Thoughts on Halloween from an Exorcist
Back on July 6^th, Fr. Schlaline preached about exorcisms and referred to a book by a well-respected priest-psychologist who has become an exorcist.   His reflections regarding Halloween are interesting and worth pondering:
 
Exorcist Diary 86: Halloween Will Be Ugly
I am starting to prepare spiritually for All Hallows’ Eve. No bags of candy. No costumes. No pumpkins. As every year, it will be ugly.   Many of our spiritual sensitives* will get pummeled by demons. One year, our team decided to pray over one of our most gifted people throughout the night, trying to shield her from the demonic attacks she has suffered yearly. It didn’t work. She got thrashed anyway. But she said she appreciated our efforts.
            Several of our other sensitives will experience increased demonic harassment. Many of our clients who are possessed or severely oppressed will suffer more intensely throughout the night. The priest exorcists themselves will typically get bombarded with demonic obsessions and an internal battle. There are times during the year when the demonic is more powerful than usual, and Halloween is at the top of the list. It is the demons’ distortion of the great feast of All Saints on the following day. Moreover, Satan’s human minions will join in and cast curses, spells, and all sorts of evil, which doesn’t help.
            I wonder about parents who dress up their children as devils or witches. Do they have any idea? I do not know about the spiritual effects of such Halloween practices on the general population. But on the possessed and on exorcism teams, the night will typically be a time of trial. Our little team will spend the evening in Eucharistic adoration, keeping vigil. We will await the dawn and the feast of All Saints.           Then we will celebrate the myriads of holy people who daily surround us and come to our aid. The radiance of divine light shining through them will cast out the darkness. Once again, there will be peace.  
-Diary of an American Exorcist
By Monsignor Stephen Rosetti
*”Spiritual sensitives” are persons who assist with exorcisms but are not the primary exorcist.  They are acutely aware of spiritual realities that most people cannot detect or simply ignore.  Thus, Msgr. Rosetti calls them “spiritual sensitives.”