Satan From Robbie Mannheim

This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the only documented exorcism in the United States of America.1 This is important because one of the biggest lies of the devil is to convince mankind that he does not exist. This perhaps explains the stunned reaction of audiences to the dramatized version of this exorcism in the 1973 movie The Exorcist.

The scenes in the film were so gruesome that they caused many theatre-goers to throw up while others fainted and had to be taken away by ambulance. One man leaving the theater said it best: “I believe, I believe!” This was the testimony of someone who once again believed in the devil.

While the vivid scenes of the movie showed the horror and repugnance of demonic possession, it left out the most important part of the true story of this possessed Maryland boy. He was freed from the devil’s clutches through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima and the power of Saint Michael.

Ouija Board and Possession

The central figure in the story was a teenager known by the pseudonyms “Robbie Mannheim” or “Roland Doe.” While Robbie’s true identity and that of his relatives remains a secret the details of the extraordinary events of this 1949 exorcism were meticulously recorded in the book Possessed by Thomas Allen.

Robbie grew up in Mount Rainier, Maryland. As the only child of Karl and Phyllis Mannheim, (also pseudonyms) he would often play games with adults. One such person was his Aunt Harriet, a spiritualist, who lived in St. Louis, Missouri and frequently visited the Mannheims. During a visit in January of 1949, she taught her thirteen-year old nephew how to use a Ouija board.

Not long afterwards, the Mannheims noticed strange things happening around their son. They heard strange noises in his room such as the incessant sound of dripping water and later a scratching noise like claws scraping across wood. Around the same time, Aunt Harriet died and Robbie began using the Ouija board as a means to contact her. He would use the board for hours on end, until the game became for him a possession, both figuratively and literally.

Soon, his parents noticed alarming physical abnormalities on their son’s body such as scratch marks, welts and bruises, which appeared for no apparent reason. More disturbing still was the personality transformation. Their normally quiet, timid boy suddenly became aggressive with frequent outbursts of anger and violent temper tantrums directed at them. He began to speak in Latin, a language he had no means of knowing. That is when the parents decided they needed help.

They tried everything from a regular medical doctor, to psychologists, psychiatrists and even a psychic before finally turning to their minister, Rev. Luther Miles Schulze. While the parents already considered the possibility of diabolical possession, Pastor Schulze was skeptical. He looked upon possession “as a medieval relic, something that had been left to Catholics when the Luther-led Reformation split the Christian world.”2

“You Have to See a Catholic Priest”

Rev. Schulze decided to find out for himself what was going on by inviting Robbie to spend a night at his home. That night he watched with his own eyes as Robbie’s bed moved back and forth then jumped up and down. When he asked the boy to try to sleep in a chair, it moved across the room then fell on its side leaving Robbie sprawled on the floor. When Schulze could not stand the chair upright, he realized he was in the presence of a colossal force, and had a change of heart. He took Robbie home and told his parents, “You have to see a Catholic priest. The Catholics know about things like this.”3

The Mannheims then visited St. James Catholic Church not far from their home. Fr. E. Albert Hughes was chosen to assist the parents yet proved totally unsuited for the task. He saw Robbie’s potential for violence and ordered him to be put under restraint at a hospital.

As Father Hughes began the ritual prayers, the boy managed to free his arm from restraint, reach underneath the bed and remove one of the bedsprings. He then used it as a weapon and slashed opened the priest’s forearm from wrist to elbow. It took one hundred stitches to close the wound.

Shortly afterwards, the Mannheims moved to St. Louis, Missouri to stay with Karl’s brother George and his wife Catherine. Terrifying things continued to happen to Robbie. Their daughter, Elizabeth, who was a student at St. Louis University, approached her professor, Fr. Raymond J. Bishop, to tell him about her cousin.

After an initial evaluation, the priest turned the case over to Fr. William S. Bowdern, S.J., pastor at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, who was eventually assigned by then-St. Louis Archbishop Joseph Ritter to perform an exorcism. Fr. Bowdern, described by a fellow Jesuit as “totally fearless,” was assisted by Fr. Walter Halloran and Fr. William Van Roo.

The Fatima Story Leads to Conversion

From the very beginning of the exorcism Father Bowdern placed Our Lady of Fatima in the center of the fight. On his first visit to the home on March 11, 1949, he was speaking with the Mannheims when they heard terrible screams upstairs coming from Robbie’s room. When they entered, the boy was sitting up in his bed and was visibly frightened by what he sensed was an evil presence in the room. Father Bowdern boldly placed his rosary beads around the terrified boy’s neck and began to pray the rosary.

After he finished, Father Bowdern preached a “spontaneous homily,” in which he “told Robbie about three children around his age who had seen something that other people had not seen.”4 Father Bowdern then explained the Fatima apparitions and how those children received the special privilege of seeing the Mother of God whose name is Mary. This helped explain the Hail Mary to the boy, who was not Catholic.

The teenager was fascinated by the Fatima story, and Father Bowdern repeated it several times over the next thirty-eight days. This led Robbie to inquire more about the Catholic Faith and ultimately led to his conversion and later that of his parents.

On March 23, he began his study of the catechism and was baptized on April 1. The following day Robbie received his First Communion. Father Bowdern wisely suggested that because it was the first Saturday of the month, they pray the rosary in honour of Our Lady of Fatima.

