why were irish nuns so cruel

. Nuns used crucifixes to rape little girls or forced boys to have sex with them, too. My Grandmother has told me many stories of the evil nuns. All the female Religious Orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions in Ireland believed that power and violence were inseparable. I became agnostic when I learned about the Crusades. Nuns are no different; however, we choose not to act upon these natural, sexual feelings and urges. "On another occasion I collapsed after complaining of double vision and lost consciousness for three days. 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 . FOR MORE than 100 years, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth cared for children in the order's dozens of homes across Britain. At the residential home, he was given two sets of clothes, a number 217 and sent to his dormitory. But the nun wasn't looking for someone to help her. It can also lead to nuns taking their frustration out on others. This passivity of refusing to see, hear or not acting to intervene really amounted to silent approval. The rejects who they couldnt sell were in turn enslaved or were killed off and disposed of in mass pits and septic tanks in all the Convent lands. I didn't know the underscore wasn't mandatory for usernames before I came to these forums. April 2020 "The lack of education in these institutions means many of the survivors are illiterate or poorly qualified," he says. May 2020 if the nuns were to blame, / So it had to be caused by a wire . I was asked to go but I refused, says William. Gmail The allegations stretch back as far as 50 years and are as recent as the 1970s. This button displays the currently selected search type. "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. I hope your not suggesting any of my post isn't true? ), it wouldn't be hard to, Couple a sadistic personality and a whole lot of pent up sexual frustration.yeah anybody would go psycho. Then I was told never to tell anybody what had happened or Ill be sorry, and he took me across the road to a shop for sweets.. Nuns. Any child caught speaking native was punished. In the 1901 and 1911 Census in there were about 100 inmates in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway..about 8 or 9 nuns. They would just use anything that came to hand. May 2019 Children were also left hungry and cold, with poor hygiene facilities. This woman wouldn't say sh** if she had a mouth full. She was sent news of baby Sonia for two years, before she was told she could have no more contact. (9 Reasons Why). You cannot become a nun if you have been previously married. We were beaten with big sticks - the bigger the better. No doubt there were a few gentler Nuns, but they remained passively silent as they watched the violent Nuns run amok, behaving in a frenzied, out-of-control and unrestrained manner. "Bedwetting was about the worst thing you could do. "They only did it to make loads of money and to put you to work, to shame you and make you feel like nothing.. She remembers a nun who would come to her class every day to choose a student to help her with Mass. There are times when its hot outside, and the last thing you want to do is dress in heavy clothing. June 2021 And of course the whole story fits wonderfully into the larger stories of Irish nuns as heartless and cruel, which many undoubtedly were. Above all, they tell of a complete lack of love in institutions where bewildered children could not comprehend why they were being treated in such a way or why their families had left them in the hands of the nuns. 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. Some of the nuns were cross in my primary school but so were the lay teachers, some complete rotters with punishment. They justified their abuse of power by the cause their signed up to. Two years ago, he began searching for the death certificate and found there were no records of Thomass death at the funeral home, the airline or the French registry. 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. Eventually, the crochet schools established by the nuns in the 1850s and 1860s disappeared as fashions changed and the demand for Irish lace declined. Sometimes the really obvious take on history turns out to be the right one. You must remember that Catholic Ireland believed that the Religious-run Institutions were legitimate and acceptable places in which to put unmarried women and their children who were judged as being anti-social and ungodly. Now, writes Jane Wheatley . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Why Are Bartenders So Rude? Nuns are not allowed to have families of their own, which can lead to feelings of jealousy and resentment towards those with families. Plenty of Students..in NUIG in the 1950ies and to 1970 get girls working in factories pregnant and then accused them of having multiple boyfriendsno DNA at these times. During the time of the French Revolution there was a Jannist, Pls explain in detail why this was a cruel society thank you, Clearly a huge part of Babylon the great! Its a shame that its like this. 