No.
In the name of Christ, our Lord, and Mary, queen of heaven,
trap this corrupt soul.
Contain her!
Yeah, Max.
- Gerry. - I'll get you tomorrow.
- Party hard last night? - What do you want?
Cattle mutilations. Small town, couple hours out.
Pays 150.
Cattle mutilations? Well, that, for sure, that's 200 bucks.
Pays 150.
I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 6K when I worked for the Examiner.
Yeah. Well, Gerry, you should try getting your old job back.
You know what, Max?
I don't want to talk to you. Send me the details.
I'm gonna run home and grab some crap.
I don't know a lot about cows, but it doesn't look mutilated.
Yeah, check her behind there. Right there.
Might be the work of some of those Satanists I keep hearing about.
They put on these animal masks, strip down,
and they engage in unholy orgies.
Mr. Geary, may I ask you a question?
- Yeah, sure. - Do you have a son?
Yeah.
- Sixteen? - No, he's 15.
You ever hear of the band Metallica?
Sorry, I...
Not much happens around here.
Could have fooled me.
- Geary? - Oh, jeez, here we go.
Yeah?
This is church property. Get that cow out of here.
I'm wicked sorry, Father Hagan. It won't happen again, I swear to God.
You said that last week.
This cow craps everywhere.
I know. It's a mess. Sorry.
- Now, Geary. - You got it.
I own the farm next door.
- I've been meaning to mend that fence. - You know what, I don't care.
What I do care about
is my employer is not gonna pay for pictures of that cow's ass.
- I don't know what to say. - Yeah, I know you don't.
Did you hear that?
Hear what?
Mr. Fenn?
What the hell?
"February 31st, 1845."
Kern baby.
Farmers used to plant them in the fields for good luck.
- Man, never seen one like that, though. - God, that is creepy.
"When the ancient talisman was broken, mysterious cattle mutilations began."
This ain't broken.
You broke it.
Let's not argue about who broke what.
- You just got done telling me my son... - Or who mutilated what.
Now we have a story.
- Come on, help me out, man. - With what?
We'll get a big picture of that lovable mug in the article.
- No, I don't want a picture. No, no. - Yeah, yeah.
Come on. Get down there by the thing.
- Like I found it? - Yeah.
All right.
Yeah, that's good.
- You like it? - Better than a cow's ass.
All right.
Where does a fella get something to eat around here?
This is a cool place.
Is it always this busy?
This?
This is rush hour.
When an unidentified vandal broke a protective talisman...
an unholy evil was released.
An evil thirsty for blood.
It began...
It began by sucking on a cow's ass.
Good God, Fenn.
You were gonna win a Pulitzer.
Idiot.
Oh, shit.
Shit.
Hey!
Hey.
I pledge my soul to you. I pledge my soul to you.
I promise.
I will.
- Hey, are you okay? - Thank you.
I'm coming.
Alice.
Yeah. Dr. Gates, it's an emergency.
Please. As soon as you can.
How are you feeling?
This has never happened before. Could...? Could she have been sleepwalking?
She seems fine. I can check in again tomorrow after Mass.
So, Alice, she lives with Father Hagan?
He's her uncle. He's raised her since her parents died.
The thing is...
she was talking.
It's not possible. Alice has never spoken.
- She has congenital cholesteatoma. - Look, I get it.
You don't know me, and I made a bad first impression,
but I swear I heard her talking.
Okay. What's your blood alcohol level?
You are lucky that Alice is okay.
If anything had happened to her,
I would have made it my own personal mission to see you locked up.
Get in.
This the best place you got?
This is the only place we've got.
Okay.
Well, at least it's cheap.
At least it's not jail.
- Hey, Gerry. - Hey, I'm still in Banfield.
I got into a little bit of an accident, so I...
Story gonna be late.
Forget it. Obscura.com ran a cattle-mutilation piece today.
What if I have another story?
Deaf-mute girl here, connected to the church,
she spontaneously talked.
Religious angle.
- Okay, Gerry. - Two hundred bucks.
Pays 150. And bring pictures.
Don't be such a cheap bastard.
You take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Alice.
The lady.
The lady has an urgent message for all of us.
She wants us to come again tomorrow.
She says...
She says her name is Mary.
Alice, these tests will allow us to evaluate your hearing.
Are you ready?
I'm gonna play a series of sounds for you at different volumes.
