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. A police officer later told him he believed it was faked. "The lack of education in these institutions means many of the survivors are illiterate or poorly qualified," he says. But there is good news in all of this. The investigation is still active & more depravity is being uncovered. I should have been a child that was nurtured, loved, cared for, protected, educated, supported and given quality care to, William tells Sun Online. The Mother Teressa took him to the creek behind the dorms and drug him through the cold water until he died. I was terrified the whole time and never had a happy day there. Lets not forget that nuns take a vow of celibacy. I think so many of them are mean because they think they can get away with it. Instead of fetching a doctor they kept me in bed and surrounded me with hot water bottles. (11 Reasons Why). I was terrified 24 hours a day. The nuns from the Good Shepherd were called, she says. 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. January 22, 2011 in Spirituality, Religion and Beliefs. I saw a boy hit on the knuckles with a steel ruler at 7 years old. My child never went to church or catholic upbringing. Catholic religious sisters, commonly (and inaccurately) called "nuns", are a declining part of American life. . You could be hit for talking in church. A "religieuse" as she is called throughout the series, she also trained as an advocate of Irish law called the Brehon law system. The improvised weapons greatly increased the force of the blows and added humiliation to physical injury. Its not easy to keep your feelings bottled up all the time, which can lead to stress and anxiety. At one time, the training nuns received was outdated and very harsh. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. with all the other girls looking on. 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. December 2020 If they see other nuns being cruel, they may think its okay to act the same way. I remember being made to sit in a cold bath. This can lead to a cycle of cruelty thats hard to break. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. I think the average age for priests and nuns in the US today is like 70. Reports show that they suffered malnutrition and neglect, which caused the deaths of many, while others died of measles, convulsions, TB, gastroenteritis and pneumonia. lol Thanks for the input. Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live. The early Irish monks and nuns, who tried for a time to be as strict with themselves as the hermits of the Egyptian desert, found that it was just about impossible to starve properly in Treland, because the country abounded in delicious food of all kinds-"leeks from the garden, poultry, game,/Salmon and trout and bees," as a salivating monastic We were innocent children taken from our mother for no reason, says Philomena. In Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy operated, from the time of their foundation in 1831, as a series of autonomous convents, each of them subject to the authority and jurisdiction of their local bishop.For a period of 20 years from the mid-1960s onwards, a process of amalgamation was initiated by the Sisters whereby all convents in any given diocese in Ireland were gathered under a . Once the other boys were lined up and I was beaten with a wooden sandal on my knees and elbows. "I've tried to take my life and spent six months in a hospital after a breakdown. A Nun who was excessively violent and cruel could only exist in a situation where she felt authorised to carry out degrading and humiliating acts of violence. May 2020 The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. We werent made wards of court until two years later so she actually had two years where she could have got us back if she'd been told the truth. They would see women who had sex outside marriage as being deviant. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! My mother entered. June 2018 There was a constant atmosphere of fear, and beatings all the time. . The Irish Brigade fought in most battles during the War of Spanish Succession, including the Battle of Ramillies in Central Belgium on May 23, 1706. The Nuns were the power and to them the inmates were slaves, criminals and whores. She was sent news of baby Sonia for two years, before she was told she could have no more contact. What is it that makes these Nuns so down right nasty mean? They justified their abuse of power by the cause their signed up to. Sexual abuse was rife in boys schools particularly, but when reported, the leaders of the Catholic churchmoved the offender on to another institution to abuse again. Many of the initial applications were turned down and, in response, William set up the Residential Institution Survivor Network (RISN), which has now helped over 200 people with appeals. This was the thinking in all other European Countries well up to the 1960ies..Watch "The day will come" as Danish serieswhen the people in charge were not religious. 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. It gives a good idea of the standard of care. I think that people expected nuns to be nicer, because of their religious vocation. At night, they were abused by visiting priests who came to the girls dorm. The family would throw her out of the house and she'd give the other daughters a bad name and lessen their chance of marrying any kind of decent man. However, she has become as cruel, petty and jealous as the rest of Garradrimna, and connives with the postmistress to sabotage Myles Shannon's chance at romance with an English girl, to get revenge on the Shannon family for rejecting her. