Sterling Heights — As an exorcist, Fr. Peter Glas is often told to enter the 21st century and remember that the concept of demons is “a superstitious remnant of the Middle Ages.”

“We live in a very skeptical age,” said Fr. Glas in his two-part presentation to Holy Trinity Apostolate’s 2015 Lenten Symposium on March 14 at SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish.

“The contemporary Western mentality is that evil is purely the lack of good or due to psychological factors which can be treated with a social program or medication,” he explained. “But they do exist. They are real.”

Fr. Glas is a parish priest in England as well as a member of the Association of International Exorcists, with the capacity of serving in a ministry of deliverance and exorcism.

Satan hates the human body, Fr. Glas explained, “because Christ was incarnate and because of this we are saved.”

Fr. Glas told the story of being visited by a teenage parishioner who repeatedly asked the priest for help, but could not explain why. The two went to pray in the nearby chapel and the youth asked Fr. Glas to pray over him.

As soon as the prayers began, the youth began shouting profanities, attacking Fr. Glas and demolishing the chapel. Fr. Glas ran to the tabernacle and held up the Blessed Sacrament, “and (the youth) flew back and just collapsed.”

Fr. Glas received permission from his local bishop and identified that real possession was present, since permission from the Church’s authority must be given prior to an exorcism being performed.

He had to perform five exorcisms over a period of time before the youth was completely healed.

Fr. Glas said he has no problem sending a person to a doctor or psychologist if that’s what they need. By contrast, however, he does not receive as many referrals from those in the medical field, he said, many of whom doubt the credibility of his ministry.

He said devotion to Our Lady is a strong shield against spiritual attacks, since Satan hates and fears her. Fr. Glas encouraged the 33-day Marian consecration promoted by St. Louis de Montefort as a good option.

He added that joy is also a strong component for one’s spiritual defense, since saints were always joyful.

And while demons might be able to mimic some things like physical healings or resting in the Holy Spirit, they cannot mimic two things: “One is humility and the second, obedience.”

“Why? Because he wasn’t humble and wasn’t obedient to God,” Fr. Glas said.