Any child caught speaking native was punished. She was wacked in the hand a lot with a ruler. I have cried so much wondering what happened to my loving brother. Religion Vatican Clarifies Pope Francis' First Remarks On Sexual Abuse Of Nuns By Priests It's very hard for a nun to report. Ireland's attitude to the Catholic Church has made it possible for people to "literally demonise" nuns and completely obscure the good work they have done over the years. We could see each others suffering and pain, while they took turns to abuse both of us a few times over the weekend.. 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. 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. By Philip Pullella. 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. Some nuns are just following the example set by other nuns. My son was stolen by an Irish nun, Sister Euphrasia Nihil , Head nun at St. John of God Hospital in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia on 12th October 1982. The Nuns exercised absolute power over the enslaved women and children in the Gulags that were the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions they ran in Ireland. "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. Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. They had no rights, were (still are to some degree) exposed to all sorts of abuse of the Catholic hierarchy, who always were their superior and who always has to be present to some degree because women can't do things by themselves in Catholicsm by design. It's easy! Your marriage needs to be annulled (not 'divorced') first. They have that reputation in Ireland & in Europe too because monks & nuns treated children in their care sadistically & priests sexually abused them. He found refuge in the British army, where . The nuns were terrible.". "But girls were beaten every day. The helpless lad and his severely-disabled sibling had been left alone with the sickening pair for the entire weekend, in the most horrific chapter of his decade at one of Ireland's infamous industrial schools. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. A passive Nun permitted and regulated the actions of the violent ones. I just want to try to understand it. In fact, one priest was a child molester at our high school. "I've tried to take my life and spent six months in a hospital after a breakdown. 4 Min Read. December 2018 January 2019 She was tied to a chair and beaten for weeks until she started to learn english. March 2020 We found nine reasons that may shock you. 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. "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. Why are Nuns so mean? October 2019 During the Age of Exploration, two basic factors influenced the Europeans in their efforts. My sister was born and adopted in the US and her birth mom reported being treated badly by the Nuns at the place where she went while pregnant. As you say the nuns were mostly from rural areas. 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. Then, in March, a shocking report was published into allegations of abuse and brutality at one of the order's homes in Queensland, Australia, over a 90-year period ending only in 1976. In the 1930s and 1940s, a conservative revolution ushered in an era in Quebec now known as " The Great Darkness .". Nuns should strive to serve their Lord and Savior as best they can. reflect on their experiences and this week's TRC report. What is it that makes these Nuns so down right nasty mean? Inside were the bodies of scores of unknown women: the undocumented, uncared-about inmates of one of Ireland's notorious Magdalene laundries. Sadly, those abusive women were sadists who should have been imprisoned themselves and also hospitalized. By Thanks for the tale Bracket, I am sure glad I never had to grow up in a Cotholic mission! The recipients often turn . The family book I am writting has so many of these stories in it I almost hate to put them in there. But the hearings were criticised as being harsh on the victims and William is angry that the survivors were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement in return for the money they were offered. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. World Ireland Dublin. WILLIAM Gorry is still haunted by the look in his six-year-old brother's eyes as two priests ushered them into a room, took off their robes and decided who to rape first. The skeletal remains of infants and babies have been discovered in a site which used to be run by an Irish religious order. Its not easy to live up to such high standards. I blame Nazareth House. The Turning portrays the order of the sainted nun - Mother Teresa was canonised in 2016 - as a hive of psychological abuse and coercion. 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. Sometimes when I'm feeling down I'll go in and cuddle them and lie down and remember how we were treated, and cry. April 2021 "You could get hammered for anything. Gods truth? Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. My grandmother's sister was also smacked so hard by a nun that she was knocked out. May 2020 Nuns can be cruel for a variety of reasons. Not once did the nuns ask why I was off school or what was wrong with me. They were overworked and underpaid, treated like second-class citizens by a male hierarchy--and today we know that much of that hierarchy was secretly gay, and that many were even pedophiles, so they had a lot of physical, emotional and sexual abuse of their own to conceal. November 2018 It's already been pointed out that many nuns were obviously abused themselves, sexually repressed, closeted and concealed lesbians, and so on. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. Williams story and many others like him formed the basis of the Ryan Report, published in 2009, which found that sexual and physical abuse were endemic in Irelands industrial schools. Their livesand later their deathshad been shrouded. Nuns used crucifixes to rape little girls or forced boys to have sex with them, too. So now comes the question. Some 216,000 children - mostly boys - have been sexually abused by clergy in the French Catholic Church since 1950, a damning new inquiry has found. The exercise of absolute power is crucial for understanding the running of the Religious Institutions in Ireland. . Most - if not all - of the Irish Nuns were from respectable, rural and middle-class families. Being on the receiving end of this behavior is horrifying and confusing. Shortly afterwards, another trainee staff member took him around to the back of the convent, behind the bicycle shed, pulled his trousers down and raped him. Abuse is only broken when the cycle stops. Try to be understanding and compassionate. Following the redress process a further 110million (100million) was set aside for a hardship fund named Caranua - which ironically translates as 'new friend'. They were like prison officers. Was Thomas given away or sold? 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The impact of a blow is much greater if administered with the foot. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. Content Summary. She hated children and was always hitting us with a cricket stump she carried around. