Sarchie Ralph - Beware the night: a New York City cop investigates the supernatural

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Contents

THE DEVIL COMES TO NEW YORK

A S THE PAIN in my head got stronger, my stomach churned and I felt like I was going to vomit. There was no outward sign of anything that I could seejust a feeling of hellish terror and absolute evil. I was too frozen to move my lips or speak, so in my mind I commanded the demon to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. It released its hold on me just enough so I could reach the bottle of holy water in my pocket. I threw holy water at the doors and was able to back away to the stairs

Once I reached the living room, where the family was waiting, the pain and the sick feeling disappeared. I took Joe aside and told him what happened.

Ralph, I think you should take a look at this, he said, handing a note the ghost had dictated the night before.

One sentence leapt out: Harm will come to those below. Beware the night!

To my beautiful daughters, Christina Marie and Daniella Ann, your love and support in my life has enabled me to carry on. My whole world revolves around you both, and I feel God has blessed me. I will love you both forever. To my grandson Jacob Michael, God keeps blessing me and I love you little man.

R ALPH S ARCHIE

To John, Alison, Georgia, and Rosalie, you lift my spirit with your love and laughter.

L ISA C OLLIER C OOL

A special dedication to the late Father Malachi Martin, one of Gods great warriors.

Foreword

N O ONE CAN claim to be a Christian, much less Catholic, who doubts or denies the Devil. Christ came to redeem mankind from the dominions of Satan and his apostate legions of fallen angels. Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [on the cross] will draw all things to myself (John 12:3132). The instances recounted in the Gospel of Jesus casting out devils from possessed persons demonstrate the reality of these unseen spirits. In the words of the Churchs traditional prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, they wander the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Today more than ever! Along with the ever-expanding abyss of immorality engulfing the world is a deluge of preternatural demonic infestation. The Devils hand in immorality is on the ordinary levelSatan is the standard-bearer of sinnersbut the demonic infestation involves his invasion of mind and body. When I was ordained some forty years ago, diabolical obsession and possession of people was almost unheard ofsomething the average priest, even though ordained an exorcist, would hardly encounter in his lifetime; something confined to the theology textbooks. But today, for those who have eyes to see, it is almost commonplace.

Exorcism exposes the Devil behind the veil of all too many, if not most, psychiatric cases. He talks to you, he defies you, he threatens you. He torments his victim in front of you and can test every fiber of those restraining him. Not in every casein some he plays deaf and dumbbut in enough to show the pattern.

Whence this deluge? It stems from the spreadnay the plagueof the occult. In nine out of ten cases, the victim of demonic oppression has had connection, directly or indirectly, with witchcraft, open or disguised. This connection ranges from the possession of superstitious artifacts, such as Ouija boards, to harmless charms and outright satanic rituals. In between the two extremes are Charismatic and New Age movements. Satanism itself has been accepted as a religion, and there is even a Bible of Satan. Those who seek knowledge and power outside the order instituted by God seek it from His enemy and stand, for their correction, to be handed over to His power and suffer the consequences.

Ralph Sarchie, author of this book, is well qualified to write on the demonic. For years he has been investigating cases of it, and he, with others, has stood by me in exorcisms. Without assistants to restrain those who may become violent, it is perilous, as I have indicated, to exorcise anyone who is possessed. No subject, I daresay, could be of more practical, if not urgent, interest. May this book serve the humanitarian purpose for which it has been undertaken.

Bishop Robert F. McKenna, O.P.

Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel

Monroe, Connecticut

Preface

I NEVER SET out to write a book about the supernatural. I am a New York City police sergeant, and cops write about police work, not demons, ghosts, and exorcism. But I live in two worlds: one of cop life, down and dirty in the streets with very real blood and guts, and one plagued by a different sort of crime, perpetuated by forces that are evil beyond imagination. These worlds seem very far apart for most. People ask me, How can you see all that gritty reality as a cop for sixteen years and then believe in the spirit world? But I have found that most cops do believe in spirits, and, most important of all, the vast majority believe in God and are religious people. That makes me happy because what cops see every day can have a corrosive effect on spirituality. I have experienced that effect firsthand.

It is because of my profession that I can distinguish between the two worlds and know that the preternatural and supernatural exist. To live in the world of crime and justice helps me to deal with the reality of pure evil when it strikes real people with real terror. As Joe Forrester, my partner in spiritual investigations, so eloquently says, two different types of evil exist: primary evil, which comes from the Devil, and secondary evil, which is the evil that people do. Although all evil stems from the Devil, I am not always quick to blame the Devil for the nasty deeds that one human being can inflict on another. I know the difference between human and inhuman evil when I see it.

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for when, a decade ago, I started in the Work, investigating haunted houses and cases of demonic possession. Like police work, it takes its toll on you, but I have no regrets. Due to the Work my faith has grown, and my love for Jesus Christ is just as real as the love I have for my wife and children. When you read this book, keep one thing in mind: The book is not about some cop or the Devil, it is about God. When you read about a situation that seems hopeless for the people involved, always remember that with God all things are possible. Although some of the people I write about continue to experience their troubles, one thing has changed for them: God has now entered their lives, and He makes it bearable for them to live with their spiritual problems.

Before I go on to acknowledge the many people whom I have become friends with due to the Work, friends I hold dear in my own way, I want to say that I have always handled my investigations in an honest, straightforward, and professional manner. Everything in this book taken from my cases is exactly as it was told to me by eyewitnesses or from what I observed personally. These events are documented in my notes, and in the video- and audiotapes Ive made of my investigations. My experiences are not embellished in any way; I have changed some names and certain identifying details to protect the privacy of families or individuals who sought my help.