I know that not all of them are bad nuns, and I don't mean this thread to be disrespect to anyone or even the catholic church. I was constantly humiliated. Nuns have hectic schedules, and the busyness doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to a lot of bottled-up emotions. I relatiated at nuns school in UK. For William, and thousands of others, the nightmare goes on. Violence was frequently employed and encouraged with the most common forms being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and kicks. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. During the Age of Exploration, two basic factors influenced the Europeans in their efforts. Now, writes Jane Wheatley . This can lead to frustration and a feeling of being trapped. Wicked City . To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Nuns with children at Sean Ross abbey. They did so because they wanted to jealously safeguard the gold standard for all children, a stable home run by their mothers and fathers. Something was telling me that something bad was going to happen.. well practise what you preach, "He who is without sin." you should know the rest, but then again i'm not to sure you do? I was slapped across the face hard for talking during a movie in 8th grade. The proud wearing of the religious habit was a profound experience for the middle-class women, and the uniformity contributed to forging an esprit de corps, a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty even though it did not exclude hierarchies of rank and did not preclude friction within the group. Good or bad just jot one or two down for me if you don't mind. One of the devices operating on this principle was the rack, which is infamously associated with the Inquisition . Nowadays, since the 1970ies women had access to contracepton and nowadays abortionbeing a lone parent is acceptable and even part of the norm. Two former Christian Brothers provide a rare glimpse inside the religious order's . This mission is still in use today and as far as I know they have not slacked off of the punishments. "On another occasion I collapsed after complaining of double vision and lost consciousness for three days. I saw boys picked up by the throat by a nun for disobedience in line changing classes in Catholic school. I was asked to go but I refused, says William. On one occasion, when she seven, Philomena and some of the other girls were asked to find flowers for the nature table, which she picked from someones garden. Some nuns are just following the example set by other nuns. Respectability was everything for a family, no man would want to marry a women who had been with another man sexually not to mind a woman that had had a child with another man. I was never so happy as when I left that place, but it's stayed with me ever since. "You could get hammered for anything. The details of the patterns were kept so secret, in fact, that many of them were lost as the families either died or fled the poverty for other lands. "We were skivvies, basically. Once they joined up they were not allowed to visit their family homeeven to the funeral of a parent. 4-And I heard another voice out of Heaven say: "Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues." They were not battleaxes or crones. A recent redress fund, set up by the government to provide financial help for the victims, received 16,500 applications, but William is now fighting to scrap the gagging orders required to receive any money. Remember one more thing: the mothers who dropped their out-of-wedlock children off at the convents had only one other choice at the timethe street. 4 Min Read. Seven months into his stay, in December, William was invited to a staff members room, to help him put up Christmas decorations. In those days the people were encouraged to bring their children to the mission to be schooled by the church and they children all lived there. Gmail I was constantly humiliated.. The babies were usually. September 2018 But . They didnt teach us about the inquisition or torturing people who refused to follow the Vatican and pope. My time there has deeply affected my life. Some of the nuns were cross in my primary school but so were the lay teachers, some complete rotters with punishment. Many of those alleging physical, and to some extent sexual, abuse are now elderly people who say their entire lives have been affected by what they endured as children. July 2020 as elsewhere, they became . Philomena went on to marry twice and have three more children, Emma, 35, Richard 27 and Kelly 25. The purpose of the daily perpetration of violence against slave women and children of all backgrounds were to dominate, break and destroy them. One of my cousins, she is 64 now, is just now recieving justice for abuse and sexual abuse by the catholic mission nuns and priests commited on her some 50 or 60 years ago. "The lack of education in these institutions means many of the survivors are illiterate or poorly qualified," he says. The allegations stretch back as far as 50 years and are as recent as the 1970s. It is now 37 years and it has been eating me up the whole time. So now comes the question. Nuns used to be cruel; that much is true. Sadly, those abusive women were sadists who should have been imprisoned themselves and also hospitalized. Instead I was a child who was physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually abused.. When my grandma first went there she only spoke her native language, she spoke no english at all. February 2020 In the 1901 and 1911 Census in there were about 100 inmates in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway..about 8 or 9 nuns. