Catholics in Kansas and beyond are preparing a prayerful and peaceful response to a planned blasphemous “black mass” at the Kansas State Capitol on March 28. The event, organized by the Satanic Grotto, is intended as an explicit mockery of the Catholic Mass and includes elements such as the “Denounciation [sic] of Christ,” the “Desecration of the Eucharist,” and the “Corruption of the Blood,” according to a promotional flyer posted on Reddit.
The “black mass” was originally scheduled to take place inside the Capitol rotunda, but Kansas Governor Laura Kelly later decreed that the event must take place outside. However, organizers have stated they plan to defy the governor’s order and enter the Capitol building at approximately 11:30 a.m., “according to” published reports.
A Catholic Response Rooted in Prayer
In response, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, has called for a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Mass at Assumption Catholic Church, directly across the street from the Capitol. The Holy Hour will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a noon Mass. “Similar Holy Hours and Masses are planned in the neighboring Kansas dioceses of Wichita, Salina, and Dodge City,” according to Catholic sources.
Archbishop Naumann emphasized that this event is an “affront to all Christians,” but he urged the faithful to respond with love and prayer rather than anger or violence. “We will pray for God to bless those who blaspheme him and who mock those who believe in Jesus Christ. After all, on Calvary, Jesus implored his heavenly Father to forgive those who crucified him because they did not know what they were doing,” Naumann wrote.
Lessons from Blessed Bartolo Longo
The archbishop also invoked the example of Blessed Bartolo Longo, a 19th-century Italian who was once deeply involved in the occult and even became a Satanic priest. Through the fervent prayers of his family and the influence of a priest, Longo experienced a profound conversion on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He eventually became a devout Catholic and was later an inspiration for St. John Paul II in the creation of the luminous mysteries of the rosary. “Catholics should not underestimate Satan, his craftiness and power. However, as long as we keep close to Jesus, we need not fear the devil,” Naumann wrote, stressing the importance of faith and prayer.
Legal and Legislative Reactions
The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, also took legal action, filing a lawsuit on March 14 in Leavenworth County District Court to secure the return of any consecrated hosts that the Satanic group may have possessed. The lawsuit was settled after Satanic leaders testified under oath that the hosts and wine they planned to desecrate “are not Catholic in origin.”
Meanwhile, Kansas lawmakers have debated whether such an event should be permitted at the Capitol. On March 20, the Legislature passed a nonbinding resolution condemning the planned Satanic ritual.
Catholic Counter-Protest and Petition
The leader of the Satanic Grotto, Michael Stewart, has acknowledged the likelihood of a large Catholic presence at the Capitol during the event. “5,000 Catholics are what the Capitol Police are preparing for,” Stewart claimed in a video posted online.
A Catholic-led petition urging Governor Kelly to shut down the event has gained significant traction, surpassing 50,000 signatures as of March 27. Additionally, students at Benedictine College in Atchison are planning a rosary prayer at 11 a.m. in the school’s Mary’s Grotto, followed by a 12:10 p.m. Mass offered for the conversion of those involved in the “black mass.”
A Call to Trust in Christ
Archbishop Naumann has encouraged Catholics not to give in to fear but instead to draw closer to Christ through prayer and the sacraments. “If we seize the opportunity to draw closer to Jesus through prayer, then we can make this attempt to mock and blaspheme our Catholic faith into what Satan most fears and despises,” he wrote.
He concluded with a powerful prayer: “Let us pray that the Lord of Life can penetrate and change the hearts of the Satanists of our time with his merciful love. St. Bartolo Longo, pray for us and especially for those who have become ensnared by the evil one. All things are possible with God!”
As this event unfolds, Catholics across the country stand united in prayer, trusting in Christ’s ultimate victory over evil and calling upon the intercession of the saints to bring about conversion and healing.
