Nuns indeed put in a lot of hard work. A nun all of a sudden picked the kid up, carried him to the door, then slammed the door into his head. No one would believe how bad it was. I'd come out and all the other boys would be laughing." There were separate quarters for boys and girls, and the siblings were allowed no communication, though they would see each other across a crowded church on Sundays and on the school bus. Their father didn't stop them: "I thought there was nobody. God is Love, Sister Mary Juanita Barto told Finnegan as she repeatedly raped her in classrooms at Mater Christi High School in Queens in the late 1960s. This was their holiday. Currie is one of the more than 500 bringing the action against the Sisters of Nazareth and the other orders. For a minor misdemeanour, children had to kneel down and face the wall of the main corridor while nuns passed. Its not easy to grow up in an abusive or neglectful home, which can lead to trauma and emotional damage. Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live. Finally, he took his own life. Right to her death, Mum kept saying, 'If only I hadn't got ill.' She thought it was her fault. After we pray, we shake hands, but one woman refused and said I was bringing the church down. Nobody wanted to hear about the Vestal Virgins back then, she said. 1.Why do Catholic nuns have a reputation for being cruel and abusive Author: www.quora.com Post date: 2 yesterday Rating: 5 (1678 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 3 Summary: They were allowed to commit their crimes because as a religious order they were not subject to scrutiny. And they didn't beat me." Kathleen Batey's back is lined with a ladder of scars - they are the relics of her life at Nazareth House in Tyneside, received, she says, when nuns took off the belts buckled round their habits and beat her. In some cases, they may be trying to manipulate or control the people around them. But, back in the day, this is how nuns were taught, and its no wonder they turned out to be so cruel. "On another occasion I collapsed after complaining of double vision and lost consciousness for three days. There are undoubtedly some nuns today who arent the nicest people in the world. Eventually, four years after her encounter with Sister Alphonso, she went to a solicitor. "I don't think I saw Sister Laurence ever smile. "It could happen for any thing, any time of the night or day. It is not sufficient to consider all nuns as cruel overseers of laundries, mother and baby homes and industrial schools. Unexplained-Mysteries.com I was terrified the whole time and never had a happy day there. The girls were told to change into their swimsuits while the nuns huddled together in a beach hut. Fyfe argues that the cultures of orphanages and schools tend to be specific and different - he also represents clients who were in the hands of the de la Salle monks in Britain, against whom there are more allegations of sexual abuse than there are against the Nazareth House nuns. our nuns would cut a finger off if you were late for class, some kids only had thumbs, we had to learn a new word every day if you couldn't pronounce it the nun would set about you with a baseball bat, on the day we had to learn Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ten kids got killed, we slept outside on the grass, in the winters we covered ourselves with cowpats (dung) to keep warm, we had turnips for breakfast lunch and dinner, but on sundays we had a real treat for dinner, the turnip was cooked, my aunt on visiting stalag sacred cross found the grave of the mother superior and dug her up, she then used her skull as a toilet, but she was a dirty cursing perverted old b**** herself. The period covered by the work of the commission was initially from 1946 to 1999, but it was subsequently extended to cover the years from 1914 to 2000. Their accounts of life in the various homes have a common theme: of thrashings even for the most minor misdemeanour or failing, be it sneezing, wetting the bed, or forgetting the words of a hymn. It was bad enough in Newcastle, but after the war broke out we were moved to Carlisle where it was much more cruel. Ranged against them are the Catholic hierarchy, the asylums' insurers, who insist that there must be no admission of liability, and a sceptical hauteur that flourishes across the political and legal establishment. He said very little, I would have liked him just to say sorry. The only subject of conversation was who was for it next. I am just wondering why. This is the next big thing for the church the biggest untold secret, Mary Dispenza, a director at Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a St. Louis-based advocacy group. Any child caught speaking native was punished. Gmail Police are also investigating after lawyers representing former residents passed on relevant files. Cusiter says she was force-fed: "She'd be pulling your head back, then she'd hold your nose so you couldn't breathe, until your mouth opened, and she'd shove food in. I hear stories about the nuns from non family members too and not many people have "Found memories" of their days with the nuns. One of them was my sister. The scathing report, by Professor Bruce Grundy of Queensland University, told of how one girl, Helen Carter, had her legs burnt with a red-hot poker, to exorcise the Devil, while another child almost lost her legs which became infected after a nun pulled out her ingrowing toenails with pliers. Ya the pope is the boss speaking for god. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Customers So Rude? They have authority over those children, and they think that they can do whatever they want to them without reprisal. Joseph had been left alone in verminous conditions. More than 400 former residents are planning to sue the order over what they claim was cruel, unnecessary and harmful treatment suffered at the hands of the Sisters. I have not found many "nice" stories about nuns. Finally, they will have a chance at justice, she said. He had lost his family, and letters from his siblings and his mother were never given to him. I'll never forget Sister Christina for being so kind, but Sister Barbara? Terrified, I remember holding out my hand thinking an adult would take it. I thought maybe he'd do something about it. Feminist scholar Ailbhe Smyth adds, "Christianity tells us that we have to help the poor, but we don't have to like them. Her first night was marked by her younger sister's screams as she was taken off to a separate dormitory. "One cold winter's morning at about 6.30, when I was about 11, I was kneeling in church saying my prayers when I sneezed. We've received your submission. 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. Why are Nuns so mean? I spent a lot of time scrubbing floors or cleaning shoes. This can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, leading to nuns taking their frustration out on others. Therefore, trying to live a perfect life is both impossible and unnecessary. All we want is for the Catholic church to change its ways and let us live in peace. Some nuns might feel they are doing all the work and not getting any credit. However, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used to be. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. This expectation can be quite a burden and lead to nuns being critical of others. There was a constant atmosphere of fear, and beatings all the time. No matter what any "spiritual leader" might say. Jean Guerrier, like her sister, Vera Willshire, recalls the regime at the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough as unrelentingly brutal and frightening. "Most of the nuns were Irish and though they were trained to be nuns they were not trained to look after kids, and that is where a lot of the problems were. and so on. I just want to try to understand it. She asked me to go upstairs and tell her how I was getting on. And the Poor Sisters aren't poor (the order has 154m in the bank) - they've been rebranded and they're simply Sisters. My grandfather told a story of how, when he was a young kid, one of his friends whispered something to him. When finally a key was found, they went in: the room was almost as he had left it, and behind a plywood panel there were his childhood documents, exactly as he had predicted. It was just the routine.". Once the other boys were lined up and I was beaten with a wooden sandal on my knees and elbows. "I didn't want money. The current limit on cases before that date is being challenged in the courts, and members of the Scottish parliament are mooting a change in the law. - tuambabies.org And thats a good thing for everyone involved. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration are a . Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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. She had worried about what had happened for years. When the retired telephonist recently began to make inquiries about Betsy Owens, the order responded by denying any knowledge that she herself had ever been there that summer. "I had three sons with my second husband. (7 Reasons Why), Why Are 911 Operators So Rude? Why? His map also showed a plywood panel, a false wall, and behind that panel, he said, were some significant documents. The punishments accelerated, she says, after she and her brother began running away. For messing about in church. Currie, now in his early 50s, lives in a Glasgow tenement. The. Abuse is only broken when the cycle stops. The nuns fell into two categories for me: 1. There was nothing unusual about it. It seems logical that a person suffering from not being a part of normal life, ie:love, sex, child birth ect ect.. would harbor lots of ill will twords those who cannot help themselves. No goodbyes. One of these burst and burnt my foot badly, leaving a permanent scar. She was wacked in the hand a lot with a ruler. "But girls were beaten every day. In 1981, the school became the co-ed St. Johns Prep. You think your nuns were bad? Not a day went by without someone getting a battering. It seems that, she, like Betsy Owens, might never have existed. Then you'd choke and the food would end up on your plate again and she would force-feed you your own vomit. I said no." He knew the guy because he came to Nazareth House. She also wants the Vatican to require Catholic leaders to contact police right away if they are confronted with abuse, rather than alerting local bishops or other church hierarchy first. I often. Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. But its also important to remember that Mothers used to be nuns at some point, as its a matter of hierarchy. The Irish Examiner newspaper, which has investigated the finances of the religious orders involved in running the laundries, says they owned assets in 2012 of 1.5bn euros ($1.9bn, 1.2bn). "I remember being told repeatedly by the nuns that I had been put there because I was naughty and because my family did not want me. Its not easy to live up to such high standards. "I approached a lawyer because I learned that it was being said that if there were problems in any Nazareth House homes it was only in Scotland. He was brought up in Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark, run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. Her big sister saw her being lifted out of the water, "all cut and bleeding. By using this site you consent to our use of cookies as per our, People who don't know how to weep with their whole heart, don't know how to laugh either. They would just use anything that came to hand. It broke her heart." gruel meaning: 1. a cheap simple food made, especially in the past, by boiling oats with water or milk 2. a cheap. 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? Silence sometimes is a kind of defense which allows victims to hide from the pain (for a while).. Rocketgirl33, What is it that makes these Nuns so down right nasty mean? No prayers. 