On April 10, Palm Sunday, Robbie was taken to nearby Alexian Brothers Hospital and admitted to the psychiatric wing. This provided the exorcist more privacy but also means to deal with the boy. After his baptism, the devils which possessed Robbie became more violent. Upon his arrival, “Brother [Rector] Cornelius brought a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and placed it in the main ground floor corridor.”5

“I Will Not Go Until a Certain Word Is Pronounced”

Over the next weeks, Father Bowdern and his assistant priest endured unspeakable insults, blasphemies, filthy language and even violence from the devils who possessed the boy. At one point, Father Holloran had his nose broken when Robbie hit him with a precise blow with his eyes closed.

Through the whole process, Father Bowdern pondered something the devil had uttered in the beginning. “I will not go,” the guttural voice said, “until a certain word is pronounced, and I will not allow this boy to say it.”

During Holy Week, Father Bowdern had great hopes that Our Lord might free Robbie on the day of His Glorious Resurrection. On Holy Saturday, Brother Cornelius had a statue of Saint Michael brought to Robbie’s room and placed in the corner.

However, Easter Sunday came and went, but the next morning something truly extraordinary occurred. Robbie awoke in a fury and the same foul voice taunted the priests. “He has to say one more word, one little word, I mean one BIG word. He’ll never say it. I am always in him. I may not have much power always, but I am in him. He will never say that word.”6

Whenever the evil spirit manifested himself in Robbie, he would always go into what appeared like a seizure. The boy’s voice on these occasions was distinguishable by its cynical, harsh and diabolical tone. Throughout the day, Father Bowdern and his assistance heard this voice. That night however something changed. An entirely different voice come forth from Robbie.

“I Am Saint Michael and I Command You”

At 10:45 p.m., Robbie became very calm and entered a trance-like state, as was usual. However, those in the room were surprised when they heard a completely different voice come from the boy. The voice did not provoke fear and disgust but rather confidence and hope. In clear and commanding tones an august personage said:

“Satan! Satan! I am Saint Michael, and I command you, Satan and the other evil spirits, to leave the body in the name of Dominus, immediately. Now, NOW, NOW!”7 Robbie then went into the most violent convulsions of the entire exorcism. Finally, he became calm again and said to those surrounding his bed: “He is gone.”

Robbie explained what he saw. Saint Michael appeared as a very beautiful man with flowing wavy hair that blew in the breeze as he stood in the midst of a brilliant white light. “In his right hand he held a wavy and fiery sword in front of him. With his left hand he pointed down to a pit.”8 The boy described how he felt heat come forth, but also he saw the devil laughingly resist Saint Michael.

What happened next clearly showed that the devil was outmatched by the abrupt appearance of his angelic nemesis on this spiritual battlefield. Saint Michael turned towards Robbie, smiled and then spoke. However, the only word that Robbie heard while in the trance was the one which his tormentor had sworn he would not allow him to say, Dominus. With that one word, Robbie was free at last.

After these horrific events, Robbie went on to lead a normal life. He eventually married and named his first son Michael after the warrior angel who came to his rescue in time of urgent need.

Fr. William Bowdern remained the pastor of Saint Francis Xavier until 1956. While it might have seemed that his life also went on as usual, the opposite is true. Relatives say that, until his death in 1983 at the age of 86, this heroic priest suffered mentally and physically from what he endured during the exorcism.

“I Believe, I Believe!”

This stunning victory of Saint Michael over the devil in the case of Robbie Mannheim is merely the continuation of a war that started in the beginning of creation. The fact that this particular episode between this Angel of Light and his eternal enemy centered on one word, Dominus, is not surprising. It is actually linked to the Fatima message.

In one of her apparitions to the three children, Our Lady said that if mankind did not convert Russia would spread her errors throughout the world. One of the errors, actually the principle one, is egalitarianism, a philosophy that rejects any superiority. To refer to someone, actually anyone, as Dominus—Latin for Lord—is an outright affront to the egalitarian spirit. This explains the almost child-like joy shown by Saint Michael when he smiled at Robbie before categorically pronouncing that “detestable” word. He thus reaffirmed God’s superiority but also his power over the enemy of man.

In the seventy years since this exorcism, the belief in Satan—even if a Hollywoodian version—has actually increased. Very lamentably, belief in Saint Michael and the angels who are waiting to come to aid the faithful has decreased. One should therefore meditate on the extraordinary story of this warrior angel’s intercession in the life of a defenseless boy and repeat the words of the man leaving the theater in 1973: “I believe, I believe!”

Footnotes:

  • 1. While there have been many exorcisms, this reference is to the only one that was meticulously documented by the Jesuits who performed it.
  • 2. Thomas B. Allen, Possessed: The True Story of An Exorcism, (iUniverse, 1994) p. 17.
  • 3. Ibid., p. 24.
  • 4. Ibid., p. 70.
  • 5. Ibid., p. 201.
  • 6. Chad Garrison, "The True Story of the St. Louis House That Inspired The Exorcist" https://m.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/hell-of-a-house/Content? oid=2491650.
  • 7. Chad Garrison, "The True Story of the St. Louis House That Inspired The Exorcist"
  • 8. Possessed, p. 290.

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