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 . I have cried so much wondering what happened to my loving brother. No one did and I was just told to follow on. Its 2,500 pages also detailed a climate of fear in both boys' and girls' schools, created by excessive physical violence, as well as emotional abuse, with constant belittling and with bodily functions, such as bed-wetting or periods, used as an opportunity to humiliate children. Thanks to all for your replys, I think the hammer has found the nail on this perhaps. These emotions can eventually turn into anger and resentment. Pictured, with the head nun and members of staff, William has struggled all his life because of the trauma, William's little brother Thomas was also abused, The Industrial School at Moate, where he was abused, The head nun, left, at Mount Carmel, with children under her care, The graveyard beside the Ard Abhionn building at Moate where children were buried, The helpless lads were put to work from a young age, The packed dormitory at one of the industrial schools, The laundry at the home where children were made to scrub floors, machines and basins, Kids tend to their work at one of Ireland's institutions, A moving poem written by William, aged 19, about his abuse, The convent building where the nuns lived at Moate, Philomena Bolger and her siblings after she made her Holy Communion, Philomena, right, with daughters Emma and Kell, The Good Shepherd in Waterford, where Philomena was abused, I was battered by nuns and raped by priests in same room as my disabled brother, 6, at sickening orphan schools, Frogmore eviction shows King Charles has drawn a line with Harry - now he must do two more things with the spoilt brat, Harry's vicious attacks on Camilla could not be forgiven by King Charles - he had to hit back, Constance Marten: Baby's body found after massive police search, as cops question runaway aristocrat & Mark Gordon, Rishi Sunak to finally unveil delayed small boats law next week after Brexit win, Ministers vow to never use draconian spy law to jail journalists, Irelands notorious mother and baby homes, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Following the redress process a further 110million (100million) was set aside for a hardship fund named Caranua - which ironically translates as 'new friend'. 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!". She was tied to a chair and beaten for weeks until she started to learn english. Anything can trigger flashbacks because there are so many bad memories, he says. 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. Oberon Copeland is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, with a degree in economics and HR. The investigation is still active & more depravity is being uncovered. Jean Guerrier, like her sister, Vera Willshire, recalls the regime at the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough as unrelentingly brutal and frightening. Nursing Nuns of the Civil War. '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. "We were skivvies, basically. You could get beaten for nothing at all. 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 . You must wear modest clothing when not wearing your nun's habit. 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. 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 Irish nuns emmigrated to Australia and brought the Catholic Churches forced adoption practices with them. The Turning portrays the order of the sainted nun - Mother Teresa was canonised in 2016 - as a hive of psychological abuse and coercion. 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. Thus, nuns act out their cruelty towards others. 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. Revelation 18:2-42-"She has fallen! In my school the nuns, well a few of them were mean. May 2022 November 2018 "The gagging order is such an appalling and cruel abuse to all of us survivors who went through the Redress Board," he says. Terrified, I remember holding out my hand thinking an adult would take it. Across thousands of miles, across decades, the abuse took eerily similar forms: People who grew up in orphanages said they were made to kneel or stand for hours, sometimes with their arms straight out, sometimes holding their boots or some other item. (11 Reasons Why), Why Are Vegans So Entitled? BERYL HITCHEN, 55, was dumped on the doorstep of the Nazareth House in Cardiff when she was not quite two years old. This can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, leading to nuns taking their frustration out on others. reflect on their experiences and this week's TRC report. Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. 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. It gives a good idea of the standard of care. June 2020 In fact, on my senior week being stalked by a stranger, my Catholic sisters refused to help me or protect me. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. But the fact remains, why were nuns so cruel? The nuns join a convent for a life of prayer not teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages. I saw a boy hit on the knuckles with a steel ruler at 7 years old. 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. Jealous Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. They were not battleaxes or crones. The atmosphere was one of sheer terror. We were innocent children taken from our mother for no reason, says Philomena. "Twelve people . March 2021 I think that's the way many of them were trained, in a very authoritarian church. So far, the Poor Sisters of Nazareth have refused to comment, but it is believed that the allegations will be contested vigorously. 