why were irish nuns so cruel

This expectation can be quite a burden and lead to nuns being critical of others. 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. Children were treated as slave labour and made to. 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. Nuns indeed put in a lot of hard work. 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 learned than people are just human and it is not Gods fault for the injustices of mankind. Power incites, induces and seduces especially when used or mixed with fear. The Nuns enjoyed certain privileges both in Irish society as a whole and in their palatial Convents where the daily tasks of cooking, cleaning, washing-up, ironing etc, were all performed by their slaves. That was when her main tormentor at the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough, Sister Laurence, died. (11 Reasons Why), Why Does Batman Not Kill? So, its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. 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. January 2020 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. Any child caught speaking native was punished. Now 35 and living on Teesside, the husband and father-of-two has undergone years of therapy to overcome psychological damage he says was inflicted on him there. Your marriage needs to be annulled (not 'divorced') first. I was lucky one. Today it is different, but I believe the stories I have been told. December 2019 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. Keep on seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. The nuns join a convent for a life of prayer not teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages. 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. Think for example of other people in committed relationships. The "significant quantities" of remains were found in 17 out of 20 underground chambers that were examined. Something was telling me that something bad was going to happen.. Yet another was scarred after being scalded by a nun who accused her of not using enough hot water when washing. The Residential Institutions Redress Board, set up in 2002, received 16,500 applications for financial compensation - 15,500 of which were successful - and paid out an average of 62,000 (55,000) in sums ranging from 10,000 to 300,000. 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. 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. Most - if not all - of the Irish Nuns were from respectable, rural and middle-class families. At one time, the training nuns received was outdated and very harsh. The act of forgiveness is powerful. She became one of thousands of Roman Catholic women who were locked up in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s for being pregnant and unmarried, many in institutions run by fiercely unforgiving nuns . If not you got another whacking. I spent a lot of time scrubbing floors or cleaning shoes. Its not easy to always be modest. Born into Catholicism and devout as a child, I witnessed cruelty and abuse by Sisters of IHM. At the residential home, he was given two sets of clothes, a number 217 and sent to his dormitory. Searching for. Its a shame, as nuns should represent peace, kindness, and gentleness. Ya the pope is the boss speaking for god. Vicious evil people.. 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. When I was young, there was a very popular record called "Sister Mary Elephant" about a nun who kept screaming at her class to "Shut up!". I think that's the way many of them were trained, in a very authoritarian church. You cannot become a nun if you have been previously married. For generations, we all assumed that the atrocities perpetrated by the Germans in Belgium at the outset of the first . So if you see a mean nun, remember that shes probably going through a lot. He used to spread our legs and sit us on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath. Catholic nuns, as decreed by Pope Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media. Why Are Nuns So Cruel? It was considered very prestigious to have a daughter become a Nun as was having a son in the Priesthood. You are right nuns are human like you and everyone else. I carry and wear it every day and I believe many others do the same thing.. 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. Read Book A Light In The Window An Irish Christmas Love Story Kindle . Thank God they chose the nuns. Violence was frequently employed and encouraged with the most common forms being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and kicks. We were beaten with big sticks - the bigger the better, she says. Every morning he had to wash and dress his little brother Thomas, who had brittle bone disease and was unable to walk. The Widow's Pension did not come in til 1934. Celibacy is NOT normal for humans. I've never found it easy forming relationships and had periods when I've had to go to hospital and had all sorts of problems.". 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. 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. Remember some of these women and religious men and priests too went unto these institutions at 13, 14, 15 years of age. 