The Exorcist in New York (Part 1)

A look at the Catholic rite of exorcism and the connections that the 1973 film The Exorcist has to New York City, in particular to Fordham University.

New York City's Fordham University wasn't just a filming location for The Exorcist; it also was the home of two real priests who appeared in the film. One of those priests was the former teacher and friend of the William Peter Blatty, author of the novel The Exorcist, and this priest encouraged Blatty to research and write about exorcism.

This episode draws a lot from interviews with Fordham-affiliated Jesuits back in the 1970s, who, like many members of the Catholic clergy, found themselves barraged with questions from the general public about exorcisms. With the increased popularity of exorcisms, the Catholic church--which still performs exorcisms to this day, but doesn't want to talk about it--found itself scrambling to respond.

In the next episode, the story will continue, with a look at the many dark true stories and urban legends that are tied to The Exorcist's production.

Highlights include:
• A rumor about a place in NYC where exhausted exorcists might go to recover
• The story behind why the Catholic church doesn't like to talk about exorcisms
• The priest who inspired The Exorcist

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