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. This is part three of my series debunking the "Irish slaves" meme. November 2018 Sister Josephine had no explanation for why the commandment was given Thou shall not kill but people were killing each other in Gods name. Not a day went by without someone getting a battering. Nuns. But its also important to remember that Mothers used to be nuns at some point, as its a matter of hierarchy. I didn't know the underscore wasn't mandatory for usernames before I came to these forums. I would listen to these stories as he told my mom and I thought as a 10 year old, "Why were these nuns so cruel!" As National Indigenous Peoples Day draws closer and the news that 215 Indian children's graves have been discovered at the Kamloops Indian Reservation School, all those memories of my dad's and mom's stories come back. "Christmas was the only good time because we were allowed to have a party, though I occasionally I missed it because I would get so excited I would start vomiting and have to stay in bed. This caused a huge strain on me.. The investigation is still active & more depravity is being uncovered. 3-For because of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, all the nations have fallen victim, and the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth became rich owing to the power of her shameless luxury." But, back in the day, this is how nuns were taught, and its no wonder they turned out to be so cruel. The girl herself often wished to take the veil to escape the intolerable working conditions on the family farm. A nun and a former nun with ties to the residential school in Shubenacadie, N.S. Sometimes the really obvious take on history turns out to be the right one. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. I was in bed by 7pm and they used to check you were asleep with your hands across your chest. To learn more, you can also read our posts on why 911 operators are so rude, why judges are so rude, and why cops are so rude. June 2020 A few days later, William was told his brother had died although he is now convinced this was untrue. December 2020 This vow means they will not have sex or engage in sexual activity, leading to frustration and feeling trapped. But many nuns never had the chance to break the cycle. So theres hope in breaking this cycle completely, thus decreasing the cruelty that some nuns display. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Contractors So Unreliable? A few Nuns kicked women and children down the stairs and then took the opportunity to kick them as they lay injured or struggling to stand or crawl away. Any child caught speaking native was punished. dead bodies should be so very much more shocking than . Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. Anjez Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, or Mother Teresa as she is now known throughout the world, was one of the most important Catholic Church figures when she was alive and even posthumously. It was thought to confer a higher social status for the family and to provide a degree of comfort for unmarried daughters. This kind of behavior applies to nuns, as well. My child never went to church or catholic upbringing. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. My mom told me that they had no life, could not leave the convent, no TV, no newspapers, so I think it was simple burn out, no way to get away from us brats. So, its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. Therefore, trying to live a perfect life is both impossible and unnecessary. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. So if you see a mean nun, remember that shes probably going through a lot. Myth: In 17th century Barbados (and elsewhere . November 2020 You can't judge the past in the context of the present where there is social supports by the State for lone parents, unemployed etcup to 1974this did not exist for women. Many Nuns pretended not to see or hear what was going on around them, but instead were passive, taking refuge in their work and silent prayers. They were not battleaxes or crones. The first stage of this cruelty was the men who walked away and left the women to be outcasts of society. I was 8 years of age. She was tied to a chair and beaten for weeks until she started to learn english. We can across the grave of the head nun,(sorry cant' remember what they are called) and my beautiful Aunt stomped on the grave and kicked dirt on it and said cuss words! Flagrant and cruel. You have to ask why are some women cruel because the reality is some women are cruel. Violence was frequently employed and encouraged with the most common forms being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and kicks. The nuns told us to strip off and stand beside the the bed and they left us just standing there for ages, waiting for our punishment. Iona Institute Director. Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. In fact, one priest was a child molester at our high school. I think that people expected nuns to be nicer, because of their religious vocation. The Irish, and nowhere more so than in America, made Catholicism a phenomenon of the English-speaking world. Which makes you think that older women who were long time inmates were in charge of the day to day running of the Laundry. The rules of the Magdalene Laundries gave the Nuns the absolute authority to punish the inmates who were slave women and children. These emotions can eventually turn into anger and resentment. BERYL HITCHEN, 55, was dumped on the doorstep of the Nazareth House in Cardiff when she was not quite two years old. She remembers a nun who would come to her class every day to choose a student to help her with Mass. In the 1940s, the Bon Secours nuns were paid by the Irish state nearly 100 per child a week to care for those in their care. No one would believe