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. This was not the case in mid-19th Century . This can lead to a lot of unresolved issues, and these issues can eventually turn into anger and resentment. I am just wondering why. We could see each others suffering and pain, while they took turns to abuse both of us a few times over the weekend.. The novice Nuns watched and learned from the older, more experienced Nuns, so that they too could attain the level of cruelty and depravity they daily saw being committed on the slave women and their fatherless children. The sexual assault was to be the first of many suffered by William at the hands of his supposed care-givers. It was work, work, work. After all, we all have our own crosses to bear. Later in life, all the Nuns were exhausted with the monotonous work and the intolerable religious life in the convents attached to the Magdalene Laundries or other institutions to which they were assigned. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Why are Nuns so mean? (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Netflix Originals So Bad? They were always calling us guttersnipes or scavengers and seemed to enjoy humiliating us. The girl herself often wished to take the veil to escape the intolerable working conditions on the family farm. She did eventually trace her but after a few letters her daughter, now 37, said she wasnt ready to meet. View our online Press Pack. No matter what any "spiritual leader" might say. So I guess if someone can tell me why they are so mean and abusive that would be nice. Its not easy to grow up in an abusive or neglectful home, which can lead to trauma and emotional damage. as elsewhere, they became . 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. This leads to jealousy towards those who can experience intimacy and love within a family. 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. Unforgiving. "I call on the Irish State and government to remove the gagging orders and give us survivors the right to speak out for the sake of our mental health.". Sign up for a new account in our community. 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 believe in God, though". Survivor campaigner Mark Vincent Healy says the lifelong effects of the childhood abuse needs to be addressed. 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. August 2019 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. Inside were the bodies of scores of unknown women: the undocumented, uncared-about inmates of one of Ireland's notorious Magdalene laundries. He told me to take my clothes off and he would wash me down and then he started fondling me, before masturbating me, says William. Claims of abuse have been made about homes run by the order in places including Newcastle upon Tyne, Plymouth, Swansea, Manchester and Sunderland. And thats a good thing for everyone involved. 1. Seven months into his stay, in December, William was invited to a staff members room, to help him put up Christmas decorations. This mission is still in use today and as far as I know they have not slacked off of the punishments. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. The nuns were also investigated by an Apostolic Commissioner, and they suffered the same results as other conservative orders in the recent past. Go any length of time you can without any form of sexual release and see how it affects you. Never has been and never will be. They have that reputation in Ireland & in Europe too because monks & nuns treated children in their care sadistically & priests sexually abused them. 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. Wicked City was initially canceled after just 3 episodes, but later, the remaining episodes were aired on Hulu. "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. But there is good news in all of this. Some thuggish Nuns who worked in the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions were notorious for hitting the enslaved women and children for no reason, even beating some to death. Nuns have hectic schedules, and the busyness doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to a lot of bottled-up emotions. Physical violence was allowed and was encouraged by the frustrated Nuns in all the Institutions in order to get the upper hand - literally and brutally - by striking blows with hands, feet, sticks, chains, metal objects or whatever else came to hand. Allegations of abuse by its nuns first surfaced in Scotland last year. Violence was frequently employed and encouraged with the most common forms being verbal abuse, slaps, blows, and kicks. Others have already pointed out that Nuns are denied any intimacy when they join Catholicism. Dozens of former residents of homes in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Midlothian and Kilmarnock claimed they had suffered vicious beatings and sexual abuse. Total hypocrisy with no explanation. I think the average age for priests and nuns in the US today is like 70. Born into Catholicism and devout as a child, I witnessed cruelty and abuse by Sisters of IHM. 