Exorcist Diary #343: Seven Reasons Why the Demons Don't Leave by Msgr. Stephen Rossetti

 You can read the original text here.

Daily we receive emails from people who are discouraged, even despairing. They say they have done everything possible to get rid of the demons tormenting them, but without success. They ask, "What should I do?"

I offer seven reasons, culled from our experience, why demons have not yet left a person, despite their best efforts:

1. Underlying Demonic Portals Still Open. A beginning step in getting rid of demons is to discern how they entered one's life and to shut that process down at its very root. Serious sin is always an opening to Satan. Not uncommonly, those who revert back to the faith after years of sinful behaviors, often have vestiges of their previous life and engage in addictive thinking, self-defeating behaviors, and superstitious actions. It takes quite a while to fully purge the inner self of demonic thinking and replace it with a true life of faith.

This is a well-known principle in Twelve-Step work. After the person has stopped their addictive behavior, there are still many inner layers of dysfunctional thinking ("stinkin thinkin" as it is sometimes called) which need to be slowly expunged. There must be a deep conversion to the Gospel vision, before the demons completely lose their foothold.

Question: Have you taken on fully the mind of Jesus and expunged the sinful, demonic world from your heart?

 

2. Deep Connection to the Dark World. Many people who come to us have a deep connection with the occult and the dark world. Some have parents or a spouse or sexual partners who are actively engaged in such occult or other evil practices. As soon as the Exorcist lifts the present curses, they are replaced by more. Once such a deep intimate connection with the dark world is established, it can takes years to break the "soul-ties" of these intimate relationships and to nullify all the related curses and malefices.

Similarly, people with years of themselves practicing the occult, witchcraft, pagan rituals and the like have, by their own hand, deeply immersed themselves in the dark world. I do not think that people today realize the gravity of such sins and the spiritual devastation that accompanies it, regardless of one's intentions. For example, there is no such thing as "good" witchcraft. If you have spent years practicing the occult, worshipping pagan gods (who are likely demons), it will usually take years to undo it.

Those who revert back to the faith after years in the occult often have vestiges of their previous life. They engage in magical thinking and superstitious behavior. Replacing this with the true life of faith in Jesus will take much time. It will usually be a long, difficult process of spiritual warfare and purification.

Question: Is there someone with whom you have a deep connection practicing the occult? Have you yourself willingly engaged in dark world practices?

 

3. Unhealed Inner Traumatic Psychological Wounds. Many who come to us have been deeply traumatized in the past, including suffering extensive abusive behaviors as a child. While the Exorcist can cast out the current demons, the person is never fully freed from their demonic affliction until there has been extensive inner healing.    Many come to exorcists expecting them to cast out all their inner trauma and turmoil. While he can assist you with spiritual healing, inner trauma and psychological woundedness need to be addressed in other ways. Satan is an opportunist and he will exploit these wounds until they are largely healed. We find that those who have done years of this healing work are much more quickly and fully liberated from Satan's torments.

Question: Have you addressed and brought inner healing to the traumas and hurts of your past?

 

4. Not Engaging in Sufficient Positive Practices. Some people come to an exorcism expecting the Exorcist to do all the work and they remain somewhat passive. In reality it is about 70/30: the Exorcist does about 30% of the work, but the real "heavy lifting", about 70%, must be done by the afflicted person. It is not enough to be rid of the "negative," (i.e. demons), one must fully engage the "positive" (i.e. fully take on the life of Christ.)

To wit, the afflicted should not only be going to Mass and Communion AT LEAST once a week, they should be engaged in an intensive spiritual journey. It should include monthly confession, daily meditation on Scripture, daily deliverance prayers, daily rosary, spiritual retreats, and a houseful of sacramentals (e.g. crucifixes, holy water). They should be actively involved in their Church, perhaps even engage in a charitable ministry. While these practices might be initially difficult for the fully possessed, they are an important part of the process of liberation. Ultimately, an exorcism is a process of conversion to a fully Christian life.

Question: Are you actively engaged in taking on the mind of Christ and have you fully taken advantage of the many powerful spiritual resources available to you?

