The U.S. Catholic Diocesan Exorcist Project

This roundtable presents the institutional context, methodologies, and major findings of The U.S. Catholic Diocesan Exorcist Project (2025-2026). This grant-funded work stems from a small group of researchers tasked to discern the number of Catholic exorcists currently operating across 174 major dioceses. Panelist#1 provides project background, initial/failed interview requests, and need to adopt journalism research strategies amidst ecclesiastical resistance. Panelist#2 reports on our social media data collection, training TikTok and Instagram algorithms to provide potential interview subjects based on preselected exorcist-themed videos. Panelist#3 reports on utilizing phone calls and emails to speak with diocesan representatives and their exorcists, showcasing the geospatial map findings of our calling efforts. Two distinguished exorcism scholars then serve as respondents. Such research is integral to the “worldbuilding” study of contemporary Catholic practice. Our mixed-methods approach, made possible through an adaptive and scaffolded practice of data collection, illuminates the struggles that come with researching modern institutions.