why were irish nuns so cruel

My grandmother's sister was also smacked so hard by a nun that she was knocked out. March 2018 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. It has enriched the Irish Catholic Church to the extent that, even to this day, it is the wealthiest organisation in Ireland. Only my opinion of course, but I'd blame it on a lack of physical and emotional shenanigans with members of the opposite sex. 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 . 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. I would listen to these stories as he told my mom and I thought as a 10 year old, "Why were these nuns so cruel!" As National Indigenous Peoples Day draws closer and the news that 215 Indian children's graves have been discovered at the Kamloops Indian Reservation School, all those memories of my dad's and mom's stories come back. reflect on their experiences and this week's TRC report. Nursing Nuns of the Civil War. 1 1.Why do Catholic nuns have a reputation for being cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish Nuns 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. There was kissing, fondling, sucking and penetration, things that I still find very difficult to talk about, he says, emotion choking his voice. And of course the whole story fits wonderfully into the larger stories of Irish nuns as heartless and cruel, which many undoubtedly were. All the female Religious Orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries and other Institutions in Ireland believed that power and violence were inseparable. Not a day went by without someone getting a battering. with all the other girls looking on. . 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. It was work, work, work. The victim lies prostrate on the ground, at the Nuns feet. All the children saw this murder and the Nuns took him and buried him behind the graveyard and his name was never spoken again. For other inquiries, Contact Us. November 2019 FOR Vera Willshire, who is now 75, the year 1939 was one of the happiest of her life. I was more in shock that the bitch assaulted me. I talk to people today who are living there and they say the nuns are just as aweful as they were 50 years ago! I was told that I was useless, stupid, blind and hopeless, nobody would love or want me. 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. 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. Some of these women and girls from middle-class backgrounds and with no professional training, were transformed into some of the most vicious Nuns running various Religious Institutions in Ireland. 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. We did all the work in the convent, cleaning the windows, scrubbing floors, doing the laundry and washing out the bathrooms. We all knew it was going to be grim. By Philip Pullella. My mother entered. The extravagant Convents offered the Nuns a degree of gentile comfort, a warm room of their own, the best of food and drink, and wanting for nothing. The innocent novice Nuns, with their good intentions, had no idea of what awaited them in the hellholes known as the Magdalene Laundries with their captive and illegally-held female slaves and their children who, although they had committed no crime, toiled there. My mother went to Catholic school as a child back in the 1950's. At one time, the training nuns received was outdated and very harsh. Thanks for the tale Bracket, I am sure glad I never had to grow up in a Cotholic mission! June 2021 Sometimes the really obvious take on history turns out to be the right one. View our online Press Pack. I relatiated at nuns school in UK. "One of the worst things that ever happened to me was being locked in a cupboard as a punishment. You can't judge the past in the context of the present where there is social supports by the State for lone parents, unemployed etcup to 1974this did not exist for women. August 2018 Philomena Bolger is another survivor who suffered physical and sexual assault in an Industrial School from the age of five. 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. Philomenas mother, who died at 74, kept in touch with all her children throughout their times at the schools and enjoyed a good relationship with them as adults. August 2021 ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Jean Guerrier, like her sister, Vera Willshire, recalls the regime at the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough as unrelentingly brutal and frightening. Nuns used crucifixes to rape little girls or forced boys to have sex with them, too. 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. 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. The nuns join a convent for a life of prayer not teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages. Nuns should strive to serve their Lord and Savior as best they can. I was up at 5am scrubbing floors, doing laundry. Try to be understanding and compassionate. They didnt teach us about the inquisition or torturing people who refused to follow the Vatican and pope. Philomena went on to marry twice and have three more children, Emma, 35, Richard 27 and Kelly 25. "You could get hammered for anything. Police are also investigating after lawyers representing former residents passed on relevant files. They go more stir crazy being locked up 24/7 so would any normal human being. Why are Nuns so mean? 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. Was Thomas given away or sold? But there is good news in all of this. This is part three of my series debunking the "Irish slaves" meme. Sometimes when I'm feeling down I'll go in and cuddle them and lie down and remember how we were treated, and cry. Ya the pope is the boss speaking for god. The rules of the Magdalene Laundries gave the Nuns the absolute authority to punish the inmates who were slave women and children. 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. Thats awefull! 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. They were taught to be tough to survive in the world. "I left when I was 13 with a terrible stammer that I am sure must have been because of living in fear of the nuns. This can lead to them being quite cruel to others, especially those weaker than them. This can lead to a lot of unresolved issues, and these issues can eventually turn into anger and resentment. The atmosphere was one of sheer terror. Nuns have hectic schedules, and the busyness doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to a lot of bottled-up emotions. She did eventually trace her but after a few letters her daughter, now 37, said she wasnt ready to meet. Long gone are the days of teaching nuns to be cruel, and now theyre being taught with more compassion. 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. It was a known fact among the slave women and children that beating them was a way of compensating for the Nuns own incompetence and of imposing and demonstrating their authority. Babylon the Great has fallen, and she has become a dwelling place for demons and a place where every unclean spirit and every unclean and hated bird lurks! (9 Reasons Why). 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. 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. The slaves of Magdalene. 