 

5. Feeding the Demons. While the afflicted person may have closed the initial demonic portals, more than a few people are hard to exorcize because they are "feeding the demons." Demons feed off: stuck anger, unforgiveness, lack of faith, spiritual pride, fear, and isolation. If you are afraid of demons and intimidated by them, and if you lack faith in Jesus to protect and save you, this will strengthen the demons. This is very common in the early stages of an exorcism.

If you harbor unforgiveness, resentment and anger in your heart, you will never be fully liberated. If you think you are a special chosen mystic soul and are uniquely spiritually gifted, you are likely being deceived by demons. Spiritual pride is one of Satan's favorite sins and perhaps his worst. Also, an isolated soul is more vulnerable to the wiles of the demons; a fully Christian life is lived in a community of the faithful.

Question: Are you feeding the demons?

 

6. No Demons Present. It is common that people who are absolutely convinced they have demons actually do not. And if the local exorcist tells them so, they will reject his advice and start shopping for another exorcist.

For example, those with major mental illnesses are often convinced they have demons. They suffer an inner chaos and torment, and hear "voices of demons" in their heads. They will often be quite insistent they need an exorcism. But when they are prayed over, there are typically no demonic manifestations and years of exorcism prayers yield no perceptible benefit.

Similarly, there are many who ascribe their inner conflicts or long series of unfortunate life events to curses, witchcraft and/or demonic torment. Again, when prayed over, they do not manifest a true demonic presence. These people are not mentally ill so much as simply have erroneously ascribed to Satan what actually comes from very difficult life circumstances. Life can be very ugly, without it being directly from demons.

Question: Are you willing to entertain the idea that perhaps your sufferings are not directly caused by demons?

 

7. Not God's Time. Demons ultimately do not decide when they will leave. God is in charge .... of everything. I have seen some people deeply immersed for years in witchcraft being liberated in a few months. I have also seen people with much weaker demonic portals whose cases drag on for years. Typically, a case of full possession takes us about 2 to 4 years of intensive work. In one case of possession that dragged on, I commanded the demons to tell me why they would not leave. They responded, "He won't let us go." It was obvious who "He" was. The demons were suffering horribly and wanted to leave, but it was not God's time.

Question: Do you believe that God is in charge and are you willing to accept His will and His timing?

 

These reflections really raise the question why God allows people to become possessed by demons at all. In truth, most become possessed by demons because of evil perpetrated by themselves or by someone else with the evil directed at them. God gives us free will but sadly we often abuse it.

Demonic possession is an evil caused by humans. Nevertheless, when the soul turns back to the Living God, a demonic affliction, endured in faith, can be a powerful source of great sanctification. Indeed, everything in our lives can be a source of grace when endured in faith and trust in God.

Our advice to those afflicted by demons, and indeed all of us, is the very simple yet profound prayer which has become a kind of "motto" for us: "Jesus, I trust in you."

Salvo D’Acquisto

 

 Ypu can read the original text here.

 Young Man Who Took the Blame for a Crime He Didn’t Commit and Saved 22 People to Be Canonized

 

Pope Francis Approves the Beatification of Italian War Hero Salvo D’Acquisto

It was the year 1943, and the hardships of World War II had spread across all of Italy. On September 23rd, when German troops occupied the town of Palidoro, near Rome, a bomb exploded in an abandoned barracks, injuring the invading soldiers.

 

A soldier like many others amid the Nazi invasion

In retaliation, the Nazis arrested 22 people from the town, chosen at random—shopkeepers and street vendors who suddenly became hostages. As if that weren’t enough, they sought out the highest-ranking military officer. They couldn’t find one in the town itself, but in a nearby village, they captured Salvo D’Acquisto, a 23-year-old deputy brigadier in the police force known as the “Carabinieri.”

The young officer was tasked with identifying who among the prisoners had planted the bomb that exploded when the Germans occupied the barracks. D’Acquisto explained that none of those people could have done it—they were simple civilians. But the Germans tortured him and warned that if he didn’t name the culprit, all 22 would be executed.

