New EWTN docuseries offers inside look at the Catholic Church’s rite of exorcism

A new three-part documentary series is set to explore the reality of evil, exorcism, demonic oppression, and the spiritual battle for the human soul.

“In Jesus’ Name” takes viewers into the world of what an exorcist does and why exorcisms were established, and offers guidance on things that the faithful should consider staying away from in order to keep themselves safe.

The docuseries features prominent exorcists, theologians, and survivors of demonic oppression and examines how evil operates, how it enters human lives, and how it can be overcome. Through personal testimonies and expert insight, the docuseries explores the tension between good and evil, biblical teaching on exorcism, the reality of spiritual warfare, and, above all, the hope and power of Jesus Christ.

The creators of “In Jesus’ Name” seek to take exorcisms out of the sensational and instead provide an accurate view of how they are conducted and how people have found deliverance.

“With ‘In Jesus’ Name,’ we wanted to demystify the rite of exorcism and invite audiences to see how the Church responds to the presence of evil in an authoritative but compassionate and deeply human way,” Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, said in a press release.

“By giving viewers rare access to experienced exorcists, theologians and those who have confronted profound spiritual darkness firsthand, the series reveals not only the reality of spiritual warfare but the truth at its heart: the battle is real, but God’s love and grace is greater,” Gagnon said.

Father Dan Reehil, pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Columbia, Tennessee, and an appointed exorcist for the Diocese of Nashville, is one of the authoritative figures in the docuseries, alongside Father Vincent Lampert, who served for nearly 20 years as the designated exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, as well as Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee, a theological expert on the history of the Catholic rite of exorcism.

In an interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Reehil emphasized that “the devil is real” and that while “thereʼs a lot of banter on social media and also the internet about the devil,” the faithful should focus their time “on God, particularly on Jesus Christ, who is the one who crushes Satan.”

He explained that when Lucifer rejected Godʼs plan and one-third of the angels followed Lucifer, those angels became the demons that were cast down to earth.

“Theyʼre cast down to earth, and now they roam the earth, and their No. 1 enemy, according to Revelation Chapter 12, is theyʼre making war against those who keep Godʼs commands and bear witness to Jesus Christ,” he said. “So if thatʼs you, you should at least be aware thereʼs a target on your back, [but] not to be afraid of it. Itʼs actually a badge of honor because youʼre in this great elect group of people that he hates because of who we are.”

Reehil shared that “the best thing you can do is have a very robust prayer life, have a deep relationship with Jesus Christ as a true disciple. And we use the same weapons. We use obedience to God, we use humility, we use purity, all the aspects of Our Lady would be the weapons we use in this battle.”

Created by EWTN Studios and Cumberland Creative, “In Jesus’ Name” is available for streaming on EWTN+ and EWTN.com as of Oct. 28. The first episode will also be available on the EWTN YouTube channel.