5 Top The Silver Thong Member 33.4k Currie also told his priest about the "dirt" in confession, "but he was deaf and he would say 'speak up'. Thats awefull! Before pushing me in the nuns told me there was a mouse in there and I went totally hysterical. There is still never a day when my sister does not fear being punished for something. Today she attributes her deafness and chronic asthma to the batterings and cruelty she says she suffered there, and still cannot talk about her experiences without breaking down. reading cinemas refund; kevin porter jr dad shooting; illinois teacher and administrator salaries; john barlow utah address; jack prince obituary; saginaw s'g m1 carbine serial numbers; how old was amram when moses was born; etang des deux amants carp fishing What gives? Betsy was drowned. We saw her being brought out of the water. I said, 'No, this is about crimes against children.' Other times it's more that the nun's reason for having become one is less about being 'called' than a try at redemption or willing away some horrible trauma in the past . There was real hate there. It was so tragic. I was clothed, fed, paid a weekly wage. Neither woman could understand why there was so much cruelty, with Mary saying: "They were nuns and educated and took up their vocation to go in there for prayer and looking after us. ", Other inmates have similar memories. The nun would roll her sleeves up, so she got a real good whack. Sexual abuse leaves scars that last for life, she wrote on the blog. Beatings and acts of extreme cruelty were commonplace, they say, and together with the spartan existence in the home, gave them lives of utter misery. Many youths vow to never be like their parents, only to grow up and mimic the very things they hated as children. Orphans, abandoned babies and children deemed uncontrollable or accused of petty crimes were all put in the hands of the nuns who, to the outside world, epitomised kindness and compassion. There was no record of Betsy after that incident, nothing. So he wrote to God. Currie is one of the organisers. But that walk beside his old home provoked a rush of recollections. He has unearthed state archives revealing many complaints about cruelty and inspectors' concerns about "dangerous and undesirable punishment". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. It is anger, suffering and self isolation.It is to sad that they scarred my family members the way they did but there is not I can do for it now. But the babies and children who died at the home were buried in these crypt-like chambers. This can lead to nuns being quite resentful toward Mothers. The Nazareth House children face another difficulty: the time bar. Many were young and pretty, and though maybe they were kind in their first few weeks, they soon became much the same as the rest. I thought bugger that, I'm saying my piece.". First off I'd change that to SOME nuns, not all. The mission had boys dorm and girls dorm and behind the dorms outside was a small creek that ran behind the buildings and through the woods. He is a fast-talking, busy man, a retired postman, "a bit of a cheeky chap, straight to the point", he says of himself. These people told you that you were the scum of the earth. More than 14 percent of nuns have been sexually abused themselves, said Finnegan. Eoin O'Sullivan, the Irish historian of Catholic orphanages and schools, cites a very public challenge to the church by Father Flanagan, the priest whose humane childcare was the model for Spencer Tracy in the film, Men Of Boys Town. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? But there was worse to come. I went to a strict local school and the belt was used frequently, but nothing like on the same scale that the nuns used to beat us. She was eight. That being said, they feel unhappy with their lives and they believe that someone else has to pay the consequences. The stories I have heard just make me cry. "My feet were so badly swollen I was kept off school for three days and two other girls had to join hands to carry me up and down the stairs. "Most of the time he was like a recluse. Its not easy to always be modest. 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. Kathleen Batey, a 47-year-old cleaner living near Newcastle United Football Club's mighty stadium, is not one of the campaigners seeking legal redress. In a symbolic trial in Aberdeen in 2000, one nun, known in her childcare days as Sister Alphonso, was convicted of cruel and unnatural treatment. But theres an expectation for nuns to dress modestly at all times. 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. The Nuns had been punishing this boy for not doing his chores and on that fateful night he was murdered by the Nuns. He joined the RAF and although other young men lay in their beds weeping for their mothers, Aitken thrived: the military were "the first people who treated me as a human being. FOR Vera Willshire, who is now 75, the year 1939 was one of the happiest of her life. And in states where the statute of limitations has been amended to allow victims of sexual abuse to file complaints, SNAP is urging them some now in their 60s and 70s to file claims against their alleged abusers. "We were taken to the beach, it was so grey and wild and windy, we were frozen." I know that they are supposed to be married to god and suchbut when you are married to a guy that is never around, doesn't talk to you, sets up impossible rules, and never has sex with youwell you would be cranky too. In the words of one man who had been put into a home after being abandoned by his family: "Some people say to me, 'Well, that's what it was like everywhere then', but it wasn't. We want them gone immediately, she said. It started when I was about eight. Now the Sisters of Nazareth - the order also has houses in Australia, South Africa, the United States and Ireland - are the subject of an international campaign to call them to account for a regime of violence. ", Docherty, too, has joined the action against the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of Nazareth. It was a form of mental torture.". I felt the same way I felt as a child. 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