November 23rd 2024.
Meet Jason Bray - a man who may seem like your average Anglican priest, but has a unique role as a deliverance minister. Each morning, he begins his day with a peaceful walk down stone steps from his home to his workplace at Cardiff's Llandaff Cathedral, where he now serves as the Dean. But don't let the serene setting fool you, as Jason's work also involves dealing with hauntings, ghosts, demonic possession, and poltergeists.
You may be familiar with the role of a deliverance minister through the 1973 horror film 'The Exorcist,' where director William Friedkin portrayed a terrifying exorcist. The film sparked a whole genre of movies about demonic possession, but Jason assures us that it paints an unrealistic picture. However, after 27 years of specializing in deliverance ministry, he admits to having had some experiences that made his 'skin crawl.'
Jason recalls a family who was plagued by a ghostly monk, a woman who was convinced rats were eating her insides, and a man who saw his deceased boyfriend in the shower. He tells us that every case presents a new and unpredictable challenge, and it's not something he can just walk in and announce himself as the exorcist in a low, scary voice. He strives to put people at ease and disarm them of any nervousness before diving into his work.
As we sit in a meeting room at Llandaff Cathedral, surrounded by ancient gravestones and tall trees, Jason sips on his strong black coffee. He's dressed in a trim black suit and red waistcoat, the type of outfit he'd wear to a call-out. A copy of The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behaviour Disorders sits on his desk as a reminder that mental health could be the root cause of some cases, rather than mysterious spirits.
But what exactly is deliverance ministry? In Christianity, it refers to groups that perform practices to cleanse people of demons and evil spirits. These groups believe that certain physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional problems are caused by these entities. Every diocese has at least one deliverance minister, and exorcisms are extremely rare and only performed with authorization from a bishop.
Jason tells us that he's had some truly creepy experiences throughout his career, and there have been a few occasions where he's turned to a colleague and said, "RUN." He explains that there are three types of call-outs for a deliverance minister. The first is poltergeist activity, which can cause strange occurrences like flickering lights or disappearing shoes. This is often caused by negative spirit energy from someone who is struggling to communicate their distress. It could be a teenager bottling up stress from their parents' divorce, or an older person with early-stage Alzheimer's.
One memorable poltergeist case involved a woman who claimed rats were eating her mother alive. Jason rushed to their home, and after performing a blessing with a wooden cross and reciting the Lord's Prayer, the rat problem disappeared. It was later discovered that the woman was anxiously awaiting results from a bowel cancer screening, which may have caused the strange experience.
The second type of call-out is known as "place memories," where a building seems to "relive" a dramatic event that took place in the past. Jason gives the example of Treasurer's House in York, where an engineer witnessed "Roman soldiers" marching through a basement wall in 1953. It was later discovered that the building was built on top of a former major road that led to a Roman city.
Jason recalls a case where a family felt the need to take a large step at the bottom of their staircase. After some investigation, it was revealed that a previous resident had fallen down those stairs and broken their neck. This is known as a "place memory" and can be unsettling for those experiencing it.
The third type of call-out is "true hauntings," where the spirit of a deceased person is trying to communicate with loved ones. If you catch a whiff of your late grandmother's perfume or see a shadow of a deceased relative, it could be a true haunting. In these cases, Jason will often perform a requiem mass, also known as a Mass for the Dead, to help the spirit move on.
One particular case that stands out to Jason is when he was called to the home of his friend Pete, who was terrified after seeing the ghost of his deceased Australian boyfriend in the shower. After some gentle questioning, Pete revealed that he was struggling to let go of his ex-partner, which could have caused the spirit to linger. But what about exorcisms? Does Jason ever perform them, pinning a possessed person to the bed while shouting the Lord's Prayer as thunder and lightning crash outside? No, he tells us. The word "exorcist" has been sensationalized by movies like 'The Exorcist,' and it's a term used only in extreme cases.
As our conversation comes to an end, Jason tells us about some famous faces he's met through his work, such as King Charles and Camilla during their visit to Wales in 2022. He's also met Ryan Reynolds and Pudsey Bear, but his encounters with spirits and hauntings remain the most intriguing and unpredictable part of his job.
Meet Jason Bray, a dedicated Anglican priest who serves as the Dean at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral. Every morning, he starts his day with a peaceful walk down a set of stone steps from his home to his workplace. But don't let his calm demeanor fool you - Jason's job is far from ordinary. As a deliverance minister, he deals with hauntings, ghosts, demonic possession, and poltergeists.
You may have heard of the role of an exorcist, famously portrayed by director William Friedkin in the 1973 horror film 'The Exorcist'. In fact, the movie sparked a whole genre of films about demonic possession. But Jason assures us that the movie paints an unrealistic picture of exorcisms. However, he does admit to having some spine-chilling experiences in his 27 years as a deliverance minister.
Sitting in a meeting room at Llandaff Cathedral, surrounded by ancient gravestones and tall trees, Jason sips on a cup of strong black coffee. Dressed in a sleek black suit and red waistcoat, he looks just like the type of person you'd call for a supernatural emergency. But he also keeps a copy of The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behaviour Disorders on his desk, as a reminder that sometimes, mental health issues can be mistaken for spiritual ones.
So what exactly is deliverance ministry? In Christianity, it refers to practices used to cleanse people of demons and evil spirits. These groups believe that certain physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional problems are caused by these malevolent entities. Every diocese has at least one deliverance minister, and they are only authorized to perform exorcisms with permission from a bishop.
Jason has had some truly eerie experiences in his line of work. He recalls a few instances where he had to turn to a colleague and say "RUN!" But not every case is as dramatic as the movies make it seem. In fact, there are three types of call-outs that Jason typically deals with.
First, there are cases of poltergeist activity. These are often caused by a negative spirit energy, which can cause strange things to happen like flickering lights or vanishing shoes. But Jason explains that this can also be caused by someone who is struggling to communicate their distress. For example, a teenager bottling up stress about their parents' divorce may unknowingly create this type of activity.
Jason also handles cases of "place memories", where a building seems to "relive" a traumatic event from its past. One notable experience was with a family who always felt the need to take a large step at the bottom of their staircase. It turned out that a previous resident had fallen and broken his neck at the bottom of those stairs. This type of haunting is often linked to a specific location, rather than a specific person.
The third type of call-out is what Jason refers to as "true hauntings". These are when a deceased loved one tries to communicate with their living family members. If you catch a whiff of your late grandmother's perfume or see a shadow of a deceased relative, it could be a true haunting. In these cases, Jason will often conduct a requiem mass, or Mass for the Dead, to help the spirit move on.
But what about exorcisms? Does Jason ever find himself in a dramatic showdown with a possessed person, shouting prayers while thunder and lightning rage outside? The answer is no. Jason explains that the movie 'The Exorcist' has given the word "exorcist" a negative connotation. In reality, exorcisms are extremely rare and are only used as a last resort in cases of demonic possession.
Despite the seriousness of his work, Jason maintains a calm and reassuring presence. He understands that people are often frightened when they seek his help, so he tries to be as "pleasantly disarming" as possible. And while his job may seem unpredictable, he finds fulfillment in helping those who are struggling with spiritual or mental distress.
But don't think that Jason is just a priest - he's also met some famous faces in his line of work, including King Charles and Camilla, Ryan Reynolds, and even Pudsey Bear. So the next time you find yourself in need of a deliverance minister, don't be afraid to give Jason a call. Just don't expect any Hollywood-style exorcisms.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
