The Ritual

In 1928, inside a locked convent in rural Iowa, a woman screamed—and the Church listened. For 23 harrowing days, Emma Schmidt—known in some records as “Anna Ecklund”—endured one of the most terrifying and controversial exorcisms in American history. She levitated. Spoke in ancient tongues. Vomited foreign objects. Named her demons—and the dead. Behind the sealed doors of a Franciscan convent, a quiet priest named Father Theophilus Riesinger waged spiritual war against forces no one could explain. And no one could forget. Based on firsthand accounts, Church documentation, and theological archives, The Ritual takes you deep inside the chilling true story that inspired decades of horror films, folklore, and faith-based fear. But beyond the horror lies a haunting question: Was Emma possessed… or was something even darker at play? Step into the shadows of America’s most mysterious exorcism—where religion, trauma, and the limits of human understanding collide. If you thought The Exorcist was fiction… this is the case that came first. Dare to read it. But don’t read it alone. ?? Start reading The Ritual now—and discover the terrifying true story that the Church tried to forget.