Father Theophilus Riesinger’s story is not well known in Appleton today, and seems to have not been very well known in the area even in his lifetime. The first thorough look at him from local sources is from Post-Crescent writer Maija Penikis on March 4, 1973, more than 30 years after his passing. But now, we will try to go a bit deeper.
Born February 27, 1868 in Bavaria, Germany. Some records say “Stelza,” though I’m unsure where that is. At birth, his name was Francis Xavier Riesinger. He was raised on a family farm and became deeply devoted to God during a prolonged illness he had around age 12.
Around 1889, at age 21, Riesinger entered the monastery at Altotting and came to know Brother Conrad, who was later made a saint. For whatever reason, the provincial authority, Father Victricius Weiss, declined to accept Riesinger for the priesthood in Bavaria. So he moved to Sassbach in Alsace to study for one year and graduated February 2, 1892. His file notes, “Diligence and behavior always exemplary. Intellectual attainments gratifyingly successful.” He is also commended for hi s linguistic talent. Another professor wrote a beautiful recommendation, stating among other things: “This student distinguished himself by untiring diligence and inflexible energy as well as by modest demeanor and holy enthusiasm for his future vocation. His moral rectitude no less than his gratifying achievements in the various branches of study, give every promise that, with God’s help, his heart’s most cherished desire will be fulfilled.”
1892, immigrated to the United States and became a Capuchin. This is likely when he adopted the name Theophilus. Why he picked the name he did is unknown. After a short stay at Saint Fidelis Monastery in New York City and at Yonkers, he continued his journey to Detroit and was
invested as a novice on August 30
On June 29, 1899, he was ordained a priest. The first assignment placed him back in Saint Fidelis Monastery, New York.
August 1903, Rev. Theophilus was at St. Michael’s monastery in New York (Jerome Street at Atlantic Street) and was very influential there. This was a traditional German church. He made cosmetic improvements to the building, established a sewing circle for young women, a kindergarten, and a St. Vincent de Paul Society. He left around July 1906.
1909, became a naturalized citizen in New York.
1910, lived in Manhattan. Somewhere around this time, he took a course on socialism at Fordham University, which he felt was important to understand the growing labor movement. The Catholic view of socialism in those days was that it was a “false doctrine.”
In 1912, his view of evil spirits brought him into conflict wit h diocesan authorities. H e was transferred to Wisconsin and for the next thirty years alternated between Appleton and Marathon.
1913, applied for a passport in Jackson County, Minnesota
July 29, 1917, Rev. Riesinger (of Appleton) and attorney FJ Rowan of Milwaukee were speakers at the quarterly meeting of the Outagamie County Federation of Catholic Societies in Kimberly.
November 11-18, 1917, Rev. Riesinger (said to be of Appleton) conducted a mission in Custer, Wisconsin at St. Mary’s. The newspaper referred to him as “a powerful and convincing speaker.”
1920, lived in Marathon County, Wisconsin where he helped establish St. Anthony’s Seminary
September 28 through October 12, 1924, a mission was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartington, Nebraska. It was conducted in both English and German. Leading the mission were Riseinger and Rev. Fabian Fetha (1878-1946). (Fetha’s birth name was Anthony Fetha, son of Anton and Elizabeth.)
September 23-30, 1928, conducted a mission at St. John’s in Muscoda, Wisconsin along with another Capuchin, Rev. Fabian Fetha.
October 21-28, 1928, conducted a mission at St. Paul’s in Sauk Centre, Minnesota along with another Capuchin, Rev. Fabian Fetha. The local newspaper heavily promoted this event, encouraging non-Catholics who work with Catholics or who would consider marrying a Catholic to attend and learn more about the faith.
August 18-26, September 13-20, and December 1-23, 1928 the Earling exorcism occurred in three stages – we’ll return to this.
October 1930, held a mission at St. Francis church in Humphrey, Nebraska along with Rev. Gilbert Heuel. The newspaper said the mission was so successful that on some of the evenings there was no room to enter the church.
1930, lived in Appleton where he was affiliated with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. In January 1931, he was noted as an officer of the St. Joseph Benevolent Society
By 1930, he was believed to have performed around 20 exorcisms. On many occasions, he performed the ceremony even when not given permission by the local bishop.
March 26 to April 9, 1933 had a mission at Buffalo, New York with Rev. Fetha. The host church was St. Ann’s at Broadway and Emslie. One week was in English and another in German.
May 6-13, 1934 had a mission at Thorp, Wisconsin with Rev. Fetha. The host church was St. Bernard’s.
Around February 1936(?) made famous by the release of “Begone Satan,” a pamphlet detailing a 23-day battle Riseinger had with the devil in Iowa, where a woman had been possessed for over 25 years. The facts of the pamphlet were disputed at the time and remain controversial. Bishop Drumm released a statement saying it contained inacuracies and exaggerations.