how bad it was. The punishment was being forced to stand in front of a nun's cell with the soiled linen on your head or being sat in the galvanized steel bath while two assistants poured buckets of cold water over your head. Then they took the other two from her as well. We could see each others suffering and pain, while they took turns to abuse both of us a few times over the weekend.. First off I'd change that to SOME nuns, not all. Its a shame, as nuns should represent peace, kindness, and gentleness. And 40 nuns belonging to the Poor Sisters of Nazareth and the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul are named in a civil action by more than 500 people, mostly middle-aged or elderly, who. Nursing Nuns of the Civil War. (9 Reasons Why), Why Do Nurses Think They Are So Great? "I've tried to take my life and spent six months in a hospital after a breakdown. Bob Marley, "We went to explore the Moon & discovered the Earth" Gene Cernan. Are they all mean? Why Are Chihuahuas So Aggressive? Gods truth? October 2019 February 2019 Catholic nuns, as decreed by Pope Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Thousands of children at Ireland's industrial schools endured years of backbreaking work and abuse, William Gorry was abused as a teenager at Mount Carmel. . Terrified, I remember holding out my hand thinking an adult would take it. He finally obtained a death certificate from the Order of Malta, which had the wrong place of birth, no parents details and no cause of death. Its crucial for nuns to be aware of this and to try to break the cycle. I wonder what makes them so mean? Think for example of other people in committed relationships. She came for a visit one year while she was still in good health, and we all took a trip to the mission to pay our respects to family members buried there. Rocketgirl33, So far, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth have refused to comment, but it is believed that the allegations will be contested vigorously. In her absence, Philomena says, the parish priests took the children into the industrial schools, with the girls entering the Good Shepherd in Waterford. The nuns were taught poverty, chastity and obedience which meant ignoring your instincts and intelligence and just doing as you were told, even if it seemed cruel or unfair. Its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. I hear stories about the nuns from non family members too and not many people have "Found memories" of their days with the nuns. Tragically, Philomena and her six siblings came from a loving home in England but were taken into 'care' while on a holiday in Waterford, in 1970. This was not the case in mid-19th Century . I don't think my grandma knew exactly what he was sick with but she told me that the Nuns had NO empathy for a sick child. And of course the whole story fits wonderfully into the larger stories of Irish nuns as heartless and cruel, which many undoubtedly were. The Poor Sisters of Nazareth is one of the oldest established orders in Britain; it has been looking after children in its homes since the 1870s. I was sent to clean her office and if she decided I didn't clean it properly she would start banging my head against the wall. However, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used to be. "Looking back, I think one of the reasons was that the nuns weren't happy and decided we damn well weren't going to be either. January 22, 2011 in Spirituality, Religion and Beliefs. I am just wondering why. I don't know the answer, but i do know that my grandparents were in catholic school and they also told stories about nuns hurting the kids. We went to the airport and we weren't allowed to see the coffin or go near it, so I had my suspicions all along. William, one of 13 children born to Catherine and John Gorry in Ballyowen, Co. Offaly, was born partially sighted and two of his brothers were severely disabled. The tears, the upset of my brothers and sisters, the thought of my father being upset and being lonely was all too much for me, he recalls. They would use canes, sticks, the leather belts around their waists. Celibacy is NOT normal for humans. One of the old ladies had died." They were left there all night with the corpse and to this day, Mary says she has. Imagine trying to be perfect all the time. All the female Religious Orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions in Ireland believed that power and violence were inseparable. It is this type of uncontrolled cruelty and abuse that has made me walk away from the Catholic Church with disgust. The group has heard from 35 people in the last several days who claim they were physically and sexually abused by nuns, said Dispenza, a former nun who claims she was abused as a young girl. It gives a good idea of the standard of care. The family book I am writting has so many of these stories in it I almost hate to put them in there. If not you got another whacking. Many people considered that childbirth made a woman unholy or unclean because it resulted from sexual activity; sexual abstinence and virginity being equated to holiness. A police officer later told him he believed it was faked. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Netflix Originals So Bad? It's easy! Are thay taught "Spare the rod spoil the child" in nun school? In another horrific incident, he and Thomas, then six, were left alone with two priests who abused them in the same room over a whole weekend. Today I have all the soft cuddly toys I want, a room full of them. "I am not the human I should be, a human that should have had what I deserved as a child - my family, love, happiness, education, a job, being able to live with my partner and marry. 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