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. An inquiry last year into Ireland's Magdalene laundries, where for decades thousands of women were forced to work by nuns, found no evidence that workers were abused. Though it was three miles away and there was a school bus, we were only given enough money to make the journey once a day, so depending on the weather we'd take it in the morning or afternoon. Now a carer, she says the lack of opportunity left her confined to dead end jobs for most of her life. I remember a nun in sixth grade chasing this boy around the class and into the hallway hitting him with an umbrella. Something was telling me that something bad was going to happen.. I think what happens is that religion is handed down from generation to generation in what ever form it maybe and catholics had no problem sparing the rod as that's how they grew up. September 2019 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. "I had three sons with my second husband. Once they joined up they were not allowed to visit their family homeeven to the funeral of a parent. "The nuns never believed I was deaf. I have seen programs about nuns and most of those show a wonderfull helpful loving nun who just loves the whole world. I saw a boy hit on the knuckles with a steel ruler at 7 years old. Some of the Irish Nuns who ran the Magdalene Laundries had notorious reputations and were known for their extreme violence, even in many cases as we know today, beating the inmates to death. Which makes you think that older women who were long time inmates were in charge of the day to day running of the Laundry. I was made to kneel on one of the blocks in front of the bath while she belted the soles of my feet 20 times with a wooden hairbrush, saying 'Spit in church, would you?' People considered the. June 2020 I remember we all did not want to leave the home in Brecon because the nuns there were so kind. Nuns Break COVID Rules to Attend Exorcism. But the fact remains, why were nuns so cruel? But the nun wasn't looking for someone to help her. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay voucher code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. 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. The scenes from a cruel school for indigenous young women run by the sadistic nun Sister Mary (Jennifer Ehle) and a strap-happy and possibly pervy priest, Father Renaud (Sebastian Roch), were . Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live. This leads to jealousy towards those who can experience intimacy and love within a family. Catholic religious sisters, commonly (and inaccurately) called "nuns", are a declining part of American life. My mother went to Catholic school as a child back in the 1950's. 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. These emotions can eventually turn into anger and resentment. 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. When my grandma first went there she only spoke her native language, she spoke no english at all. June 2018 The atmosphere was one of sheer terror. The nuns were so mentally and physically abusive .the lay teachers were the same . But even when trying to ignore the violence around them, the passive Nuns, could not avoid seeing, meeting and reacting to the perpetrator Nuns at church services, at mealtimes and in the common rooms of their resplendent Convents. You have to ask why are some women cruel because the reality is some women are cruel. She was told to go away, that we were wards of court, even though that wasnt true. Instead I was a child who was physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually abused.. A helper, a big 20-year-old girl, dragged me to the washroom. Why? He used to spread our legs and sit us on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath. I am no studying the Bahai faith which is very much the opposite of the RC Church. Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others By David Livingstone Smith Hardcover, 336 pages St. Martin's Press List price: $24.99 Read An Excerpt When the Nazis described Jews. When isolated from what many others are enjoying (marriage, having children, etc. I hear stories about the nuns from non family members too and not many people have "Found memories" of their days with the nuns. 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. 50. The Mother Teressa took him to the creek behind the dorms and drug him through the cold water until he died. Survivor campaigner Mark Vincent Healy says the lifelong effects of the childhood abuse needs to be addressed. Thats awefull! At the residential home, he was given two sets of clothes, a number 217 and sent to his dormitory. 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. I am just wondering why. "You couldn't talk to the nuns in a jokey or friendly way. 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. Then they took the other two from her as well. The rack was a simple contraption, consisting of a rectangular frame raised from . Nuns used to be cruel; that much is true. This can lead to a cycle of cruelty thats hard to break. Professor Grundy reserved his most scathing words for the police forces and bureaucrats, who he said may have known what was going on but did nothing to stop it. This was not the case in mid-19th Century . I have not found many "nice" stories about nuns. Obviously the nuns needed psychiatric evaluation and should never be in charge of anyone. Unexplained-Mysteries.com Their thinking was instutionalized as of course they were too. They were not battleaxes or crones. Now, writes Jane Wheatley . Children were treated as slave labour and made to do backbreaking work, scrubbing floors and working in laundries, before they were old enough to go to school. "You were thrashed about the feet, head and hands, you had your hair pulled and your head bounced off the walls. Once the other boys were lined up and I was beaten with a wooden sandal on my knees and elbows. secrets passed from mother to daughter. We were stripped naked, put over the nuns' knees and leathered on the backside with a hand at other times.. No one would believe how bad it was. Violence was frequently employed and encouraged with the most common forms being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and kicks. I think it's called how to exagerate for comic effect, like the old Monty Python skit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JK5kChbRw, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Survivors and researchers usually present the Magdalene Laundries as the ultimate example of a total institution. "The nun got the two of us and brought us out and she put us in with a corpse. My Grandmother has told me many stories of the evil nuns. By Sue Lloyd Roberts. Nowadays, since the 1970ies women had access to contracepton and nowadays abortionbeing a lone parent is acceptable and even part of the norm. Tied to a why were irish nuns so cruel of cruelty thats hard to break when isolated from what many others enjoying... The day to day running of the attention that Catholic Mothers get permitted and the! Help her with the foot stories of the childhood abuse needs to be ;. 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