Now... you're gonna hear some words,
and I'd like you to repeat them back to me, okay?
Cat.
Apple.
- Number five. - Number five.
- Ocean. - Ocean.
- Slade here. - Burning the midnight oil, I see.
I always thought you worked too hard.
- Fenn. - Monica.
- It's been a while. - Not long enough.
Listen, I have a story for you.
Something I think the Examiner will love.
An occurrence.
A healing, possibly divine.
I swear, it's the truth.
You were never interested in the truth.
For you, it was all about fame.
All right, look, I totally get the skepticism, but...
You still don't get it, do you? You lied.
You were caught fabricating stories.
You almost ruined this paper's reputation. People lost their jobs because of you.
Next time you feel the urge to call me, don't.
Fuck.
- You think Mary will cure me, Dad? - Let's pray to her.
Friends. Please. Please.
I've asked Alice to stay inside.
Obviously, we're very happy and grateful that she's recovered,
but I think this is all a bit overwhelming for her.
So nothing is gonna happen today.
If you could all please go home, I'd appreciate it.
- Thank you. - There she is!
Alice.
Thank you.
Do you believe in miracles?
Do you have faith in Mary?
Yes.
Then walk.
I can't.
Mary commands you to walk.
But I can't.
Believe.
Hail Mary.
Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Next up, a strange story from our local news affiliate.
The town of Banfield in central Massachusetts.
A paralyzed boy named Toby Walsh
claims he was healed by an 18-year-old Alice Pagett.
Images of a miracle have gone viral.
Bishop James Gyles of the Boston Archdiocese
has announced a press conference this morning.
1858, a French girl named Bernadette Soubirous
claimed to have had a series of visitations
from the Blessed Virgin in a grotto outside the town of Lourdes.
1917, Fátima, Portugal.
Three shepherd children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary,
followed by miracles, prophesies.
1981, Medjugorje, Bosnia.
Six witnesses observed a Marian apparition.
Many claim that the Holy Mother continues to visit this shrine to this very day.
The present.
All three shrines draw millions of faithful each year.
In Lourdes alone, over 5000 miraculous cures have been recorded.
Excuse me.
Are you saying that Banfield could become such a shrine?
Well, first, we have to confirm
that an actual miracle has truly occurred.
That is why Monsignor Delgarde here has been tasked by the Vatican
to investigate these alleged healings.
Monsignor.
In the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV
laid out a procedure to determine the veracity of a miracle.
The main steps are...
the illness must be incurable.
The cure must be instantaneous.
The cure must be complete.
In my capacity as inquisitor,
I intend to use all medical science and technology available
to disprove the alleged miracle...
and expose any deceit.
If I fail, the miracle is to be considered genuine.
Meanwhile, the church has installed a shelter over the site
to protect it from the elements and public intrusion.
Yes. Yes, yes. Go ahead.
When will we see Alice Pagett and Toby Walsh?
Well, the Walsh family has asked for privacy at this time,
and we intend to respect their wishes.
Miss Pagett, however, has offered to speak with you on her own accord.
Alice, you don't have to go...
You don't have to go in there if you don't want to.
It's okay, Dr. Gates.
This is what the lady wants.
The lady you claim appeared to you, is she the Virgin Mary?
And what exactly were her words?
Do you have a history of any mental illness?
Have you received any financial incentives to make these claims?
What does the lady look like?
She's dressed in flowing white robes.
She glows like how the sun shimmers on a hazy day.
And how does she...? How does she speak to you?
Is it a voice in your head?
Alice, have you ever used drugs before?
When did you first see her?
Five nights ago, in the field.
You were there.
And what does Mary want?
Our faith.
I'm... I'm told we'll have some privacy in here.
Please.
A little surprised that Father Hagan missed the press conference.
Yes, well, Father Hagan is unfortunately not feeling well.
I am sorry to hear that.
I imagine he is pretty excited about his church becoming a shrine.
Yet to be determined.
Alice is speaking perfectly...
though she has never heard any form of speech before.
How do you explain that?
There are various degrees of deafness, Mr. Fenn.
Alice may have been unconsciously hearing all along.
- Come on. - Are you Catholic?
I was raised Catholic. Lapsed.
Spiritually and professionally, it would appear.
My lack of faith could be an advantage.
Having a neutral observer along to record the process would be healthy.
Now, you may find someone more devout, but...
But they'd be accused of bias. Yeah.