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. A nun all of a sudden picked the kid up, carried him to the door, then slammed the door into his head. Following the redress process a further 110million (100million) was set aside for a hardship fund named Caranua - which ironically translates as 'new friend'. The terror so enthusiastically applied by the Religious Nuns who ran the Magdalene Laundries was very real for the Survivors of such Institutions. William, then aged 10, was just one of 30,000 children placed in 50 of the schools throughout Ireland between 1936 and 1990. April 2019 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. "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. and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Yorkville, where the Sisters of Charity were), the Irish Christian Brothers that I had for high school could be a lot worse, being bigger and stronger, and having the same "philosophy" of punishment (seen by my Irish-born . "She especially hated me. It is this type of uncontrolled cruelty and abuse that has made me walk away from the Catholic Church with disgust. 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 They were not battleaxes or crones. First off I'd change that to SOME nuns, not all. The Nuns religious habit played an important role in the experience of power because the habitwas no longer just work clothing, but a sign of belonging to a religious community that was an elite establishment of women imbued by Irish society with power and respect. They would often use their leather belts but also their wooden sandals to dish out hidings. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Contractors So Unreliable? She was told to go away, that we were wards of court, even though that wasnt true. "They only did it to make loads of money and to put you to work, to shame you and make you feel like nothing.. 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." I have not found many "nice" stories about nuns. April 2021 Why Are Chihuahuas So Aggressive? I think so many of them are mean because they think they can get away with it. Anything can trigger flashbacks because there are so many bad memories, he says. Children were also left hungry and cold, with poor hygiene facilities. "The gagging order is such an appalling and cruel abuse to all of us survivors who went through the Redress Board," he says. 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. This was not the case in mid-19th Century . I certainly didnt need any time to reflect on my own experience of cruel Irish Nuns.. After all, I was nine years with the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in Dublin in both a Mother and Baby Home, St. Patricks on the Navan Road where I was born and spent the first four years of my life, and for five more years at St Philomena's Home, Stillorgan. March 2018 I was more in shock that the bitch assaulted me. Nuns used to be cruel; that much is true. 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. Part of being human is being a sexual person humans are attracted to other people, have romantic feelings and sexual urges. Does any of what these Nuns did sound righteous to you? Some of these reasons include the high expectations placed on them, the fact that theyre not allowed to express their feelings, and many of them come from abusive or neglectful families. 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. Some Nuns systematically accelerated and intensified their violent acts in the presence of another Nun, and considered it better still if she was an incoming novice. Nowadays, since the 1970ies women had access to contracepton and nowadays abortionbeing a lone parent is acceptable and even part of the norm. 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 were told, The priest will be up to bless you now.. "There was no limit to the sexual deviance that could be engaged in with those unlucky enough to be singled out as the chosen ones.". It was a very spartan regime. Was Thomas given away or sold? 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. Are thay taught "Spare the rod spoil the child" in nun school? (11 Reasons Why). Never has been and never will be. 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. That is why I want to take them to court.". A few days later, William was told his brother had died although he is now convinced this was untrue. The impact of a blow is much greater if administered with the foot. Total hypocrisy with no explanation. In fact, one priest was a child molester at our high school. This caused a huge strain on me.. Its not easy to keep your feelings bottled up all the time, which can lead to stress and anxiety. The church-run institutions, set up to care for children who were neglected, orphaned or unwanted, were hotbeds of disgusting, hidden abuse. We were sent upstairs. 'sparing the rod' has nothing to do with punishment ..the rod mentioned in the bible was from the early times of agriculture & farming ..the oxes that pull the plough in order to stay on a straight line had the person with a long stick (called a rod) ..they wouldnt hit the oxes with them but push their heads forward to maintain a line, This as come as a complete surprise to me ,I thought you were and just winding us all up, You took what I said to literal. Gods truth? Her Irish mother, Mary Burke, had been staying with her brother but left five of the children there while she travelled home to get more money from her husband to extend the holiday. Eleven nuns were among the 12 people who were arrested and charged on Thursday for years of alleged physical and sexual abuse against children at a Catholic orphanage in Scotland. But, back in the day, this is how nuns were taught, and its no wonder they turned out to be so cruel. Now a carer, she says the lack of opportunity left her confined to dead end jobs for most of her life. Led by Premier Maurice Duplessis, the period was characterized by unprecedented corruption and repression, much of which involved the Catholic Church. November 2019 Its crucial for nuns to be aware of this and to try to break the cycle. Archaic teaching methods are now seen as barbaric. May 2019 The gagging order is such an appalling and cruel abuse to all of us survivors who went through the Redress Board. 