A CROWD OF approximately 200 greeted renowned exorcism expert, Fr. Gary Thomas, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church on the evening of Jan. 9. This much-anticipated talk was titled, Understanding Exorcism in the Catholic Church.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Fr. Thomas was ordained in 1983 and served in the Diocese of San Jose. After his first 22 years in the priesthood, he requested a sabbatical from the diocese’s bishop. He had plans to study spirituality in Rome, but as fate would have it, the bishop was also looking to fill a role as exorcist for the diocese.
“It was providential that the opportunity was made available to me to offer myself to this ministry,” said Fr. Thomas.
Fr. Thomas took the course on exorcism and deliverance and participated in extended tutelage for three and a half months under a well-known exorcist and observed the rite first-hand in his office.
Exorcism became an official rite of the Church in 1614. Prior to that date, laypeople handled these duties. The rite remained intact until 1998, when significant changes were introduced under Pope John Paul II. Smaller revisions took place in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, Pope John Paul II issued a mandate that every bishop in the world select a priest and train them to become an exorcist. At this time, occult activity was on the rise and necessitated preparations by the Church to both understand and prepare for this cultural change.
“It’s no secret that our society is hungry for spirituality, often seeking it in the wrong places,” shared Fr. Thomas. “Many times, those wrong places are artificial ways to discover God.”
A process for handling inquiries about exorcism was implemented in the Church. The appointed exorcist and his team must handle inquiries, evaluate the information and develop a plan.
“We do not perform exorcisms on request,” Fr. Thomas said.
The team—typically composed of laypeople, including psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists, and individuals dedicated to prayer—lends their expertise. All team members must be practicing Catholics. During this initial stage, Fr. Thomas focuses on determining whether any “doorways” indicate occult involvement. Prayers of Deliverance are used as a diagnostic tool to determine if there is a reaction to any type of prayer. During interview sessions the exorcist pays attention to the six signs of demonic affliction:
■ A burning sensation when consuming the Eucharist.
■ Speaking in a language in which the person has no competency.
■ Exhibiting inordinate strength.
■ Having knowledge of hidden things.
■ Foaming at the mouth.
■ An epileptic reaction.
Out of 350 interviews, Fr. Thomas has only performed the solemn rite of exorcism on 12 people. This indicates the thoroughness of the process, with actual exorcism being the last recourse. Fr. Thomas withdrew from the ministry in 2021 but still occasionally gives talks and provides referrals based on requests he receives for help. He also was involved in the 2012 movie, The Rite, where he served as a consultant.
Currently, Fr. Thomas is the inaugural director of the Propaedeutic Year at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif. The Propaedeutic Year is the foundational first year of priestly formation in the Catholic Church.
Fr. Thomas summed up his work in the Ministry of Exorcism with these words: “Just because there are those who deny the existence of Satan and his legions does not mean Satan does not exist.”