Give me the exclusive.
Only I talk to Alice.
I promise you I will be fair.
And if, for whatever reason, any of these miracles turn to be false,
then I personally will take the hit.
Alice certainly seems more inclined to talk to you.
- Your Grace, this man's reputation is... - Yes, yes, I know, Vincent.
Everyone deserves a second chance, though.
Even Mr. Fenn here.
I asked if I could join the church choir.
All my life, I've been watching them sing from the sidelines.
You know the worst part about being deaf?
- You know the worst part about being deaf? - What's that?
You can't listen to music.
But you can feel it.
You turn the volume way up and play something really loud,
like the "1812 Overture," you can feel the vibrations.
Well, it's good to know that you are just like every other teenager.
So any new favorites?
- I think I might be into country. - Oh, Alice, keep exploring.
All right, I think I got this all set up.
What do you say we do a couple real easy questions?
How many are gonna watch?
Well, that is...
That is hard to say, but...
maybe millions.
Mary wants to reach as many people as possible.
Well, we want to make Mary happy, don't we?
Okay.
There are...
There are people out there that don't believe in your miracles.
How would you respond to those folks?
Seeing is believing.
And why do you think Mary chose you?
Because she gives voice to the voiceless.
And I've been silent for a really long time.
I prayed so hard to her.
I yearned to be healed and she answered.
I opened myself up to Mary and welcomed her in.
And she heard me, Mr. Fenn. More than that, she listened.
All my life, people barely looked at me, like I was invisible.
But now when I walk into the room, everybody listens.
You understand what that's like.
People used to listen to you.
They used to hang on your every word.
You had so much power, but now it's gone.
- Wait, wait, Alice, how do you...? - Mary told me.
She looked at you in the field and saw someone who needed her.
A soul yearning for her touch.
You and the lady want the same thing, Mr. Fenn.
Spread her word.
Seize this chance. Spread her word and be rewarded.
Alice, do you have any idea what I did with my book? I can't...
Alice, I'd like to have a word with Mr. Fenn in private, please.
- Gyles authorized me to be here. - You just want to take advantage of her.
And I won't...
I won't let you use her.
Emphysema?
My grandmother had emphysema.
Do you think that's a good idea?
Father Hagan, your niece, she is a remarkable young woman.
She has a gift.
Now, imagine...
Imagine what the people would think
if they were able to actually see God's work in action.
Don't talk to me about God.
You'd sell your soul for a story, and you know it.
I... I guess I don't understand what is wrong with doing some good
and maybe a few people profiting from it, like you and your church.
Everybody wins.
Everybody.
The bishop thinks a shrine would be wonderful for Banfield.
Maybe.
I'm not sure it would be wonderful for Alice.
When God builds a church, the devil builds a chapel next door.
I never thought I would hear a Catholic priest quote Martin Luther.
Mr. Fenn...
we are in an eternal battle between good and evil.
Wherever God goes, the unholy follows.
The girl who saw the Virgin Mary at Lourdes...
the world treated her like a freak.
She lived out the rest of her life locked away in a convent.
In Fátima, three children saw the Virgin Mary.
Two of them were dead by the end of the year.
Miracles, Mr. Fenn.
Miracles.
They're strong acts of faith.
And there is nothing that Satan likes more than to corrupt our faith.
Well, our town was founded in the early 19th century by Catholic farmers.
The earliest mention in our records is found
in the county assessor's almanac of 1852.
He refers to it as Banefield, a place of strange and terrible wonders.
"Wonders"? What does that mean?
Well, it could have been anything. A two-headed calf, a black goat.
Back then, people saw the devil behind every tree.
"There are various degrees of deafness.
Alice may have unconsciously been hearing all along."
Those are your words.
I entered a seminary when I was 19.
The Jesuits.
While still a novice, I disproved a case of stigmata.
Caught the attention of the Holy See.
I have read several libraries' worth on the supernatural,
investigated half a dozen cases of alleged miracles.
Proved them all false.
Oh, you know damn well I didn't cook this up.
It wouldn't be the first time.
You know, there's this part in the Bible
about forgiving sins, kind of a major plot point.
If the sinner confesses his sins and truly repents.
Anything you care to tell me?
No.
That was very good, Alice. That was... That was excellent.
Next, we should try "Mary..."
"Mary of...
Promi..."
Do you believe in Mary?
- Do you have faith in her? - I...