The woman who was possessed is not known. The book calls her Anna Ecklund, while others have identified her real name as Emma Schmidt. She was born in perhaps 1882, 1886 or 1894. There is no convincing case to be made of her true identity. We are told she is “from the east” or “1,000 miles” from Earling, Iowa. Some suggest she was from Milwaukee, others Detroit. Riesinger had, in fact, exorcised the woman once before on June 18, 1912, and Bishop Thomas Drumm of Des Moines entrusted Riesinger with the case in advance of his arrival. No one was supposed to know she was there, other than the church and the train personnel who were warned. But screams coming out of the convent made the whole town aware.
Ecklund was possessed by Beelzebub, Judas Iscariot, as well as her own father, Jacob, and Jacob’s mistress Mina. Beelzebub explained he had been a seraphim before he fell to Hell. Judas said he was trying to get the woman to despair and kill herself. Jacob told the priest how he had ridiculed priests in life and when given the chance to confess before dying, he spit in that priest’s face and laughed as he was damned. Mina said she had murdered “little ones” – three or four.
She was first possessed in 1908 through the agency of her aunt Mina, who was her father’s mistress, ‘known among the people as a witch’. However, the principal cause of her possession was not traditional malefic witchcraft but a curse she received from her father as a consequence of her father’s sexual sins – including repeated attempted incest with his daughter.
The demon introduced a political dimension to the exorcism when he referred to the Mexican Revolution as evidence of the devil’s activity in the world. He further claimed the Antichrist had already been born in Israel but had not reached maturity yet, and humanity would see the final days in the year 2000.
Father Steiger, the local priest, was constantly under attack. At one point, he had apparently gone temporarily blind while in his car and drove off the side of a bridge. When his sight returned his vehicle was hanging on the edge.
The demon could tell if holy water had been sprinkled over the woman’s food, and explained that the devil knew people’s secrets, except if they had confessed to a priest. Then the sexrets were blocked. The woman, whole possessed, could rise from the bed and cling to the walls – she would vomit 20 to 30 times a day, far more than she was eating. On the last day, before the woman was free, Lucifer himself appeared before Father Theophilus holding a sword and covered in flames. Then he vanished.
Father Theophilus never spoke of this or any other exorcism publicly. He said he wrote down his experiences and sent them to the Vatican, and that was all he would ever say. If such a memoir exists, it remains in a confidential archive.
served St. Joseph Catholic Church of Appleton for 26 years
Former student Oscar Dorn recalled years later, “When he talked about hell and damnation, you listened.” Another student anonymously said, “I never remember him making a joke or engaging in light conversation.”
died on November 9, 1941 at age 73 after suffering an attack during mass in Menasha. He was said to be buried “on a hillside” in St. Joseph’s Cemetery. If this was true, he or the hill has since been moved – he lies in the Capuchin section in the southeast part of the cemetery, nowhere near a hill.
A fellow missionary gave the description: “I was on the missions with Father Theophilus for twenty-two years. He was always considerate of the failings and shortcomings of others. His correction was fatherly and sincere. He always had an encouraging word for his
confreres and rejoiced in their success. He was ever ready to substitute for or take over the work of another. In his prime, he preached five or even seven times a day without complaint or fatigue. Nor did these duties prevent him from saying his breviary, rosary and stations every day. While traveling and in the rectory, he was a pleasant companion. He was an interesting entertainer and well-liked by priests and people.” The missionary is not identified, but is almost certainly Fetha.
February 3, 1974, Nick Lamberto of the Des Moines Register traveled to Earling to get the inside scoop. The movie “The Exorcist” was making headlines and it had people talking. Monsignor Michael W. Schwartze of St. Joseph’s noted that Earling had only 573 people in 1974, but, “We have a lot of people in their sixties, seventies and eighties, you know.” They all remembered and said the woman had been brought in from Michigan – a different place than others identified as the “eastern city.”
Schwartze said, “In a small town like this, everyone knew what was going on, but it was no big thing, nothing sensational. Now it seems to be a big thing, at least for outsiders. With the book and movie out, we’re getting visits from newsmen and photographers from all over. Two letters just this morning, one from Arizona and one from Rome, Italy, wanting to know about the 1928 exorcism. There never has been a formal investigation or report on this case. And it has been exaggerated.”
Lamberto found Rev. Arthur Ring, who had been an assistant to Rev. Steiger in 1937. Ring said, “One time Father Steiger was returning from a farm home after delivering communion on First Friday when ‘a black curtain’ came down in front of him and he crashed his new car into a bridge, completely wrecking it. Up in the convent room, the devil told the exorcist, ‘I fixed your partner.’ Another time, Father Steiger heard rats running up the wall of his bedroom. He put on his stole, blessed the room and there were no more rats.”
Sister Leta, principal of the Catholic school in Earling said most of the nuns have slept in the exorcism room of the convent. “I have slept there, and probably dozens of other nuns have, too. Everyone who lives at the convent knows about the bedroom, but nothing unusual has ever happened there that I know of.” As for the new book and movie, “It’s just fiction. I don’t believe in those things.”
Another article also refers to the woman as “Eva Mary Bott” rather than Anna Ecklund or Emma Schmidt. They claimed their source was the Omaha World Herald of February 10, 1974, which relied on “personal letters” and “official church documents.”