James J. LeBar

James J. LeBar (May 19, 1936 – February 21, 2008) was a Roman Catholic priest who was the chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of New York in the United States.

Father LeBar was ordained in 1962. He was assigned as chaplain to Hudson Valley Psychiatric Center in 1982 and served until his retirement there in 2005. Previously he was a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Poughkeepsie, 1980–1982; St. Stanislaus, Pleasant Valley, 1979–1980; St. Catherine Laboure, Lake Katrine, 1973–1979 and 1965–1967; St. Joseph’s, Kingston, 1967–1973; St. Gregory Barbarigo, Garnerville, 1967; and St. John the Evangelist, White Plains, 1962–1965. He served briefly as administrator of St. Colman’s, East Kingston, and Holy Name of Jesus, Kingston.

He taught religion at John A. Coleman Catholic High School, 1966–1970. In the 1970s LeBar was asked to become part of the Office of Communications of the Archdiocese of New York which at the time was dealing with the rise of groups they called "cults" and occult activity. In 1976 he was one of the priest advisors who supported the National Catholic Committee on Scouting's attendance with a Scout Service Corps at the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia and attended that event. He performed his first exorcisms in 1988 and 1989. In 1989 he also published his book, entitled Cults, Sects, and the New Age. He has counseled many former "cult members" and is a frequent speaker on this subject. He appeared as a guest on the Geraldo Rivera special Devil Worship Exposing Satan's Underground which aired on October 22, 1988.

He first came to prominence in 1991 when he took part in an exorcism in Palm Beach, Florida, which was broadcast on the ABC television program 20/20. He was appointed the chief exorcist of New York in 1992, by Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor. On June 25, 1995 Father LeBar was one of the guests on the Geraldo Rivera television program exploring satanic ritual abuse.

When asked during an interview if he ever witnessed levitation during an exorcism he said, "I myself, have never seen a major levitation in the course of an exorcism. However, in one case in the preliminary investigation, I had a person who rose up above the pews of the church and was suspended there for a few minutes."

He told Spirit Daily at the time of the 25th anniversary release of the film The Exorcist that it, "is about the most accurate portrayal of what can happen at an exorcism that I have ever seen."

Actress Winona Ryder spoke with Father LeBar about exorcisms in 1999 in order to prepare for her film role in the movie Lost Souls in which LeBar was one of the consultants. He even allowed her to view some videotapes of exorcisms he had performed. Performance artist Linda Montano has also done work related to him since he died.

In July 2002 Father LeBar addressed a conference of Roman Catholic exorcists in Rome. He lived and worked in New York State and was assigned as Chaplain of the Hudson River Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie, a post he has held for almost twenty years.

Father LeBar died of heart failure on the morning of February 21, 2008 at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. According to friends and colleagues, he was admitted to St. Francis and diagnosed as having what seemed to be (or at some point turned into) a bacterial infection which became septic. He was placed in intensive care and placed on a ventilator, until he died of heart failure.

Father LeBar was buried from Regina Coeli Parish in Hyde Park, New York (roughly two hours north of Manhattan) where he was in residence for nearly the last 25 years, especially while he served during most of that time as priest-chaplain to the Hudson Valley Psychiatric Center. His body lay in-state at the church, where visitation were held on Sunday, February 24 in the afternoon and evening; the Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated with one of the auxiliary bishops of New York on Monday, February 25, at 10:00.

According to a colleague of Father LeBar:

"For those of us who knew and worked with him, were served or mentored by him, we are trying with God’s grace to come to terms with this loss, both personally and for the Church in America. I have often remarked about Father’s disarmingly dry sense of humor—a hallmark of the same man who at times directly addressed and expelled demonic forces. A friend asked yesterday, “I wonder what Fr. LeBar will say when he sees God the Father?” I have no doubt that his sincere but usually witty response, along with his slight Bronx accent, will be something like, “Well—you do look better in person...”"