Salvo and the prisoners were then taken to the beach, where a German officer lined them up and asked each one if they were responsible for the bombing. After everyone said no, he handed them shovels and ordered them to dig their own graves.

 

A death still remembered by Romans today

While digging in agony, Salvo wrestled with a redemptive idea in his heart. A quiet, shy young man, deeply religious, with intense prayer life and profound spirituality, he felt a strong inner call to bear witness to his faith with his very life.

Salvo D’Acquisto finished digging the grave assigned to him and walked up to the officer. He made the ultimate offer: his life in exchange for the freedom of the other 22. He took full responsibility for the explosion and claimed to have acted alone. The officer accepted. Placing him at the edge of the grave he had dug, he ordered a machine-gun execution. After Salvo fell, the officer fired a final shot to his face with his pistol.

Salvo D’Acquisto’s martyrdom shows that even in despair, the protection of the innocent can prevail.

This is how to live love for one’s neighbor to its ultimate consequences, as taught by Jesus.

 

A mother’s pain and the war that is always a defeat

The young soldier’s body was heroically recovered by local women, who gave him a proper burial in the town’s cemetery. In 1947, Salvo’s mother managed to have her son’s remains transferred to Naples, his hometown. There, he was honored with military ceremonies, repeated again in 1986 when his body was permanently transferred to the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

The martyrdom of Salvo D’Acquisto has become a shining example for young people. The Catholic Church recognized his heroic virtues. On February 25, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the beatification of this Christian hero and martyr.

"The Apparition of Our Lady of Caravaggio".

translated from Portuguese. You can read the original text here. 

Almost 600 years after Our Lady appeared in Caravaggio, Italy, the message she left to Joaneta remains almost entirely ignored and consigned to oblivion. It is time for you to learn this story.

 

God, rich in mercy and omnipotent, who gently governs all things by His providence, out of a compassion that never abandons any faithful without His heavenly help, deigned one day to look upon, assist, and even honor the people of Caravaggio, Italy, with the apparition of the Virgin Mother of God.

In the year of our Lord 1432, on May 26th, at five in the afternoon, a 32-year-old woman named Joaneta, from the village of Caravaggio—daughter of Pietro Vacchie and wife of Francesco Varoli, known to all for her virtuous habits, Christian piety, and sincerely honest life—was outside the town, on the road to Misano, deeply concerned with carrying home bundles of fodder she had gone to cut for her animals.

Then Joaneta saw a most beautiful and admirable Lady descend and stand beside her—majestic in stature, with a graceful face, venerable appearance, and indescribable, unimaginable beauty, wearing a blue dress and a white veil over her head. Struck by the noble Lady’s venerable appearance, Joaneta exclaimed, “Virgin Mary!” Immediately the Lady said to her: “Do not be afraid, daughter, for it is I myself. Stop and kneel in prayer.”

Joaneta replied, “Lady, I have no time now. My horses are waiting for this fodder.” The Most Holy Virgin then said again: “Do now what I want from you…” Saying this, she placed her hand on Joaneta’s shoulder and made her kneel. She continued: “Listen carefully and remember this well, for I want you to always repeat it whenever you can, either by mouth or by having others say it…”

With tears in her eyes—which, according to Joaneta’s testimony, seemed to shine—she added: “My most high and almighty Son intended to destroy this land because of the iniquity of men, for day by day they do more evil, falling from sin to sin. But for seven years, I have implored my Son to have mercy on the sins of humanity. Therefore, I want you to tell everyone, each and every one, to fast on bread and water every Friday in honor of my Son, and that after Vespers, out of devotion to me, they should celebrate every Saturday. They must dedicate that half of the day to me in thanksgiving for the many and great favors obtained from my Son by my intercession.”

The Virgin spoke all these words with open hands, as if distressed. Joaneta then said, “People will not believe me.”

The most merciful Virgin replied, “Rise, do not fear. Tell what I have commanded you; and I will confirm your words with signs so great that no one will doubt you have spoken the truth.”