Do you pledge to serve her with all your heart and soul?
Yes.
Yeah, I need an ambulance at Church of Our Lady.
Father Hagan collapsed.
I can breathe.
Alice, I can breathe.
Father Hagan's most recent physical.
You'll see the mass in the left lower lung field,
causing complete collapse in the lower left lobe.
They gave him six months tops.
Father Hagan's lungs today.
Wait. Are you saying that he's healed?
Apparently so.
What about the kid, Toby Walsh? Are results in for him?
Boston Children's Hospital diagnosed him as suffering from muscular dystrophy.
No cure.
While impossible, Toby's afflictions have completely disappeared.
All right, let me make sure I got this straight,
that I'm not missing something.
There are three main requirements to be considered a miracle.
The illness must be incurable, the cure must be instantaneous,
and the cure must be complete. Correct?
Oh, come on.
This is the real deal. This is genuine.
It certainly appears that way, Mr. Fenn.
The main requirements for a genuine miracle have been met.
The pope has decreed that the field where the Virgin Mary appeared
is a holy shrine.
What does Alice mean to you?
Alice is my hero.
I felt invisible, just like she did.
But now seeing what she's become, she inspires me.
She's holy. You can tell.
She's gonna be bigger than Taylor Swift.
- Nothing ever happens in Banfield. - No.
This is huge, right?
- Where are you going? - Anywhere.
- Aren't you happy about the miracles? - No, sir, I am not.
I like when God stays where he belongs.
Up there.
When he comes down here, bad things happen.
Floods, plagues of locusts.
The Old Testament God is wrathful.
What if something pisses him off?
The impact to the economy of Banfield cannot be overstated.
In Europe, the shrines at Lourdes and Fátima
each attract six million tourists a year.
Monica, I'm surprised to be hearing from you.
Yeah, well, I talked it over with management.
We decided ten years was long enough.
You paid your dues.
Well, as tempting as that sounds, I pass.
- What? - I want a desk, Monica.
Special Sections. Make me an editor.
You're out of your bloody mind.
I am fielding calls from Chicago, New York, D.C.
Every major Catholic demographic on this planet is eating this up.
I have exclusive access to Alice Pagett.
You want to talk to Alice, you have to go through me.
No story without Alice, which means no story without Gerry Fenn.
- I'll get back to you. - I'm sure you will.
Who's back?
That guy's back.
I'm gonna need new headshots.
This is my home.
I've never lived anywhere else.
But my uncle felt I'd be better off at the diocese.
I'm sorry, Alice.
It sucks. I get it.
Where is your uncle, anyway?
He has some work at the church.
I just don't know what he's gonna do without me.
Like, who's gonna catch him if he tries to smoke?
I don't know for certain, but I think he'll be okay. He's a big boy.
Hey...
think of it as a new adventure you're going on.
And in honor of that, I made you something.
A mix.
Now, please remember that I'm an old dude.
So you're gonna have to put up with some classics.
The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Stones, Eagles, some Tupac.
But I also tried to figure out what the kids listen to these days.
So you get some Billie Eilish, Rufus Wainwright, Smashing Pumpkins.
It's just really important that you know
that there is a whole big world out there besides country.
Thanks.
You know, you're not as big a jerk as everybody thinks.
Okay. Thank you.
The lady is happy with you, Mr. Fenn.
All these people praying to her, believing in her because of you.
Well, you tell the lady she's welcome.
- From the lady. - The lady?
Different lady.
- Why'd you do it? - What?
Why'd you fabricate all those stories?
- The truth? - Yeah.
Fame.
When you are on top of the world and those lights are on you...
it is...
It's like a drug, and it's intoxicating,
and I got caught up in it...
and I thought I was untouchable.
Pride before the fall.
Does everyone quote the Bible around here?
Banfield's always been a place of faith.
Faith, yeah.
Faith and superstition.
You know, the first day I was here, my farmer friend and I found a kern doll.
- A kern baby. - Baby, yeah. Fields are full of them.
Yeah, but according to my farmer friend, not like this one.
This one was wrapped up in a chain,
and the chain was stamped with an impossible date,
February 31st.
What?
- Kern babies are good luck, right? - Yeah.
But they also believe that you could trap bad things in them, and so...
You know, they would wrap it up in a chain,
and they would put an impossible date on that kern baby,
like February 31st.
And they hoped that that would just keep that spirit trapped forever.
