In The Dark Sacrament, co-authors David M. Kiely and Christina McKenna faithfully recount ten contemporary cases of demon possession, haunted houses, and exorcism, and profile the work of two living, active exorcists: Canon William Lendrum, a Protestant, and Father Ignatius McCarthy, a Roman Catholic. Kiely and McKenna conducted countless interviews with victims, families, witnesses, and clergy who assisted in performing multiple rites of exorcism. Many of the accounts are very recent and, in some cases, ongoing. Kiely and McKenna serve as trustworthy guides on this suspense-filled journey into the bizarre, offering concrete advice on how to avoid falling prey to the dark side. Exorcists Canon Lendrum and Father Ignatius reveal their fears, failings, and victories as they reflect on their forty years of service battling the Devil and his minions.
The Dark Sacrament includes the following chilling stories:
- A woman is tormented by her evil dead grandmother, causing her to coil like a snake, snarl, and be invaded by several demons.
- A housewife is haunted by the answers from her children playing on a Ouija board and by a historical character who sexually terrorizes her so much that she is too ashamed to admit it even to her husband.
- A young girl experiences astral travel when the Angel of Death enters her body and takes her along on a frightening journey.
- A boy's temperament turns dark as he is tortured by demons, causing him to become harmful to others—an unresolved 2007 case that is ongoing.
Thoroughly researched and impressively wide-ranging, The Dark Sacrament contains an appendix with detailed historical analysis, translated prayers of exorcism, and fascinating notes on important terms and practices.