Having said this and making the sign of the cross on Joaneta, she vanished from her sight. Immediately returning to Caravaggio, Joaneta recounted all she had seen and heard. Then many—believing her—began to visit that place and found there a spring never before seen by anyone.

Sick people began to come to this spring, and later more and more, trusting in God’s power. News spread that the sick were healed of their ailments by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Mother of God and the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him, to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit be praise and glory forever for the salvation of the faithful. Amen.

 

When and by whom was this account written that conveys so suggestively—and with the sobriety of a Gospel—the story of the dialogue between Our Lady and the visionary Joaneta, echoing that explosion of graces that—like the spring found by the first pilgrims where the Virgin Mary appeared—has since illuminated this sacred place?

We do not know. We do know that for centuries the parchment was kept in the main sacristy of the church, and that the Bishop of Cremona, Dom Cesare Speciano, during a visit to the sanctuary on April 27, 1599, had it transcribed as the “official document” of the apparition and all that followed, including extraordinary healings. From 1932, the parchment was kept in the bishop’s chamber near the sanctuary but was later removed, and it is unclear by whom, when, or why.

Unfortunately, today it is not possible to submit this article to a paleographic analysis to deduce a more certain dating, although an internal examination of its content and style can be made.

Although classified as “ancient” by historians, the writing cannot be considered contemporary with the apparition. Then, to when does the text date? The only thing we can say for sure is that it was written before April 27, 1599, the date of Bishop Speciano’s pastoral visit.

Nonetheless, no one can fail to recognize the substantial value of this “memory”: the narrative style, the text’s maximum focus on the dialogue between Mary and the visionary, and on the “signs” characterizing the 1432 apparition; the Madonna’s tears and sorrow; the spring that burst forth at the apparition site, without unnecessary additions or devotional expansions.

The Sign of Water and the Gospel - In its own way, the spring of miracles makes the Gospel present here and now. The early witnesses understood this so well that they “recorded” the healings with evangelical phraseology:

 

August 10, 1432. Stefano, son of Gabriello di Zenalij, from Trevì (Treviglio), four years old, had never walked alone, as his mother attested; but as soon as he was washed in the spring, he walked confidently on his feet without any support.

 

The sign of water accompanies the history of the people of the Old and New Covenants and characterizes many sanctuaries built where the Mother of Jesus appeared. It is no coincidence that its presence was “decisive” when Christ performed His first sign, turning water into wine. Through water, in fact, He healed both body and soul. The world’s sin is washed away by the water and blood that flowed from His pierced Heart, and by the gift of the Spirit, those reborn in the water of Baptism are born to a new life.

When the sick are brought to the sanctuary’s square and pass by the sacred spring, pleading for healing; when crowds come on pilgrimage to this place seeking not only material graces; when devotion leads the faithful to ask Jesus for “anything,” interposing the Mother’s intercession (“They have no wine!”) with the confidence she will act—are they then succumbing to a sentimental and irrational faith, seeking mere relief in prayer?

Here Jesus passes again among humanity, working “by the power of the Spirit” at the spring of living water, ever alive, though mysteriously present in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

And when from the encounter between Christ and the crowd come graces of conversion of hearts and healing of physical ailments, it is always through the signs and instruments of the Incarnation of Christ that the possibility is offered—once again and in continuity with the “year of the Lord’s favor”—to receive, in Jesus the Lord, the unique gift of God’s grace.

The sign of water, besides confirming the credibility of Joaneta’s testimony, expresses the saving power of God’s grace, which acts by Mary’s intercession after her apparition.

 

Joaneta then said, “People will not believe me.” The most merciful Virgin replied, “Rise, do not fear. Tell what I have commanded you; and I will confirm your words with signs so great that no one will doubt you have spoken the truth.” Having said this and making the sign of the cross on Joaneta, she disappeared from her sight.

 

So says the text of the ancient account. The “signs so great” that confirmed the message were, therefore, the spring never before seen by anyone and the sick healed of their ailments.

