Hajja Salesjana October-December 2019

20 H AJJA S ALESJANA 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, the late exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth (1925 – 2016) 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. (Gabriele Amorth, Nuovi Racconti Di Un Esorcista , Roma, 1992, pp 220- 221.) Regarding these testimonies of exorcist priests, I have gathered some from the Association of International Exorcists course which I attended in Rome in 2017, while others Exorcists Witness: Mary, Defender Against Demons by Kathleen Beckmann