The Georgetown Exorcism Connection

Before the famous 1949 exorcism moved to St. Louis, the initial stages occurred in the Washington D.C. area, with Georgetown University Jesuits among the first Catholic clergy to evaluate the case. This Georgetown connection would later provide William Peter Blatty, a Georgetown alumnus, with the inspiration for his novel “The Exorcist.” The Washington phase of the case, though overshadowed by the St. Louis exorcisms, established the foundation for one of the most significant possession cases in American history.

The Washington Phase

The case began in Cottage City, Maryland, a suburb just outside Washington D.C. When the phenomena affecting the teenage boy exceeded what his Lutheran family could address, they were referred to Catholic authorities. Georgetown University, with its Jesuit community, became involved.

Jesuit priests from Georgetown University were among the first to evaluate the boy. They witnessed phenomena that convinced them the case warranted serious attention—objects moving, scratching sounds, and physical disturbances centered on the boy.

Father Hughes’ Involvement

Father E. Albert Hughes, a priest in the Washington D.C. area, was assigned to perform the initial exorcism. Hughes prepared himself through fasting and prayer, following Catholic protocols for addressing possession.

During an early exorcism session at Georgetown Hospital, the boy reportedly managed to work one hand free from his restraints. He seized a piece of bedspring and slashed Father Hughes’s arm, requiring stitches numbering over one hundred according to some accounts.

This dramatic incident led Hughes to withdraw from the case. His injury demonstrated the physical danger involved and suggested the phenomena were beyond ordinary explanation.

Transfer to St. Louis

Following the injury to Father Hughes and the family’s frustration with the ongoing phenomena, the decision was made to relocate. The family had relatives in St. Louis, and the Jesuit community there included priests with experience in difficult spiritual matters.

The transfer marked the end of the Georgetown phase and the beginning of the more extensive St. Louis exorcisms that would eventually resolve the case.

Georgetown University Connection

Georgetown University’s involvement, though brief, had lasting significance. William Peter Blatty attended Georgetown and learned of the case during his student years. The connection between the university, the Jesuits, and the possession case planted seeds that would flower decades later.

When Blatty wrote “The Exorcist” in 1971, he set the story in Georgetown, drawing on his knowledge of the area and the university. The fictional possessed girl lived in Georgetown, and Father Damien Karras was a Georgetown Jesuit. The novel’s setting reflected Blatty’s understanding of the actual case’s origins.

What the Georgetown Jesuits Witnessed

According to various accounts, the Georgetown Jesuits who evaluated the boy witnessed:

Objects in his room moving without visible cause Scratching sounds emanating from walls and furniture The boy’s bed shaking and moving Words appearing scratched into the boy’s skin Violent reactions to religious objects Voices emerging from the boy that seemed impossible for him to produce

These observations convinced the priests that the case warranted formal exorcism rather than psychiatric treatment alone.

The Hospital Setting

Some of the early sessions took place at Georgetown Hospital, providing a controlled environment for observation. The hospital setting allowed for both medical monitoring and spiritual intervention.

The attack on Father Hughes occurred in this hospital setting, demonstrating that institutional controls could not contain whatever was affecting the boy.

Legacy of the Georgetown Phase

The Georgetown connection shaped how the case would be remembered and popularized. Without Blatty’s Georgetown background and his knowledge of the case, “The Exorcist” might never have been written, or might have been set elsewhere with different details.

The Washington D.C. setting also gave the case proximity to power—the nation’s capital, the headquarters of American Catholicism at the time, and prestigious Georgetown University. This proximity added weight to the case’s documentation and preservation.

Assessment

The Georgetown phase of the 1949 exorcism was brief but significant. It established the Catholic Church’s involvement, documented early phenomena, and created the connection that would eventually result in the case’s transformation into one of the most influential horror stories of the twentieth century.

The Jesuits of Georgetown were among the first to recognize that something extraordinary was occurring—something that would require the full resources of the Church and would ultimately transcend the individual case to become a cultural phenomenon affecting millions who would read Blatty’s novel or watch the film it inspired.