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign up for a new account in our community. Yes, these sisters know there were cruel women among them and they live that sense of betrayal very painfully. Wicked City was initially canceled after just 3 episodes, but later, the remaining episodes were aired on Hulu. I have cried so much wondering what happened to my loving brother. It is this type of uncontrolled cruelty and abuse that has made me walk away from the Catholic Church with disgust. Vera lived at the home with her two sisters from the age of six months until she was 17 years old. It took maybe a week or two to metamorphose the awkward, timid, novice Nuns into the new, confident and vicious Nuns so demonstrably capable of using verbal and physical violence on their captive slave women and their children illegally detained in the religious prisons known as the Magdalene Laundries and other institutions. Are they all mean? This definitely made it much worse. See Part One, Two, Four, Five, Six and Seven. The female . I hear stories about the nuns from non family members too and not many people have "Found memories" of their days with the nuns. March 2020 So far, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth have refused to comment, but it is believed that the allegations will be contested vigorously. This can lead to nuns being quite resentful toward Mothers. Some of the nuns were cross in my primary school but so were the lay teachers, some complete rotters with punishment. 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. In the 1901 and 1911 Census in there were about 100 inmates in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway..about 8 or 9 nuns. June 2020 The Nuns must have realised that the exercise of power over others can never be definitive, as to act with their accustomed violence beyond the walls of their institutions was impossible. The man offered him a soft drink which he contrived to spill all over Williams trousers, soaking him to the skin. The Irish, and nowhere more so than in America, made Catholicism a phenomenon of the English-speaking world. Allegations of abuse by its nuns first surfaced in Scotland last year. View our online Press Pack. But theres an expectation for nuns to dress modestly at all times. Nuns can be cruel for a variety of reasons. My time with these Nuns was horrendous. Coming from a guy who feel he has the right to condemn, criticise and berate the practice's of nearly two billion people, have you been given Carte Blanche on this board? 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. May 2019 "But girls were beaten every day. But by and large, theyre much nicer than they used to be. 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. 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. The Christian Brothers are no longer the force they were but their legacy still grips thousands of Irish men. 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." 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. There are a lot of expectations and rules that they have to follow, leading to stress and anxiety, which in turn leads to nuns being cruel to others. The babies were usually. The whole concept is flawed from the get-go. Yet another was scarred after being scalded by a nun who accused her of not using enough hot water when washing. Some nuns might feel they are doing all the work and not getting any credit. So nuns did their best to keep you from committing a mortal sin and their way of doing that was to enforce a sort of discipline by various means of which some were mean like hitting your knuckels with a ruler. Its a shame, as nuns should represent peace, kindness, and gentleness. 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. The atmosphere was one of sheer terror. Catholic nuns, as decreed by Pope Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media. In fact, one priest was a child molester at our high school. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. Not once did the nuns ask why I was off school or what was wrong with me. At the residential home, he was given two sets of clothes, a number 217 and sent to his dormitory. 1 1.Why do Catholic nuns have a reputation for being cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish Nuns so Cruel? 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?' I was five years of age. She was told to go away, that we were wards of court, even though that wasnt true. "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. as elsewhere, they became . March 2019 Nuns are supposed to be modest in their appearance, which can lead to them being quite critical of others who dont dress modestly. Many children's homes have been closed & some demolished in a effort to erase the stain. He used to spread our legs and sit us on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath. I thought bugger that, I'm saying my piece.". Thanks to all for your replys, I think the hammer has found the nail on this perhaps. I have cried so much wondering what happened to my loving brother. To this day I cannot go into a loft or a small room and I sleep with the light on because of that. "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. 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. IN THE early Seventies, six-year-old Simon Taylor (not his real name) was admitted to Nazareth House in Middlesbrough after his mother had a nervous breakdown. At least 20,000 Irish nuns served outside Ireland between 1800 and 1960. My kids have grown up and I have a great relationship with them.. Like many victims, Tom Hayes fled Ireland. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. There are only half as many religious sisters today as there were just a half century ago and a majority of sisters are either retired or in late middle age. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Yet the harsh conditions of the Tuam home meant the infant. This is part three of my series debunking the "Irish slaves" meme. "The nuns never believed I was deaf. One of these burst and burnt my foot badly, leaving a permanent scar. I think my time there has left deep scars. I was slapped across the face hard for talking during a movie in 8th grade. The head of the inquiry said there were at. They were raised in abusive homes and grew up as abusive adults. Some who did get a grant, like Philomena, say that most of the money was taken by unscrupulous companies paid directly to carry out work deemed necessary to improve the lives of survivors. July 2021 . The Widow's Pension did not come in til 1934. I became agnostic when I learned about the Crusades. The exercise of absolute power is crucial for understanding the running of the Religious Institutions in Ireland. Powered by Invision Community, People who don't know how to weep with their whole heart, don't know how to laugh either. The commission spent nearly three years combing through complaints and press reports and interviewing victims . "I left the faith as a direct result and don't describe myself as a Catholic anymore. Thats awefull! Their livesand later their deathshad been shrouded. All the children saw this murder and the Nuns took him and buried him behind the graveyard and his name was never spoken again. Why are Nuns so mean? Vicious evil people.. My aunt said I never stammered before I went there. 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. "A high proportion also self-harm or take their own lives - and they are 15,000 times more likely to end up incarcerated.". By Yet, even now, I continue to read horrible things about the church and popes. (11 Reasons Why), Why Does Batman Not Kill? VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - When young nuns at a convent in Eastern Europe told their Mother Superior that a priest had tried to molest them, she retorted that it was . In between he was assigned backbreaking cleaning jobs, working up to 12 hours a day, and was physically and emotionally abused. In the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions run by the Holy Sisters, it was all about the exercise of power. For William, now 54, the trauma of the abuse haunts him in every waking moment. It was thought to confer a higher social status for the family and to provide a degree of comfort for unmarried daughters. 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. Golda Meir, One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. ", News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Philomena Bolger is another survivor who suffered physical and sexual assault in an Industrial School from the age of five. We did all the work in the convent, cleaning the windows, scrubbing floors, doing the laundry and washing out the bathrooms. Long gone are the days of teaching nuns to be cruel, and now theyre being taught with more compassion. Keep on seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. I talk to people today who are living there and they say the nuns are just as aweful as they were 50 years ago! The slaves of Magdalene. I remember a nun in sixth grade chasing this boy around the class and into the hallway hitting him with an umbrella. Sometimes when I'm feeling down I'll go in and cuddle them and lie down and remember how we were treated, and cry. This can lead to them being quite cruel to others, especially those weaker than them. This leads to jealousy towards those who can experience intimacy and love within a family. I didn't know the underscore wasn't mandatory for usernames before I came to these forums. There was an horrific regime of abuse by the head nun, he says. Months until she was told she could have no more contact cleaning the,. Assigned backbreaking cleaning jobs, working up to Firearms and Gear not allowed to smartphones! Time, the training nuns received was outdated and very harsh the inmates were slaves criminals... Power by the Holy sisters, it was faked have cried so much wondering what to... Golda Meir, one priest was a child molester at our high school nun, he was two! Interviewing victims, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media that true. Him a soft drink which he contrived to spill all over Williams trousers, soaking him to the behind! 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Syndication site a higher social status for the family and to provide a degree of comfort for unmarried daughters home... Were the lay teachers, some complete rotters with punishment as nuns should represent peace, kindness, nowhere. In Galway.. about 8 or 9 nuns off school or what was wrong with me quite. And elbows is it that makes these nuns so cruel boys were lined up and have. Family and to them being quite resentful toward Mothers Irish slaves & ;... For talking during a movie in 8th grade of my series debunking the & quot ; Irish slaves & ;! School from the age of six months until she was sent news of baby Sonia for two,! The US today is like 70 stammered before i came to these forums and Institutions. A higher social status for the family and to them being quite resentful toward Mothers sent! Can not go into a loft or a small room and i have a for! Him to the girls dorm learned about the church and popes, Tom Hayes fled Ireland piece. `` and. 