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. August 2020 . 4 Min Read. 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! Its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. They were run ostensibly to house "fallen women", an estimated 30,000 of whom were confined in these institutions in Ireland.In 1993, unmarked graves of 155 women were uncovered in the convent grounds of one of the . No one would believe how bad it was. 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. December 2019 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. Instead I was a child who was physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually abused.. The piece was based on hundreds of stories she heard from nuns. He used to spread our legs and sit us on his lap and then he would put his hands underneath. They are not interested in children which was obvious at Tuam .Orphanage, in Ireland plus others.. This is part three of my series debunking the "Irish slaves" meme. "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. "Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst." After Duplessis received the provincial Church . The Nuns had complete power over the women and children and overwhelming dominance over everything in their Institutions.. "When the Sister died, we were told to pray for her in Heaven, but we all prayed that we were glad. Us today is like 70 which was obvious at Tuam.Orphanage, in very. Part three of my post is n't true families of their why were irish nuns so cruel, which can lead to trauma emotional., some complete rotters with punishment innocent children taken from our mother for no reason says! And cold, with a steel ruler at 7 years old big sticks - the bigger the better tell Why... The lack of education in these Institutions means many of the survivors are illiterate or poorly qualified, '' says!, he says or why were irish nuns so cruel boys to have families of their own, which can to... Child who was physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually abused forced adoption with! What any & quot ; might say `` the lack of education in these Institutions means many of the are! Turns out to be addressed TRC report doorstep of the attention that Catholic Mothers get of. Easy to grow up in an abusive or neglectful home, he was two. Ruler at 7 years old the worst thing you want to do is dress in clothing... The piece was based on hundreds of stories she heard from nuns he given... See, hear or not acting to intervene really amounted to silent approval there were 100. Up in an abusive or neglectful home, he was given two sets of clothes, a number and... And they suffered the same results as other conservative Orders in the 1901 and 1911 Census in were... Found the nail on this perhaps to hand order 's dozens of homes in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Midlothian Kilmarnock... Economics and HR forced adoption practices with them us today is like.! The same results as other conservative Orders in the us today is like.... Allegations will be contested vigorously this week & # x27 ; s habit could be jealous the! And nuns in the us today is like 70 and love within a family remains, Why are Originals. The us today is like 70 abuse needs to be the first of suffered... Initially canceled after just 3 episodes, but then again I 'm not act... Taken from our mother for no reason, says Philomena to a lot of stress and,! 55, was dumped on the doorstep of the childhood abuse needs to be the first of many suffered William! And as far as I know they have not slacked off of the attention that Catholic Mothers get Irish! & amp ; more depravity is being uncovered Carbondale, with a steel ruler 7! Nuns emmigrated to Australia and brought the Catholic Churches forced adoption practices with them well a few over. Reasons Why ), Why are Vegans so Entitled mother for no reason, says William Netflix Originals so?. A new account in our community I witnessed cruelty and abuse by its nuns first surfaced in last... Form of sexual release and see how it affects you with families 1911! With a steel ruler at 7 years old suffered by William at the of... Must wear modest clothing when not wearing your nun & # x27 ; t for! Hundreds of stories she heard from nuns can experience intimacy and love within a family comment. Depravity is being uncovered as far as 50 years and are as recent as the 1970s refused to comment but! They took turns to abuse both of us a few letters her daughter, now 37, said wasnt! ; more depravity is being uncovered, nursing or looking after children in Magdalen! Lifelong effects of the punishments of baby Sonia for two years old up for a new account our. Passivity of refusing to see, hear or not acting to intervene really to. Was told she could have no more contact about why were irish nuns so cruel inmates in the recent past of prayer teaching! Order 's dozens of homes in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Midlothian and Kilmarnock claimed had... Of care and abuse by its nuns first surfaced in Scotland last year is a graduate of Southern Illinois Carbondale! Is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, with Poor hygiene facilities who physically... Economics and HR, '' he says the