Walter Halloran
Encyclopedia
Father Walter Halloran, SJ (September 21, 1921 – March 1, 2005) was a Jesuit Roman Catholic Christian
priest
who, at the age of twenty-six, assisted in the exorcism
of Robbie Mannheim, a thirteen year old Lutheran boy in St. Louis, Missouri
who it is said became possessed after using a Ouija board
. This was the case that William Peter Blatty
was inspired by when he wrote his novel The Exorcist.
in 1921. He was the oldest of nine children. He became a student at the Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
in 1934. He was a member of the school's football team. In 1941, he became a member of the Jesuit community. It was while studying at St. Louis University, in 1949, that he would be asked by Father William S. Bowdern
to assist in the exorcism rite on a case, which would become famous, concerning a thirteen year old boy. The exorcism would go on for a month before coming to an end in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter gave the approval to proceed with the rite of exorcism on the possessed boy in the Roman Ritual, as stated in the Catholic prayer book. Father Bowdern asked the young priest to hold down the violent boy as the rite of exorcism was read but the boy lashed out and broke his nose. Father Halloran would later relate that he saw lines and words written on the boy's body including the word, "hell," that the boy's bed was jumping up and down and that a bottle of Holy water flew off a table and smashed against the wall. Halloran spoke with friend and Pastor Kevin Ingalls regarding the 1949 case in taped conversations, and always regarded the case as a true case of possession. Halloran was interviewed by writer Thomas Allen for his book about the 1949 case and repeated his conviction that the boy had been possessed by evil spirits. Although the three weeks in which he helped with this case of possession would make him a reluctant minor celebrity, he regarded the exorcism as just one event in his life. In 1954, Father Halloran was ordained and two years later began teaching theology and history at his old school the Campion Jesuit High boarding school in Prairie du Chien. While teaching there he also coached football.
In 1963 he moved to Marquette University
where he taught history until 1966 when Father Halloran volunteered for chaplain duty with the United States Army
. He first served in Germany, but in 1969, at the age of 48, he volunteered for paratrooper training and then for duty in Vietnam
where he would say he saw more evil than in the boy's hospital bed back in 1949.
According to his brother John Halloran, he really wanted to work with the men. Father Halloran would helicopter in to the fighting zones, sometimes staying for days on end ministering to the soldiers. By the end of his service as a paratrooper chaplain in 1971, he had earned two Bronze Stars. After his service was over, he went back to St. Louis in 1972 to teach at St. Louis University High and to serve as assistant director of campus ministry and then as alumni director at St. Louis University.
Father Halloran would have a variety of assignments from then on, such as being an associate pastor in his hometown of Jackson, Minnesota and running a parish ministry in San Diego, California
. In 1988, Father Halloran was an assistant director of the alumni office at Creighton University in Omaha. In the 1980s and 1990s, Fr. Halloran was being extensively interviewed by reporters, researchers and students alike, regarding the 1949 exorcism case. Fr. Halloran's cooperation in these interviews is well known and has been helpful down the years.
Although Father Bowdern remained convinced until his death in 1983, Father Walter Halloran later gave a statement expressing his scepticism. He claimed that he was unable to either confirm or deny that the boy was actually possessed. According to Allen's book, Halloran is alleged to have said that he saw nothing beyond that capable of a boy of Robbie's age: there was no demonstration of super-human strength (even though at one point Robbie is alleged to have broken Halloran's nose), and Robbie did not speak in tongues because Robbie (or the possessing spirit) refused to converse in Latin
. On the occasions that Robbie did speak Latin, Halloran stresses that he only seemed to repeat words and phrases that he had heard numerous times during the rites of exorcism.
According to Allen, Robbie was heard on one occasion speaking Aramaic, but this is not confirmed. The name of the sole witness to the occurrence is not mentioned in Allen's book.
In 2000, a TV-movie titled Possessed
, based largely on Allen's book, was made about the case. Father Bowdern was played by Timothy Dalton
.
, where he died on March 1, 2005. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving Jesuit who had assisted in the 1949 case.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who, at the age of twenty-six, assisted in the exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
of Robbie Mannheim, a thirteen year old Lutheran boy in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
who it is said became possessed after using a Ouija board
Ouija Board
Ouija Board is a Thoroughbred mare racehorse owned by Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby and trained by Ed Dunlop. In a career spanning four seasons, she won 10 of her 22 races, 7 of them Group 1s, including the Epsom Oaks in 2004 and the Hong Kong Vase in 2005...
. This was the case that William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty is an American writer and filmmaker. The novel The Exorcist, written in 1971, is his magnum opus; he also penned the subsequent screenplay version of the film, for which he won an Academy Award....
was inspired by when he wrote his novel The Exorcist.
