Moving Day:
"We moved my boat over to the boathouse, and I had just bought another speedboat that we hadn't even used yet - I also built Harley Davidson motorcycles as a hobby, and so we moved those over as well along with my tools" - George Lutz

Thus began moving day - one big happy caravan of trucks, trailers and vans that traveled from George's home in Deer Park to the closing, and then on to the new home.  George was busy unpacking one of the trucks when Father Pecararo appeared in the driveway.

"When I told a friend of mine what home we were buying, he made me promise that I would get the house blessed.  I didn't know what that was at the time, I was a 'non practicing Methodist".  I asked Kathy what a house blessing was... she was Catholic, and so she explained it to me.  We agreed that we would do that, and the only priest I knew was Father Ralph Pecararo".

Father Ralph Pecararo had handled George's first marriage anullment, during that process George and Father Pecararo had gotten to know each other well, and they would often talked from time to time over the phone.  When the Lutz's called and explained that they had bought a new home, and asked if we would come and bless it... he agreed to.

Father Pecararo was not your average parish priest.  He was vice-officialis of the dioscian office, and a judge of the ecclesiastical court in Rockville Center.  He wasn't the type that would normally come over and perform a house blessing for just anybody.  But as a friend of George's he agreed to come and bless the home.  George was in the middle of unpacking one of the trucks when Father Ralph appeared, so they exchanged pleasantries, and Father Pecararo proceeded into the home to perform the blessing.

"While performing the house blessing, a number of abnormal things occurred that he did not tell us about.  Later, as he was leaving he told us simply that he was uncomfortable about one particular room, on the second floor.  It was a room that we planned on using as a sewing room, and not a bedroom".  Father Pecararo was glad of that, he told the Lutz's that he 'felt something in there', that he wasn't comfortable with, and he suggested not using it as a bedroom.

"We didn't really understand what he was saying at the time... but since we weren't using that particular room as a bedroom, it wasn't an issue.  It was just another 'thing' that happened.  

George Lutz and Father Pecararo never did talk about the specific events that occurred during the house blessing.  The priest's testimony about the event's only came to light once Jay Anson had interviewed him for the book.  

It is important to note that many of the people who cry 'hoax' concerning the haunting insisted that a priest never existed... nor did he bless the home... nor did he experience anything paranormal in nature while doing so.  Truth be told, Father Pecararo did exist.  As the story of what happened to the Lutz's became known, they and the Warrens worked hard to protect his identity.  Eventually his name did leak to the public, and the media storm caused untold damage to his ability to continue in his chosen profession.

But other strange incidents occurred on moving day.  While the Lutz's were unpacking, the family dog, 'Harry' had been tied out back.  George discovered he had jumped the fence in an apparent attempt to leave the property, and hung himself in the process.  The dog survived... it was just another one of those 'things' that happened.

Next:  The Haunting