An Evangelical Appeal to Conversion - Though over the centuries the history and traditions, devotions, and arts that made the sanctuary of Caravaggio famous have been illustrated in many ways, surprisingly, the apparition’s message is almost entirely ignored and remains without commentary.

It is true that it was transmitted in a form and literary genre no longer familiar to our culture, even the theological one. But the strange thing is that even in past centuries, the attention and devotion awakened by the event of May 26, 1432, seem to have focused more on the “spring of miracles” than on Our Lady’s words to Joaneta.

Which words? Let us listen again to them in a translation as close as possible to the text of the ancient “authorized” history, transmitted to us by the records of Dom Speciano’s pastoral visit:

 

Listen carefully and keep this in mind, for I want you to always repeat it whenever you can, either by mouth or by having others say it [...]: My most high and almighty Son intended to destroy this land because of the iniquity of men, for day by day they do more evil, falling from sin to sin. But for seven years I have implored my Son to have mercy on the sins of humanity. Therefore, I want you to tell everyone, each and every one, to fast on bread and water every Friday in honor of my Son.

 

Beyond the verbal style and expressions used, the message’s essence is the same—it could not be otherwise—that echoes from the Old to the New Testament, from one prophetic testimony to another, centered on Jesus’ call: “Repent and believe in the Gospel… The time is fulfilled… The Kingdom of God is near.”

Therefore, beyond the cultural and literary envelope, an objective analysis of the words of the Caravaggio apparition, in their substance and sobriety, leads us to one message: “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” almost as if the Mother of the Redeemer wanted to appear here to repeat, in that time and all times, her last words recorded by the evangelist John: “Do whatever He tells you.”

Even accompanied by premonitions and threats of punishment—the same Son of God when He came among men did not cease to speak prophetically of the “hardness of heart” and imminent judgment for those who do not convert—this remains a call to conversion adorned with the promise of mercy already granted to the repentant sinner.

Nor should the call to fasting and devotional practices be considered outdated. Christian life, as well as ongoing conversion, is also mortifying penance; and faith, without prejudice to its essential purity, does not hesitate to express itself in religiosity that takes variable forms according to the diversification of cultures and times.

Some fear that the importance given either to the messages of Our Lady’s apparition, to the Virgin Mary herself as messenger, or to her favored visionaries, risks distorting and obscuring the central role of Jesus Christ and the Church, as well as diminishing the need to believe in the Gospel in its radical entirety, leading souls instead to truths and revelations unnecessary for salvation. But this is precisely what distinguishes true from false apparitions: authentic apparitions revive the Gospel; the Virgin Mary and the saints lead us to God and His envoy Jesus Christ, the only savior of mankind.

Not only in Jesus’ time but also in the time of the Church—which for us is the present time—the mission of preparing men for the Lord’s coming continues to be entrusted to Christ’s mother. Mary, a typical figure of the Christian community itself, a “prophet of the new times,” is mother with the Church, also in the Church, also of the second coming of Jesus in glory. With the Church and in the Church “pilgrim on earth,” Mary is part of God’s people, leading all humanity to meet Christ.

The Saturday of Thanksgiving - “I want you to tell [everyone and each one],” the old account continues, “[...] that after Vespers, out of devotion to me, they celebrate every Saturday. They must dedicate that half of the day to me in thanksgiving for the many and great favors obtained from my Son by my intercession.”

Even when the Virgin appears to ask for prayers—which continues to happen—what differs from what occurred with the first generation of disciples? “All were continually devoting themselves to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” A place to pray and celebrate Saturday in thanksgiving to the one who interceded “for seven years” was not explicitly requested in the apparition to Joaneta. But it seemed to the community of Caravaggio that building a house of prayer, and a place of welcome for the sick and pilgrims, would be the most concrete testimony of thanksgiving for the grace received. Its representatives therefore asked the bishop to build a church and a hospital: the event of the apparition blossomed in prayer and active charity.

Therefore, for those who embrace the apparition’s message in its entirety and with its consequences, the call to conversion is an invitation to faith in the saving God, and a faith that transforms life. It is not a timid retreat into a fearful and pessimistic spirituality; it is not merely a return to religious practices, but a passion for building up the Church in the world, restoring centrality to the suffering, the sick, and the poor in God’s house and the human community.