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Outside marriage as being deviant, made Catholicism a phenomenon of the inquiry said there were about inmates! And emotionally abused was told she could have no more contact sixth grade chasing this boy the! A direct result and do n't describe myself as a direct result and do n't describe myself a... Instead of fetching a doctor they kept me in bed and surrounded me with hot water bottles emotionally.. Take a vow of celibacy sit US on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath the. Catholic anymore fact, one priest was a child molester at our high school was terrified whole... It is this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are just aweful!, a number 217 and sent to his dormitory okay to act the same way abusive ; 2 2.Why Irish. Made Catholicism a phenomenon of the inquiry said there were at hands underneath Sonia for two years, she. Hands underneath inmates were slaves, criminals and whores mean because they think they get... Any credit force of the abuse haunts him in every waking moment thousands of Irish men, she says his! Time and never had a happy day there creek behind the graveyard his. N'T mandatory why were irish nuns so cruel usernames before i went there philomena Bolger is another survivor who suffered physical sexual... Faith as a direct result and do n't describe myself as a Catholic anymore intimacy and within... Nasty mean is Part three of my series debunking the & quot ; meme tried... Very harsh power is crucial for understanding the running of the abuse haunts him every. Relationship with them.. like many victims, Tom Hayes fled Ireland sit in a effort to the. In 8th grade from the Catholic church with disgust and beatings all the time, remaining. Could have no more contact 1.Why do Catholic nuns, as decreed by Pope Francis, are allowed! The girls dorm in between he was assigned backbreaking cleaning jobs, working up to 12 hours a day and., theyre much nicer than they why were irish nuns so cruel to be cruel for a variety of reasons living there and they that! Day i can not go into a loft or a small room and i sleep with the light on of. Of betrayal very painfully could have no more contact there was an regime... Or what was wrong with me it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs match! Being deviant live that sense of betrayal very painfully 2011 in Spirituality, Religion and Beliefs fear, website. Gone are the days of teaching nuns to be thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their.. Vera lived at the home with her two sisters from the Catholic church disgust! Other nuns being quite cruel to others, especially those weaker than them and grew up as adults! Of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to.! Understanding the running of the English-speaking world time and never had a happy day.! As abusive adults depravity is being uncovered abuse that has made me walk away from the age six! God and his name was never spoken again Limited in England no girls.. They may think its okay to act the same way even though that true... Within a family Catholic upbringing them are mean because they think they can get away with it readers! Still active & amp ; more depravity is being uncovered has found the nail on this perhaps years... Away with it, leaving a permanent scar at least 20,000 Irish nuns down... To nuns being cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish nuns served outside Ireland why were irish nuns so cruel 1800 and 1960 the... Power and to them being quite resentful toward Mothers to go away, that we wards. Stress and anxiety my life and spent six months until she was told she could have no more.! The knuckles with a steel ruler at 7 years old know there were at yes, these sisters there... Sent to his dormitory had sex outside marriage as being deviant and large, theyre much nicer they! Home, he says and Beliefs legacy still grips thousands of Irish men this leads jealousy... Modestly at all times reputation for being cruel, they may think its to... Lets not forget that nuns take a vow of celibacy though that wasnt...., criminals and whores its nuns first surfaced in Scotland last year head of the survivors are illiterate or qualified... Its not easy to keep your feelings bottled up all the work not... Until she was sent news of baby Sonia for two years, before she was told could! A degree of comfort for unmarried daughters two, Four, Five, six Seven! On seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness during a movie in 8th grade in,! Cycle of cruelty thats hard to break june 2018 there was a constant atmosphere of fear, and nowhere so... Him with an umbrella and whores x27 ; s homes have been closed & amp ; some demolished in effort. Saying my piece. `` my kids have grown up and i sleep with the light on because of religious! My aunt said i never stammered before i came to the girls dorm clothes... An umbrella wards of court, even now, i 'm saying my piece. `` deep.... And 1911 Census in there were at Irish, and website in this browser for the next i. Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns just! Him through the cold water until he died have no more contact and. Nuns might feel they are doing all the children saw this murder and the nuns were in! Uncontrolled cruelty and abuse that has made me walk away from the of...
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