Life
Father Halloran was born in Jackson, MinnesotaJackson, Minnesota
Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County.-Geography:...
in 1921. He was the oldest of nine children. He became a student at the Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
in 1934. He was a member of the school's football team. In 1941, he became a member of the Jesuit community. It was while studying at St. Louis University, in 1949, that he would be asked by Father William S. Bowdern
William S. Bowdern
Father William S. Bowdern, S.J. was a Jesuit Roman Catholic priest in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. He was the author of The Problems of Courtship and Marriage printed by Our Sunday Visitor in 1939. He was a graduate of and taught at St. Louis University High School; he also taught at St....
to assist in the exorcism rite on a case, which would become famous, concerning a thirteen year old boy. The exorcism would go on for a month before coming to an end in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter gave the approval to proceed with the rite of exorcism on the possessed boy in the Roman Ritual, as stated in the Catholic prayer book. Father Bowdern asked the young priest to hold down the violent boy as the rite of exorcism was read but the boy lashed out and broke his nose. Father Halloran would later relate that he saw lines and words written on the boy's body including the word, "hell," that the boy's bed was jumping up and down and that a bottle of Holy water flew off a table and smashed against the wall. Halloran spoke with friend and Pastor Kevin Ingalls regarding the 1949 case in taped conversations, and always regarded the case as a true case of possession. Halloran was interviewed by writer Thomas Allen for his book about the 1949 case and repeated his conviction that the boy had been possessed by evil spirits. Although the three weeks in which he helped with this case of possession would make him a reluctant minor celebrity, he regarded the exorcism as just one event in his life. In 1954, Father Halloran was ordained and two years later began teaching theology and history at his old school the Campion Jesuit High boarding school in Prairie du Chien. While teaching there he also coached football.
In 1963 he moved to Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
where he taught history until 1966 when Father Halloran volunteered for chaplain duty with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He first served in Germany, but in 1969, at the age of 48, he volunteered for paratrooper training and then for duty in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
where he would say he saw more evil than in the boy's hospital bed back in 1949.
According to his brother John Halloran, he really wanted to work with the men. Father Halloran would helicopter in to the fighting zones, sometimes staying for days on end ministering to the soldiers. By the end of his service as a paratrooper chaplain in 1971, he had earned two Bronze Stars. After his service was over, he went back to St. Louis in 1972 to teach at St. Louis University High and to serve as assistant director of campus ministry and then as alumni director at St. Louis University.
Father Halloran would have a variety of assignments from then on, such as being an associate pastor in his hometown of Jackson, Minnesota and running a parish ministry in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. In 1988, Father Halloran was an assistant director of the alumni office at Creighton University in Omaha. In the 1980s and 1990s, Fr. Halloran was being extensively interviewed by reporters, researchers and students alike, regarding the 1949 exorcism case. Fr. Halloran's cooperation in these interviews is well known and has been helpful down the years.
Although Father Bowdern remained convinced until his death in 1983, Father Walter Halloran later gave a statement expressing his scepticism. He claimed that he was unable to either confirm or deny that the boy was actually possessed. According to Allen's book, Halloran is alleged to have said that he saw nothing beyond that capable of a boy of Robbie's age: there was no demonstration of super-human strength (even though at one point Robbie is alleged to have broken Halloran's nose), and Robbie did not speak in tongues because Robbie (or the possessing spirit) refused to converse in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. On the occasions that Robbie did speak Latin, Halloran stresses that he only seemed to repeat words and phrases that he had heard numerous times during the rites of exorcism.
According to Allen, Robbie was heard on one occasion speaking Aramaic, but this is not confirmed. The name of the sole witness to the occurrence is not mentioned in Allen's book.
In 2000, a TV-movie titled Possessed
Possessed (2000 film)
Possessed is the name of a 2000 Showtime original movie starring Timothy Dalton, based on events appearing in the book Possessed by Thomas B. Allen, which is inspired by the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim;...
, based largely on Allen's book, was made about the case. Father Bowdern was played by Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
.
Death
In 2003, Father Halloran was diagnosed with cancer and retired to the St. Camillus Jesuit Community in Wauwatosa, WisconsinWauwatosa, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and was incorporated on May 27, 1897. As of the 2006 census estimate, the city's population was 44,798. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area...
, where he died on March 1, 2005. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving Jesuit who had assisted in the 1949 case.
External links
- Movie 'Exorcist' Got It Right, Say Priests Who Cast Out Demons
- The St.Louis Exorcism Case!The Story that Became the Exorcist!
- Film based on "Possessed"
Related Books
- Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism, Thomas B. Allen, 1993, ISBN 0-553-47177-5
Related Film
- Possessed (Showtime/Regent Entertainment 2000) - Based on Thomas B. Allen book, above. Director: Steven E. de SouzaSteven E. de SouzaSteven E. de Souza is an American producer, director and screenwriter. He is among a handful of screenwriters whose films have earned over two billion dollars at the worldwide box office.-Life and career:...
. Stars Timothy DaltonTimothy DaltonTimothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
, Christopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
. Father Walter Halloran played by Michael McLachlanMichael McLachlanMichael McLachlan is a Canadian film actor.He was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. He has received many television roles and has appeared in a few films.-External links:...
.