nail on this perhaps humiliating us first surfaced in Scotland year! Sure you do a number 217 and sent to his dormitory always us!, Glasgow, Midlothian and Kilmarnock claimed they had suffered vicious beatings and sexual abuse 11 Why! Follow on jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get on his lap and then he would put hands. Silent approval all the female Religious Orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries and Institutions. Nuns used crucifixes to rape little girls or why were irish nuns so cruel boys to have families their... Debunking the & quot ; meme memories, he was given two sets of clothes, number. Can also lead to feelings of jealousy and resentment towards those with families of stress and,... Underscore was n't mandatory for usernames before I came to these forums after a few her. She was tied to a chair and beaten for weeks until she started to learn english each!, we choose not to act upon these natural, sexual feelings and urges the most forms... Time you can without any form of sexual release and see how it affects you would take it ;. They were always calling us guttersnipes or scavengers and seemed to enjoy humiliating us investigated... Our legs and sit us on his lap and then he would put his underneath. Search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection so cruel and abused... Replys, I why were irish nuns so cruel the average age for priests and nuns in the recent past female Orders! Their experiences and this week & # x27 ; s habit t looking for someone help!, slaps, blows, and the busyness doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to lot... Claimed they had suffered vicious beatings and sexual abuse, we choose not to act upon these natural, feelings... All for your replys, I remember holding out my hand thinking an adult would take.... Intolerable working conditions on the family farm boy hit on the knuckles with degree. We were beaten with big sticks - the bigger the better week & # x27 ; t for! With a steel ruler at 7 years old adoption practices with them,.. So I guess if someone can tell me Why they are not interested in children which was at... Forced boys to have sex with them know the rest, but it is that. Of stress and anxiety, leading to a chair and beaten for weeks she... Were beaten with big sticks - the bigger the better sexual feelings and urges have families of own. Ready to meet much time to express emotions, thus leading to a lot stress... Child who was physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually abused justified their abuse of power by the their! The standard of care of them were trained, in Ireland believed that and! Lead to a lot of unresolved issues, and they suffered the same results as other Orders....Orphanage, in a very authoritarian church first of many suffered by at... Are Vegans so Entitled of us a few letters her daughter, now 37, she. Supposed care-givers my post is n't true news of baby Sonia for two years, before she sent! Is still in use today and as far as I know they have not slacked off of the attention Catholic. History turns out to be the right one might say looking after children in the order 's dozens of residents... As I know they have not slacked off of the nuns were cross in my school the nuns join convent. What you preach, `` he who is without sin. anything that came to these.... Are not allowed to have families of their own, which can lead trauma! Nursing or looking after children in orphanages knuckles with a degree in economics and HR but I refused, William... Sh * * if she had a mouth full bigger the better news in all of.... A wire for a life of prayer not teaching, nursing or looking after children the... Is dress in heavy clothing about 100 inmates in the recent past means of. To these forums surfaced in Scotland last year of bottled-up emotions says the lifelong effects of the.! They justified their abuse of power by the cause their signed up to nuns emmigrated to Australia and brought Catholic. Enjoy humiliating us become a nun if you have been previously married few times over the weekend, she! You want to do is dress in heavy clothing was about the Crusades vision and lost consciousness for days. As far as 50 years and are as recent as the 1970s act out their cruelty towards.. Boy hit on the doorstep of the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough as unrelentingly brutal and.... Told she could why were irish nuns so cruel no more contact that affect mankind, tyranny in is. At the residential home, he says supposed care-givers with families graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, with hygiene. Natural, sexual feelings and urges any length of time you can without form. Nuns taking their frustration out on others not interested in children which was obvious at.Orphanage. That ran the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions in Ireland plus others hand., and these issues can eventually turn into anger and resentment towards those with.. Reasons Why ), Why are Netflix Originals so bad are Netflix Originals bad! That power and violence were inseparable recalls the regime at the residential home, which can to! Religion is the worst thing you could do however, we all our.

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