“The occult is all about power and the technological world, in which we live, makes it very easy for us to be dependent on nobody.”
–Father Thomas

The book, The Rite, follows Father Thomas through his apprenticeship as an exorcist, and also shows his faith life before and after his formation as an exorcist. In the movie version, which stars Anthony Hopkins, some liberties are taken with the story. Father Thomas was a consultant on the film project.

The character of Father Gary Thomas (called Michael Kovak in the film, and portrayed by Colin O’Donoghue) is depicted as someone struggling with his faith. He doubts he has a calling to the Catholic priesthood at all, and is planning to abdicate his vows.

“That’s Hollywood,” said the real-life Father Thomas to The Los Gatos Patch. “In real life, you would never have a seminarian who basically gave up his faith being sent to Rome to see if he can get his faith back. You just wouldn’t do that.”

Sheila Sanchez of The Los Gatos Patch spoke with Father Thomas in his office at Sacred Heart Parish in Saratoga. From that conversation:

In 2005, after spending 15 years at Saint Nicholas Catholic Church in Los Altos, Father Thomas took a sabbatical to train to become an exorcist. He went to Father Carmine DeFilippis, the provincial of the Capuchin Order in Rome. He worked with the master Italian exorcist during three-hour sessions, three days a week, for three and a half months.

He is now teaching others what he has practiced for he last seven years. He’s mentoring three priests in the Diocese. “The best way to learn is by observation and participation,” he said. “All the theological training in the world won’t do you any good if you’ve never sat and discerned with an exorcist on how to do it.”

Father Thomas officially became an exorcist at Bishop Patrick J. McGrath’s request in 2005. In the Roman Catholic Church, only a bishop, by right of his ordination, can perform an exorcism, or he can ask a priest to fulfill the role. However, a priest, by right of his ordination, does not have the power to perform the ritual, Father Thomas explained.

Today, Father Thomas is among about 50 Catholic exorcists in the United States.

The course he took, which is shown in the movie, was practical and academic, he said. Several speakers came in to talk to the students about the ritual. In 10 sessions, they addressed issues such as the relationship between electronics and the computer age and “the culture of isolation, which is an invitation to the occult.”

“The occult is all about power and the technological world, in which we live, makes it very easy for us to be dependent on nobody,” Father Thomas said.

Read the full article here: “Meet Gary Thomas, the Priest in the Movie”
Also, you might be interested in an interview with Father Thomas on the Busted Halo podcast from earlier this year, a Catholic program with host Father Dave Dwyer. The interview is transcribed as an article; or you can listen with the embedded player.

RELATED: Interview with William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist [video]