So how is Toby Walsh doing?
Actually, he made the school soccer team, so it's a real miracle.
Wait a minute. I thought doctors didn't believe in miracles.
Science and God are not mutually exclusive.
I could tell you stories.
Fenn?
I've seen this place before.
Pequod Creek?
We used to come here Easter Sunday for the church picnics
until they sold it off.
- Wait, this was church property? - Yeah.
Church owned most of Banfield ever since Our Lady was built.
When? When was that?
Mid-1800s.
1845?
How did you know that?
Fenn?
What's wrong?
I need to speak to Hagan.
Something happened here, something connected to the church.
Confession is from 7 to 8.
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
May the Lord be in your heart and help you confess your sins.
It's been, oh, some while since my last confession.
Go on.
I've taken the Lord's name in vain, been covetous, had impure thoughts...
destroyed many lives,
led many souls into perdition.
And now I've come for you.
Say three Hail Marys and...
I healed you.
Instead of faith, you repaid me with doubt.
And what did it gain you?
You discovered the truth at the expense of your life.
And do you actually believe you can stop me?
Shall I tell you what happened to those who have tried?
I stripped the flesh from their bones.
I slit their windpipes and watched the breath slowly leak out.
Satan.
- He gave me the power to perform miracles. - No!
Pray for your sweet blessed Mary to save you.
Let's see who's stronger:
her or me.
No, no!
Father Hagan?
I don't get it.
Why would Hagan kill himself? He had just been healed.
Who knows what demons plagued him?
This will, of course, be reported as a tragic accident.
As I'm sure you can appreciate,
suicide is somewhat frowned upon in our profession.
So I must ask for your discretion in this matter.
Father Hagan was the shepherd of this community.
You can appreciate the damage it would do now that Banfield has been reborn.
Let me ask you something.
When you turn on the news, what do you see?
War, famine, disease, suffering, hate.
The devil is winning, Mr. Fenn.
Faith is the only thing that stands between us and perdition.
And this place, this shrine, will help strengthen our faith...
thanks to you.
None of it would have been possible without you.
My uncle loved me and cared for me.
He was the only family I had.
You know what, this is...
This is dumb. We can do this some other time.
No.
Mary relieved his suffering before calling him to his eternal reward.
She wants us to continue her work.
Okay.
You know...
your uncle believed that
wherever God went, the devil was close behind.
Do you think that...?
Do you think there could be other forces at play here?
Mary would never let that happen.
Don't doubt her, Mr. Fenn.
She is the Blessed Virgin, the mother of God.
Her love for us is so deep it burns. She...
Mary is speaking to me right now.
She says, "Doubt weakens faith.
Doubt leads to damnation."
Blurry vision, wobbly knees.
No doctor could find what was wrong with me.
But one look at Alice and I was cured.
Shut up.
She is the Blessed Virgin, the mother of God.
Her love for us is so deep it burns. She...
...it burns. She...
"Doubt leads to damnation."
Natalie.
Hey.
I don't understand. Father Hagan wouldn't have done this.
I don't think he did.
Do you know where the church records are kept?
Yeah, it's in the back.
I need to see the files.
The funeral is about to start.
Okay.
We gather here today
to pay our respects to Father William Hagan.
Do you have any idea what we're looking for down here?
Anything related to 1845.
Behold, I will tell you a mystery.
We shall not all fall asleep.
But we will be changed in an instant.
Natalie.
Look at this.
In Latin.
Oh, God, okay. Med school had a Latin requirement.
"Testament of Father Prescott."
"Concerning the witch and the bride of Satan...
Mary Elnor."
For the trumpet will sound.
The dead will be raised.
Incorruptible.
And we shall be changed.
Mary performed miracles.
She could heal the sick. Jesus, this is...
No, no, keep reading.
She claimed the Virgin Mary was speaking through her.
She would heal you if you pledged your soul to her.
Anyone who challenged her met tragic ends.
Finally, the town fought back.
Mary was captured and submerged
- in the icy waters of... - Pequod Creek.
Mary confessed to serving Satan.
As punishment, a mask was nailed onto Mary's face...
in the image of the Blessed Virgin.
Mary was hanged by an ancient oak in the shadow of the church.
- In the name of Christ, our Lord... - Her body was burned,
her ashes and her soul imprisoned inside a kern baby.
Contain her!
We command the soul of William Hagan.
Alice.