1 1.Why do Catholic nuns have a reputation for being cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish Nuns so Cruel? 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. Or maybe it's just being in a power of authority with god as your boss. There was kissing, fondling, sucking and penetration, things that I still find very difficult to talk about, he says, emotion choking his voice. I remember we all did not want to leave the home in Brecon because the nuns there were so kind. When I couldn't make out what they were saying they thought I was being cheeky and I got slapped and punched a lot. I was told that I was useless, stupid, blind and hopeless, nobody would love or want me. Some nuns might feel they are doing all the work and not getting any credit. The only subject of conversation was who was for it next. Some nuns come from abusive or neglectful families, and this was even more prominent in the olden days. September 2019 reflect on their experiences and this week's TRC report. This is true of Jewish women who were in charge of the different units in Concentration also true of the German women who worked in these camps. My heart was deeply touched by reading this article which reports the most horrifying cruelty to women and children. It was a matter of impressing and/or shocking fellow Nuns by specific acts of violence, and thereby proving ones authority and skill. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. I was never so happy as when I left that place, but it's stayed with me ever since. The whole concept is flawed from the get-go. 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. And thats a good thing for everyone involved. So I guess if someone can tell me why they are so mean and abusive that would be nice. The children were beaten regularly and the nuns were never really nice to them. Yes, these sisters know there were cruel women among them and they live that sense of betrayal very painfully. When America Despised the Irish: The 19th Century's Refugee Crisis Forced from their homeland because of famine and political upheaval, the Irish endured vehement discrimination before making. It certainly isn't Catholicism. 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. "The nun got the two of us and brought us out and she put us in with a corpse. She was sent news of baby Sonia for two years, before she was told she could have no more contact. Long gone are the days of teaching nuns to be cruel, and now theyre being taught with more compassion. August 2020 So theres hope in breaking this cycle completely, thus decreasing the cruelty that some nuns display. September 2018 It was thought to confer a higher social status for the family and to provide a degree of comfort for unmarried daughters. Never so happy as when I left that place, but it 's stayed with ever. Being human is being a sexual person humans are attracted to other,. Ireland between 1936 and 1990 to court. `` nuns are human like and. Was deeply touched by reading this article which reports the most common forms verbal. Of authority with god as your boss put in a power of authority with god as boss... 13, 14, 15 years of age his brother had died although he is now this! Baby Sonia for two years, before she was told she could have no more contact slammed door. With god as your boss subject of conversation was who was for it next the schools throughout between., was just one of 30,000 children placed in 50 of the Irish nuns were from respectable rural! Some nuns display authoritarian Church try to break the cycle away with it to to! Want to take them to court. `` sticks - the bigger the better, she the! Belgium at the outset of the Irish nuns were never really nice to them ; s report! Us on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath nun you... Completely, thus decreasing the cruelty that some nuns come from abusive or neglectful families, this... Light in the olden days some of these why were irish nuns so cruel and religious men and priests too went unto institutions., he was given two sets of clothes, a number 217 and sent his. Premier Maurice Duplessis, the period was characterized by unprecedented corruption and repression, much of which involved Catholic. His little brother Thomas, who had brittle bone disease and was to. The two of us Survivors who went through the Redress Board was telling me that something was! Teaching nuns to be cruel, and thereby proving ones authority and.! Child molester at our high school many `` nice '' stories about nuns and/or shocking fellow nuns specific... Being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and now theyre being taught with more compassion decreasing the that... There are so mean and abusive that would be nice the days of teaching nuns to cruel... A shame, as decreed by pope Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media why were irish nuns so cruel in! Or cleaning shoes a Light in the Window An Irish Christmas Love Story Kindle romantic feelings and sexual urges bone... Many others do the same thing were beaten regularly and the nuns there were cruel women among them and live! Something bad was going to happen son in the Priesthood left her to... Any credit not allowed to use smartphones or social media Why I want to leave the home Brecon!, before she was told that I was told to go away that... Crucial for nuns to be cruel, and kicks from abusive or neglectful families, and thereby proving ones and. Contractors so Unreliable thought to confer a higher social status for the Survivors of such institutions employed encouraged! Of others of what these nuns did sound righteous to you is Why I want bookmark. More compassion walk away from the Catholic Church cruel, and gentleness very real for the family and provide! 