The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund

In 1928, a forty-year-old woman known by the pseudonym Anna Ecklund underwent an exorcism at a Franciscan convent in Earling, Iowa. The ritual lasted 23 days and was conducted by Father Theophilus Riesinger, a Capuchin priest who would become one of America’s most famous exorcists. The case was documented by Father Carl Vogl and later published as “Begone Satan,” becoming one of the most influential accounts of possession in American Catholic history.

Anna’s History

Anna Ecklund, whose real name was Emma Schmidt, had reportedly been cursed by her father and his mistress when she was fourteen years old. The curse allegedly opened her to demonic influence, and she began experiencing possession symptoms that would plague her for decades.

Her first exorcism had been performed by Father Riesinger in 1912, apparently successfully. However, the symptoms returned, growing worse over the years. By 1928, Anna was completely incapacitated, unable to eat blessed food, violently repulsed by religious objects, and tormented by voices and visions.

The Earling Exorcism

Father Riesinger arranged to perform the exorcism at a Franciscan convent in Earling, where Anna could be cared for by nuns during the lengthy process. The exorcism began on August 17, 1928, and would continue until September 23.

From the moment Anna was brought into the convent, extraordinary phenomena began. When placed on a bed, her body levitated and she clung to the wall above the headboard with superhuman strength. Multiple people could not pull her down. Her face became grotesquely distorted, swelling to twice its normal size, her eyes protruding and her lips expanding enormously.

The sounds that emerged from Anna terrified everyone present. Howling, barking, and voices speaking in languages she had never learned filled the room. The voices identified themselves as various demons, including Beelzebub, Judas Iscariot, and Anna’s own father, who had allegedly cursed her from beyond the grave.

The Phenomena

Throughout the 23 days, witnesses reported phenomena that defied natural explanation. Anna’s body contorted into positions that should have been physically impossible. Despite being fed almost nothing, she expelled enormous quantities of foul-smelling material, far more than her body could have contained.

She demonstrated knowledge of events happening outside the convent, including a car accident involving the parish priest that she described as it occurred miles away. She revealed secrets about those present, speaking of sins that had never been confessed to anyone.

The room’s temperature would fluctuate wildly. The stench that emanated from Anna was so powerful that it permeated the entire convent despite all windows and doors being opened. Multiple nuns became physically ill from the experience.

The Exorcism Process

Father Riesinger performed the Roman Ritual day after day, commanding the demons to identify themselves and to depart. The demons resisted, threatening the priest and all present. They reportedly caused physical attacks on Father Riesinger, including an automobile accident during a brief break from the exorcism.

The local pastor, Father Joseph Steiger, who had reluctantly agreed to host the exorcism, was also reportedly targeted. His housekeeper exhibited possession symptoms, and strange accidents befell him during the proceedings.

As the exorcism progressed, the demons were forced to reveal more information. They spoke of the curse placed on Anna, of their hierarchy and purposes, and eventually of their impending defeat. On September 23, 1928, after a final series of prayers, the demons departed with a terrible commotion, leaving Anna unconscious but free.

Aftermath

Anna Ecklund recovered from her ordeal and lived the remainder of her life free from possession symptoms. She died in 1941, reportedly having lived peacefully during her final years.

Father Riesinger went on to perform numerous other exorcisms and became known as an expert on demonic possession. His account of the Earling case, as documented by Father Vogl, was published in German in 1935 and translated into English in 1936.

Legacy

“Begone Satan” became one of the most widely read accounts of exorcism in the twentieth century. It influenced popular understanding of possession and contributed to the procedures later adopted in other cases. Some researchers believe it may have inspired elements of William Peter Blatty’s novel “The Exorcist.”

The case remains controversial. Skeptics have proposed various natural explanations, including mental illness, suggestion, and fraud. Believers point to the multiple witnesses, the documented phenomena, and Anna’s subsequent recovery as evidence of genuine supernatural intervention.

Whatever one’s interpretation, the Earling exorcism stands as one of the most dramatic and thoroughly documented possession cases in American history.