BRIDGEWATER -- "Stop it. They're only demons."

Father Glenn Sudano, cofounder of the Franciscan Fathers of the Renewal and official exorcist of the Archdiocese of Newark, had that advice for students of a college seminary about demonic influence. Seminarians reported growling noises outside their rooms, drawers opening and closing by themselves, and unseen hands banging on doors. Father Sudano said that the next time they heard or saw any supernatural activity, they should simply say: "Stop it. This is my room. Get out of the room."

After that, and another blessing, the disturbances stopped. Sure, Father Sudano said, the demons were making noise and causing a disturbance -- but an eight-year-old can do that.

"You do have to have chutzpah," Father Sudano said during a lecture on exorcism at Bridgewater State University's St. Basil Chapel on Dec. 5. "These things take advantage of our fear, anxiety, and Hollywood, whatever we have in our head, and they know that."

A few dozen people came to hear Father Sudano, 71, speak about his 12 years as an exorcist. Hollywood, he said, "often gets it wrong" about exorcism, to the point that even priests are unnecessarily scared of demons. This was his chance to set the record straight.

Demons, he explained, are fallen angels who despise God. He described them as operating sort of like the mafia. While most people consider Satan to be the opposite of God, God has no opposite. However, for the sake of a compelling story, Hollywood portrays exorcisms as an epic struggle between an evenly-matched good and evil.

"It's not like that at all," Father Sudano said. "I mean, can it be dramatic? Sometimes, yes, but the victor is the victor. That's Christ. There's no question about who's going to win."

He sometimes takes friars along to exorcisms so they can see what he does firsthand. Friars are reluctant to join him because they expect the Hollywood image of people screaming and foaming at the mouth. When it's over, their reaction is often: "That was pretty cool."

"It is edifying because you see the power of Christ and the power of the Word of God," Father Sudano said. "Sometimes you see the direct influence of or intercession of saints. It is cool."

Father Sudano grew up in Brooklyn and wanted to work in television before he met Capuchin Father Benedict Groeschel in college. Father Sudano was inspired to join the priesthood by Father Groeschel's holy life and generosity to the poor. Father Groeschel, Father Sudano, and several other priests went on to found the Franciscan Fathers of the Renewal. Father Sudano became an exorcist after a young boy from Long Island suddenly started growling at him during confession.

"I'm from Brooklyn, that doesn't bother me," he joked.

He wanted to help the boy with his "spiritual problems," but had no idea how. He went to an exorcism workshop at Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago. There, he learned demonology, angiology, the theology of exorcism, and pastoral counseling. As an exorcist, his first order of business is to investigate any claim of demonic influence to make sure it is valid, and not every situation he responds to is demonic in nature.

Typically, he said, people under demonic influence seem like their normal selves until they see or hear of anything holy. In the presence of a church, cross, or even hearing someone mention prayer, they make "gargoyle faces" and other signs of distress. Exorcism is a formal rite, and Father Sudano requires written permission from his bishop before he can perform it. Exorcism isn't a "one-and-done" thing. An exorcist can perform 50 exorcisms on a single person.

"I prayed with many people that have oppression and obsession," he told The Pilot, "but possession is a little more rare, but it can be very tenacious. It's because these things may not leave right away."

He said that there are no experts in exorcism, and that it's a lot like being a doctor: The more you do it, the more you learn.

"I'm telling you guys and gals, it's a mysterious world," he said in his remarks. "But to tell you the truth, life is mysterious."

The most important thing he wants people to understand is that demons are real. They don't necessarily look like cartoon devils with horns and tails, but that is how they appear to frighten people in their imaginations. Father Sudano has never seen a demon himself. Following the logic of St. Thomas Aquinas, who said that every angel is its own species, then every demon must be its own species, as well. Father Sudano said that the difference between two demons can be as stark as the difference between an elephant and a rabbit.

"Quite frankly, some demons, they may be strong," he said. "They don't necessarily immediately react to, say, holy water. Others, they don't like it at all."

Other demons, he said, "are really stupid."

He compared demonic possession to a rodent infestation. Rodents, like demons, hide in the shadows because they are afraid. When humans are afraid of them, they are emboldened. In the same way that leaving a door open lets rodents come into the house, a person's hateful, selfish, and impious behavior opens their body up to demons. Father Sudano does not charge people for his services, but they come with a price: Living a more holy life.

"My work is not getting rid of squirrels," he said. "It's fixing people's houses."

Demonic influence comes in many forms, including vivid and violent nightmares, voices encouraging people to harm themselves, and even physical assault from an unseen force. Other signs include levitation, lights going on and off on their own, vomiting, and scratches appearing on the body. Father Sudano has even heard of people receiving text messages from demons.

"I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard it from reliable sources," he said.

He said that demonic activity has grown more common in recent decades due to "spiritual illness" and people turning away from God. In response, there has been a revival of interest in exorcism within the Catholic Church, resulting in a greater awareness from bishops and exorcist conferences. Father Sudano told the assembly to pray and receive the sacraments frequently, and to beware of psychic mediums, ouija boards, and other occult influences.

When Father Sudano was a young man considering his vocation, he never expected to become an exorcist.

"I think it's opened my eyes," he told The Pilot. "Most people who are spiritually oppressed are very beautiful people, and when they come out of it, when they get healthy again, quite often, they are very humble and very fervent and actually very holy."

He has seen whole families come back to the church in the aftermath of an exorcism.

"The devil bites his own tail in the end," he said.