Catholics traditionally consider the month of May as a time of particularly deep Marian devotion. Contemplation on the exalted life, mission, role and dignity of the Virgin Mary is rich and efficacious for growth in faith, hope, and love. Scripture, Tradition, and the saints attest to the role of Mary as God’s chosen Woman in the defeat of evil spirits.
The testimonies of experienced exorcist priests have proven valuable to the broader church. We believe and testify that Jesus Christ is victorious over any and all diabolical spirits. Also, it’s important to believe and testify that the Holy Trinity chose the Virgin Mary to be the most formidable vessel of victory against the diabolical. In our real, and constant battles, Mary defends us from the wiles of the devil. Affirming this, exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth quoted St. Bernard, “We venerate Mary with all the impetus of our hearts, of our affections, of our desires. That is how He wants it, He who established that we receive everything by means of Mary”. This is the experience that all exorcists learn first-hand every time. (G. Amorth, Nuovi racconti di un esorcista, Roma, 1992, pp 220-221.)
Regarding these testimonies of exorcist priests, some I gathered from the Association of International Exorcists course that I attended in Rome in 2017, others are from the written testimonies of exorcists including the late Fr. Candido Amantini (1914-1992), who’s cause for beatification has begun, the late Fr. Gabriele Amorth (1925-2016), and Fr. Francesco Bamonte, a current exorcist of Rome who lectured at the AIE 2017 Rome course on liberation from evil.
According to exorcists, here are some of the testaments that demons were forced to confess about the Virgin Mary during various major rites of exorcism:
Speaking at the 2017 Exorcists Rome course, Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect for the Causes of Saints, first said, “Killing in the name of God is diabolical!” He cited the murder of Fr. Jacques Hamel at his parish, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France, while celebrating Mass. The fact that this episode took place in a church, killing a priest, a minister of the Lord and involving the faithful, points to the diabolical part of it.
He also cited the diabolical nature of abortion, the vehement demonic hatred of new life, of children, and of the family; and also the increasing extreme violence in the world that is the devil’s sacrilege. Then, Cardinal Amato pointed to the Marian event at Fatima: “God desires real devotion to the Immaculate Heart, and reparation to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts on first Fridays.” He recalled the sacrifices of the Fatima seers, Lucia, Francesco, and Jacinta—following their vision of the horror of Hell and so many souls falling into it. They gave their food away to the poor (fasted), and gave up “playing” motivated by love for Our Lady of Fatima, and for the salvation of souls.
Cardinal Amato emphasized that “We have tools to dominate evil. Christianity is not a religion of discouragement. When we face evil that God allows, He helps us. We place our hope in Him, entrusting ourselves more to God in our weakness. And we entrust ourselves to Mary, sharing in her work of proclaiming God’s victory over evil, always hoping and trusting in God’s victory; our liberation in Him. The key is to entrust ourselves to Jesus through Mary.”
We can consider all of the above in light of the Marian teaching and prophecy of St. Maximilian Kolbe. That Mary is a warrior for Christ reaches into our discipleship. Our communion with Christ, Chief Exorcist, and His serpent stomping Mother of Grace, places us in opposition of the enemy of God and souls. Have you internalized your call to be a Marian soldier for Christ? This reality is first conceived in the heart through grace and prayer. Then the will engages for love of God and souls. Mary and the Holy Spirit form our response and teach us how to fight the good fight.
St. Kolbe teaches:
“We have to win the universe and each individual soul, now and in the futures, down to the end of time, for the Immaculate, and by her for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Further, we must be on the watch so that nobody tears any soul away from its consecration to the Immaculate; we should strive rather that souls may constantly deepen their love for her; that the bond of love between her and these souls may grow ever closer, and that these souls may henceforth be one with her. …She will act through them in so far as they belong to her. Hence there must remain nothing in them that is theirs; they must be hers totally.” (Kolbe’s personal notes, April 23, 1933, quoted by Fr. H.M. Manteau-Bonamy, O.P., Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit, Prow Books, Franciscan Marytown Press, IL, 1977.)
Mother Mary, take us deeper into the fortress of your Immaculate Heart; form us into fearless warriors for Christ. Thank you for being our victorious Mother, defender against evil spirits. Amen.
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image: Virgin Mary and the devil from BL YT 13, f. 155v, circa 1325 – 1349 / Public Domain
Tagged as: Best of Week, exorcism, Mary, spiritual warfare
Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S. is the President and Co-founder of the Foundation of Prayer for Priests (www.foundationforpriests.org), an international apostolate of prayer and catechesis for the holiness of priests. Kathleen has served the Church for twenty-five years as a Catholic evangelist, author, Ignatian certified retreat director and spiritual director, radio host, and writer. In her diocese she serves as the lay coordinator of exorcism and deliverance ministry having completed courses on liberation from evil at Mundelein Seminary and in Rome. She sits on the advisory board of Magnificat, A Ministry to Catholic Women, and the Pope Leo XIII Institute. Often featured on Catholic media — EWTN Radio and TV, Radio Maria, and the Catholic Channel—she enthusiastically proclaims the joy of the gospel. Sophia Institute Press published her books: Praying for Priests: An Urgent Call for the Salvation of Souls; God’s Healing Mercy: Finding Your Path to Forgiveness, Peace and Joy; and When Women Pray: Eleven Catholic Women on the Power of Prayer.