In the sight of this world...
he is now dead.
Mary has spoken to me.
Tonight is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
To celebrate, Mary wants us to hold a service at the shrine.
After Mary's death, her miracles were extinguished.
Those she had healed all relapsed.
Jesus. Father Hagan must have found this book.
He discovered the truth. That's why Mary killed him.
Hagan believed that...
wherever God goes, the unholy follows.
These miracles, they are not God.
- Join us at this service. - It's Mary Elnor...
Pray to Mary.
- posing as the Virgin Mary. - Open your heart to her.
- Doing the devil's work. - She brings an urgent message
to share with the entire world, if you believe in her.
I believe!
I believe! I believe! I believe!
Natalie.
What?
Fenn?
- Fenn! - Go!
We need to warn Alice.
Alice, did you have a vision?
Alice, please. What do you have to say to all the people...?
Not right now. Please, please, please. Back away.
Alice, a couple more questions.
Not right now.
Alice, will more people be healed?
Why now?
- Now is not a good time, Monica. - You got a deal.
The Special Section desk is yours, but I want you in the office today.
I want your interviews with Alice, and I want access to her.
The story, no, I... Listen to me, I got it all wrong.
Wait, what is this? Did you get a better offer?
No, you are not listening. We need to kill it.
Fenn, you're back.
This is your last chance. You've got it all.
Look, I know you. You would sell your soul for a story.
I'm pretty sure I already did.
We gotta hurry.
Alice is in the convent.
Sir, he's in a meeting.
Mr. Fenn.
Before he died, Father Hagan discovered the truth.
Here, 175 years ago, 1845,
a woman named Mary Elnor
performed exactly the same healings as Alice.
But the source of her power wasn't divine. It was satanic.
I know all about this, Mr. Fenn.
As soon as the first miracle was reported, I had my staff research Banfield.
Mary Elnor's confession is preserved in the diocese archives.
Why was I not informed about this?
Informed about what?
An ugly occurrence of vigilante justice that happened almost two centuries ago?
Mary killed him.
Father Hagan committed suicide, Mr. Fenn.
Bullshit.
She will kill anyone that tries to stop her.
What do you expect me to do?
Call off the service?
What service?
The lady spoke through Alice.
She asked for a service to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Absolutely not. You cannot go through with this.
She will claim the souls of everyone who believes her.
Why? Why do you do this to yourself, Mr. Fenn?
You have it all.
Why do you want to blow up your career all over again?
Because it's the truth.
And make no mistake about it, I will tell the world.
And who would believe you?
The sisters won't let me in to see her. Bishop's orders.
Look, I am in the diocese archives, and I think I found something here.
Listen to this. Mary's final confession.
She was pregnant.
Before she was captured, Mary gave birth to a son.
And that infant was claimed by a local landowner.
All right, his name...
Jesus.
His name is Nicholas Pagett.
"Pagett"?
Yeah, Alice...
Alice is Mary's descendant.
Mary made a pact with the devil for eternal life and power.
"I live through my children."
Alice.
She is gonna live again through Alice.
You're breaking up, Fenn. Hello?
Natalie? Natalie...
Now? Now do you believe me?
Alice is Mary's descendant.
Mary's pact with the devil, "I will live through my children."
Mary can only live through her own bloodline.
- Alice is in danger. - Everyone is in danger.
Tonight's service.
All those people praying to Mary, feeding her with their faith.
Faith in evil empowers evil.
Gentlemen.
I'd like you to keep an eye out for this man.
His name's Gerald Fenn.
He's a troublemaker.
We don't want any unnecessary incidents.
- Okay? - Yes, sir. Understood.
Thank you.
The bishop has Alice sequestered till after the service.
By then it will be too late. According to the satanic rites,
Mary will perform a mockery of the Holy Trinity.
She will call on the faithful to pledge devotion to her three times.
The third time, she will take their souls and condemn them to an eternity in hell.
So after the choir finishes the Angelus,
I'll perform the supplications and the responsorial psalm...
Alice, it's time.
Okay?
Alice, you listening?
Okay.
My queen and my mother,
I give myself entirely to you.
And to show my devotion to you...
I consecrate to you this day
my eyes, my ears,
my mouth, my heart,
my whole being without reserve.
Wherefore, good mother, as I am your own,
keep me and guard me as your property and possession.
Amen.
Let us pray.
This ritual is our last hope.