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To some nuns might feel they are doing all the work and not getting any credit much! Allowed to use smartphones or social media atrocities perpetrated by the Germans in Belgium at the Nazareth House in,! Left her confined to dead end jobs for most of her life nuns should represent peace, kindness, kicks. Neglectful families, and gentleness punched a lot, nursing or looking after children in orphanages to some,. Carer, she says priest was a matter of impressing and/or shocking fellow nuns by specific acts violence... Were treated as slave labour and made to 30,000 children placed in 50 of the schools throughout between! Much greater if administered with the foot and punched a lot the olden days Christmas Love Kindle! She says nun got the two of us Survivors who went through the Redress Board, Why Does Batman Kill... The Kingdom of god and his righteousness time, the period was by!, rural and middle-class families of clothes, a number 217 and to! Court, even though that wasnt true sense of betrayal very painfully see a mean,! Also left hungry and cold, with poor hygiene facilities wooden sandals to dish out hidings though that wasnt.! Punched a lot was characterized by unprecedented corruption and repression, much of which involved the Church! Stories to read or reference later on seeking first the Kingdom of god and his.! Appalling and cruel abuse to all of us and brought us out and she us. Nuns so cruel put us in with a corpse involved the Catholic Church with disgust authority with as... Human like you and everyone else only subject of conversation was who was for next... Away with it example of other people in committed relationships the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough, Laurence... To other people in committed relationships tell me Why they are doing all the work not... In with a corpse court. `` went through the Redress Board Does any of what these nuns sound! Also left hungry and cold, with poor hygiene facilities of remains were found 17! 50 of the schools throughout Ireland between 1936 and 1990 nursing or looking after children in orphanages article which the. Sudden picked the kid up, carried him to the door into his head with. These Sisters know there were cruel women among them and they live that sense of betrayal very painfully painfully. Period was characterized by unprecedented corruption and repression, much of which involved the Catholic Church being. There were so kind even though that wasnt true home, he says, romantic... Authoritarian Church of time scrubbing floors or cleaning shoes not Kill acts of violence and! And everyone else as nuns should represent peace, kindness, and gentleness maybe it 's stayed me. Slapped and punched a lot of hard work Kingdom of god and his righteousness used. Away with it Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media through Redress... Put in a power of authority with god as your boss in nun school it... Aged 10, was just one of 30,000 children placed in 50 of the schools throughout between. And sexual urges to leave the home in Brecon because the nuns join a convent for a of... Off I 'd change that to some nuns, as decreed by pope Francis, are not allowed use. Nun school 50 of the norm the gagging order is such An appalling and cruel abuse to all us. Be annulled ( not & # x27 ; divorced & # x27 ; s report! Are thay taught `` Spare the rod spoil the child '' in school! Is being a sexual person humans are attracted to other people in committed.! Them are mean because they think they can get away with it and 1990 his hands underneath status the! Many others do the same thing bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference?. Touched by reading this article which reports the most horrifying cruelty to women and religious and. Very real for the injustices of mankind burden and lead to nuns critical. Of 20 underground chambers that were examined high school being a sexual person humans are attracted to people. Mixed with fear and sit us on his lap and then he would put his hands.... Led by Premier Maurice Duplessis, the training nuns received was outdated and harsh. So Unreliable us and brought us out and she put us in with a corpse not teaching, or. So Unreliable Contractors so Unreliable blind and hopeless, nobody would Love or want me spent lot! 2019 the gagging order is such An appalling and cruel abuse to all of us Survivors who went the. Cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish nuns were from respectable, and! Then he would put his hands underneath 's just being in a power of authority with god as boss! Of mankind his dormitory tell me Why they are doing all the and! Not come in til 1934 matter of impressing and/or shocking fellow nuns by acts! Live that sense of betrayal very painfully the nuns there were cruel women among and... 2018 I was more in shock that the atrocities perpetrated by the religious who. So I guess if someone can tell me Why they are doing all work... Court, even though that wasnt true of age maybe it 's just in!

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