Haunted Weekend

When most groups of people get together, it’s to enjoy a good meal and talk about what their common interests are, ghost hunters are just the same. A few weekends ago a group of ghost enthusiasts got together to enjoy a wonderful meal and to talk about their latest and greatest cases and to gather more information and the latest means of helping people beleaguered with paranormal problems

Seven Groups from the eastern seaboard met to talk and enjoy each others company and interests in paranormal research. Of the groups was an ordained Independent Catholic priest who works as an exorcist, an Evangelical priest also working as an exorcist and a seminarian who is finishing his studies and hopes soon to be an ordained exorcist, as well as many clairvoyants and paranormal investigators that were all interested in the same thing; ghosts, and anything paranormal.

After a delicious meal that was prepared by our host, John Zaffis, we all got down to business of watching tapes on various investigations that the groups had done. This was then followed by John gathering us together for a surprise investigation. I was told by some groups that when you are around John, you never know what he will be getting involved with so prepare yourself for anything. A new case had just come in and John thought that it would be a great chance for all of us to work together in a mutual effort to rid the house of its unwanted "guests." A woman contacted PRSNE and wished for some help in dealing with what she thought were paranormal happenings in her brother’s home. She had recently inherited this home from her brother who tragically died of complications associated with an emergency hospital stay. She and her husband had been removing items from the home in hopes of renting her brother’s side of the duplex.

Since that time, the tenants on the other side of the duplex house had complained of noises coming from the seemingly vacant house. They had heard doors slamming, voices and even music. The husband planned to spend a night at the house in hopes of catching what he believed to be kids playing in the vacant home.

Shortly afterwards the husband and his friend set up to spend a night in the house, they planned to camp out in the living room with all lights off so that they could catch the trespassers, the living room gave them the best view of the kitchen where most of the noises seemed to be coming from. The men did not have to wait too long for anything to happen just after settling down they heard footsteps in the kitchen and drawers being opened and closed. Both men ran to the empty kitchen but no one was there, even though they could still hear the footsteps walking toward the family room. The husband entered into the kitchen and was met by an icy blast of air, it seemed to him that it penetrated deep into his bones, his friend also felt a chill in the air. Both men were shaken and decided to call it a night.

The next night the wife and husband planned to video tape the kitchen in hopes of finding out what was going on. They set up a video camera just inside the family room where there was a clear unobstructed view of the kitchen. They also removed a few items to see if that was triggering the activity. The next day they retrieved their camera and went home to see if they had caught anything on film. After determining what were natural noises, like the heat going on and off, they were surprised on how "busy" the kitchen seemed. They could hear the cabinets being opened and closed, footsteps, rapping's, music and a strange male voice, that they could not make out what it was saying.

Then they decided that they needed some professional help in dealing with whatever they had in this house, so they contacted our host. After reviewing their tape we all decided that an investigation was needed, and plans were made to meet the woman and go to her brother’s house. So early the next day we all met with the couple off a Connecticut highway, there we followed the couple to her brother’s house.

The brother’s house was a ranch style duplex was in a very nice neighborhood that over looked a river. As we pulled up, we could see children playing in what remained of the last week’s snowstorm. The interior of the house was cluttered with boxes and disassembled furniture. It seemed sad and empty as the groups entered and began to set up their equipment. The various groups began to work together as if they had been working with each other for many years.

The clairvoyants began their tour of the house so that they could relay the "hot spots" so that the technical people could set up their equipment. Researchers began to take photos of each room and EVP specialists began setting up their recording equipment.

Soon everyone gathered in the family room where a spirit communication was starting, we hoped to contact the entity and see if we could determine who it was, we felt that possibly it was the woman’s brother, and if it was he, why he was staying around the house and had not passed onto the other side. The clairvoyants began their communication asking the spirit to tap in response to their questions. Many questions were asked and a few rapping's were heard, one researcher said that his shirt had been pulled a couple of times. Ghost lights could be seen by the researchers. The family room became remarkably colder, everyone felt it, even the members of the groups that never felt anything before.

Slowly the cold began to dissipate and it got warmer and the communication ceased. The group got ready to leave. John gave the woman his recommendation that the house be blessed and a prayer said for her brother and to see if that would stop the activity.

A priest did come and bless the house but the activity continued, the woman had told John that the priest had been almost flippant about the blessing. So John made plans to go back with a member of the clergy and together they did a suffimunigation, which worked and all has been quiet for some time. this was something all of us had hope for to go on a case with John to see how he investigates and it turn out to be a fantastic learning experience for all.

by Debbie Elward