The fruit of turning back to God and loving one’s neighbor is joy, a feast. The “grace received” through Mary’s intercession demands precisely this: thanksgiving; which is not a mere duty, but a joy. At the sanctuary of Caravaggio it is impossible not to sing the Magnificat for “His mercy [that] extends from generation to generation on those who fear Him”; it is impossible not to “celebrate” the discovery of those “who were lost” and returned to the Father’s house.

If Mary, the mother, together with Jesus and the disciples, participate in the wedding feast, there will be “the good wine, which was kept until now.”

Notes:We have omitted in this translation two subtitles and their content, which focused more on the political and geographic aspects of the place than on the Marian apparition itself.

 

Donal Walsh

 You can find the original text here.

 

The Testimony of a Sick Teenager Who Prayed the Rosary and Continues to Inspire Young People

 Donal Walsh was tired of seeing young people end their lives while he fought every day for his own.

Born and raised in County Kerry, Ireland, Walsh was diagnosed with bone cancer in his tibia at the age of 12. He underwent nine months of chemotherapy and had surgery to insert a prosthetic knee. Two years later, the cancer metastasized to his lungs.

Walsh underwent surgery again, removing half of one lung, followed by another round of chemotherapy.

In October 2012, Walsh was diagnosed for the third and final time with tumors in five different parts of his body.

During his final months, Walsh dedicated himself to writing about his battle with cancer and how his faith helped him persevere through what he called “climbing God’s mountains.” He also expressed his frustration over the rising number of teenage suicides.

That’s when he decided to appear on national television to encourage young people to value life.

Just weeks before his death, Walsh appeared on the Irish talk show The Saturday Night Show with Brendan O’Connor, hoping to highlight the value of life by sharing his own story.

 

“If I’m meant to be a symbol to show people how precious life is—not just in the face of suicide—but in general, then I’d be happy to die, if that’s why I’m dying,” Walsh said during the TV interview.

 

Walsh died four weeks later, on May 12, 2013, at just 16 years old.

He spoke for 19 minutes—and those 19 minutes inspired a nation. Months later, the coroner in County Kerry reported a drop in suicide rates following Walsh’s appearance.

Ten years on, his legacy lives strong - On May 11 this year, more than 2,000 Irish students gathered at the Basilica and Shrine of Knock in County Mayo to honor Walsh’s memory. The students heard from various speakers who addressed topics affecting the modern world, particularly mental health. Walsh’s parents, Elma and Fionnbar, attended the event.

 

“When we were told he was terminal, we turned and started asking, ‘Why us?’ And he [Donal] changed the question to, ‘Why not me?’” said Fionnbar Walsh in an interview with EWTN News In Depth, part of the Catholic media group EWTN, which aired on June 2.

 

“Donal was very shaken at first, but that only lasted a few days,” added Elma Walsh. “He decided he wouldn’t let cancer define him. He wanted to do something with what was left of his life.”

 

His mother described his faith as “extraordinary.” He loved to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Donal asked his mother to make sure he received Holy Communion daily and to ensure that he would die with a “clean spirit.”

 

“(His faith) was something innate in him. It was just there... It’s hard to explain. It was simply part of Donal,” she said.

 

After Donal’s death, his parents established the Donal Walsh #LiveLife Foundation, which has since raised over half a million euros for various life-affirming charities. Each year, students gather at Knock Basilica to attend Mass and hear motivational talks about the value of life.

 

“I think a lot of people are scared by the idea of terminal illness, but through his courage he was able to endure so much and still have faith—and that inspires people,” said Adam Walsh, a teenager who attended the event.

 

Another student, Anastasia Mullen, added: “I think it’s really inspiring. He truly became a beacon of hope for young people—he keeps hope alive.”

Elma Walsh said she hopes students leave the event knowing “that they are loved. That their lives are precious and fragile, and that no one knows what tomorrow may bring, but to cherish the things they have in life.”