I will use the kern baby,
imprison her soul like they did in the past.
It's my fault.
I broke that thing. I released Mary. I...
I was trying to beef up what I thought was a ridiculous story.
- You never told me that. - I tried. I wanted to...
God always offers an opportunity for redemption.
He often chooses a sinner to serve his divine purpose.
Wait, are you saying that God chose me?
I'm saying our Lord works in mysterious ways.
Some more mysterious than others.
This calls for the blessing of a bishop.
Or, in a pinch, a monsignor.
Next, the wax must be sealed by holy fire.
This flame signifies the presence of the living God.
Get back.
No!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
We can't stop Mary without Delgarde.
Look at all these people praying to her.
She's feeding off their faith, growing stronger.
What destroys faith?
Doubt.
Doubt weakens faith. Doubt leads to damnation.
If we get those people to stop believing in Mary, we can take away her power.
God, the father of heaven, have mercy on us.
- Lord, have mercy. - Lord, have mercy.
God, the son, the redeemer, have mercy on us.
- Christ, have mercy. - Christ, have mercy.
God, the holy spirit, have mercy on us.
- Lord, have mercy. - Lord, have mercy.
- Amen. - Amen.
Alice!
- Alice! - Alice, bless us.
Mary is here.
She wants you to pledge your faith to her.
Let her into your hearts. Pray to her.
Pray to our lady of Banfield.
Hail Mary.
You are the undying spirit.
The eternal, the all-powerful.
Hail Mary of Banfield.
We pledge our hearts to you.
We vow our everlasting devotion.
Our souls are at your mercy.
Hail Mary of Banfield.
Hail Mary of Banfield!
In one voice, we call to you.
Come to us.
Heal our pain, relieve our suffering.
Lead us!
Hail Mary of Banfield!
Now, Alice. Now is the time.
Do you offer your souls to Mary?
Yes!
It's all a lie.
I faked the miracles.
- Fenn. - Listen to me.
Do you offer your souls to Mary?
Yes!
Come on.
Alice! Alice!
One more time, Alice.
Do you offer your souls...?
Alice!
Alice! Mary is not who you think she is.
She is deceiving you.
The miracles are false.
There's no Mary. There never was. It's a lie.
No!
Let him speak.
Let him speak. What are you hiding?
Let him be.
Go ahead, Mr. Fenn.
I fabricated the entire story. I made it up.
Lies!
Mary healed me.
Alice, I am so sorry.
Your illness, it resolved on its own.
She cured my boy.
It's called the placebo effect.
Your boy...
Your boy believed he could walk, and he did.
Father Hagan raised you.
He loved you.
He was your family.
She killed him.
I am Mary.
You prayed to me and I listened.
Father Hagan...
he hanged in your church.
You asked me to hush it up, to cover it up, and I did.
You can't believe this man. He's a blasphemer.
An atheist.
Mary has been using you.
Trust me.
I need you to trust me.
Fight her!
It was all me.
I made it all up for a story.
Just let me ask you something.
Tell me, what is easier for you to believe, that...
That an unscrupulous journalist created a hoax or that...
Or that God himself...
reached down and touched...
Banfield?
Alice. Trust me.
You have to stop these people from believing in her.
Fight her.
Alice, listen to me.
Finish the prayer.
They must pledge their souls to me,
or you will never speak again.
Mr. Fenn is telling the truth.
What?
Mary isn't real.
Son of a bitch.
Mary is not real!
She lied!
- You should be ashamed of yourself! - It's all fake!
My legs!
- I can't move my legs! - Toby!
Move! Get out!
What in God's name?
Christ our Lord.
Fenn!
No!
Alice was your only descendent.
You will never live again.
Alice. Alice.
All right, look.
We both know that I'm not real good at this.
But Alice, she...
She sacrificed herself for me.
Please, God.
Just...
Just let her live.
Please.
Hey! Hi.
You can't hear me?
I have never said anything worth hearing my whole life.
Thank you.
He...
He was a good man, Alice.
I have no doubt that he is watching over you.
How do I know?
Faith.
I've been practicing.
Well, I heard the local paper's hiring.
Pretty sure no one's gonna hire me to be a journalist.
Well, I didn't say anything about journalism.
It's more like local zoning laws and the Farmers' Almanac.
- You can think about it. - Okay.
Hey.
There was no pulse.
She wasn't breathing. She was gone.
Maybe God was present after all.