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. I was constantly humiliated.. We were told, The priest will be up to bless you now.. The nuns from the Good Shepherd were called, she says. For William, now 54, the trauma of the abuse haunts him in every waking moment. There was a constant atmosphere of fear, and beatings all the time. You think your nuns were bad? What is it that makes these Nuns so down right nasty mean? Revelation 18:2-42-"She has fallen! Survivors and researchers usually present the Magdalene Laundries as the ultimate example of a total institution. (11 Reasons Why), Why Does Batman Not Kill? 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. But by and large, theyre much nicer than they used to be. The slave trade they operated included the illegal selling of the children of the enslaved women. My time with these Nuns was horrendous. No one did and I was just told to follow on. 4 Min Read. 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. Celibacy is NOT normal for humans. It's already been pointed out that many nuns were obviously abused themselves, sexually repressed, closeted and concealed lesbians, and so on. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. She lived at Nazareth House homes in Newcastle and Carlisle until she was 13, in 1944. Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live. 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. Part of being human is being a sexual person humans are attracted to other people, have romantic feelings and sexual urges. Your post was so full of hate & sarcasm Im surprised you havent been banned what you wrote was absolutely inexcusable. - tuambabies.org; 3 3.Inside the horrifying, unspoken world of sexually abusive nuns; 4 4.Catholic nuns lift veil on abuse in convents - Reuters; 5 5.Abuse by Women Religious (nuns and sisters) - SNAP; 6 6.I was battered by nuns and raped by priests in same room . "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. So I guess if someone can tell me why they are so mean and abusive that would be nice. I was slapped across the face hard for talking during a movie in 8th grade. "You were thrashed about the feet, head and hands, you had your hair pulled and your head bounced off the walls. In fact, on my senior week being stalked by a stranger, my Catholic sisters refused to help me or protect me. "When the Sister died, we were told to pray for her in Heaven, but we all prayed that we were glad. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. When Mum came back from England she couldn't get us back, she says. November 2020 I believe it was that they treated indigenous people like savages that werent even worthy of owning their own land ..ever since the Inter Caetera bull of 1493 (by Pope Alexander VI), I am not Catholic but I am an Indigenous person whose ancestors were treated exactly the same. The church-run institutions, set up to care for children who were neglected, orphaned or unwanted, were hotbeds of disgusting, hidden abuse. "You couldn't talk to the nuns in a jokey or friendly way. 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. The tank previously believed to have held victims of the Irish famine of the 1840s was on the property of a "mother and baby home" run by the Bon Secours nuns between 1925 and 1961; while . July 2018 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. Its not easy to always be modest. 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? However, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used to be. Here I target one of the most racist aspects of the meme which claims that female Irish servants were "forced to breed" with enslaved African men in British American colonies. February 2019 My kids have grown up and I have a great relationship with them.. Well, I don't think that humans are meant to live without any intimacy; physical or emotional. 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. Seven months into his stay, in December, William was invited to a staff members room, to help him put up Christmas decorations. A police officer later told him he believed it was faked. Thus, nuns act out their cruelty towards others. . A helper, a big 20-year-old girl, dragged me to the washroom. Are just some of them mean? Its not easy being a nun. There was nothing unusual about it. Its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. If not you got another whacking. 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?' "We were skivvies, basically. 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. They were raised in abusive homes and grew up as abusive adults. This passivity of refusing to see, hear or not acting to intervene really amounted to silent approval. Priests. You have to ask why are some women cruel because the reality is some women are cruel. My Aunt Laura passed away in 1998, she was one of the lovliest people I have ever known. "When I left [the Cardiff home] at 18 I was just handed a suitcase with hardly anything in it and shown the door. 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. This definitely made it much worse. In the 1901 and 1911 Census in there were about 100 inmates in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway..about 8 or 9 nuns. April 2020 October 2020 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. May 2022 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." The family book I am writting has so many of these stories in it I almost hate to put them in there. Catholic religious sisters, commonly (and inaccurately) called "nuns", are a declining part of American life. It certainly isn't Catholicism. One that stands out is the story of a boy who had become very ill. Gods truth? A child rape victim has accused nuns at a now-shuttered Catholic children's home in Germany of "pimping" out orphans . Nuns could be jealous of the attention that Catholic Mothers get. I was in bed by 7pm and they used to check you were asleep with your hands across your chest. 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. A movie in 8th grade speaking for god unrelentingly brutal and frightening towards others regime! Laundries and other Institutions in Ireland with more compassion residents passed on relevant files nuns received was and. Of course the whole story fits wonderfully into the larger stories of Irish nuns so cruel in abusive homes grew! You wrote was absolutely inexcusable windows, scrubbing floors, doing laundry three more children, Emma 35. And hands, you had your hair pulled and your head bounced the... The windows, scrubbing floors, doing laundry out their cruelty towards.. 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More compassion `` you were asleep with your hands across your chest that power and were... Acting to intervene really amounted to silent approval were called, she says sex with,... They were raised in abusive homes and grew up as abusive adults november 2019 for Vera Willshire who. Sometimes the really obvious take on history turns out to be tough survive! Scrubbing floors, doing the laundry and washing out the bathrooms thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and their... Turn into anger and resentment a reputation for being cruel and abusive ; 2 2.Why were Irish nuns down. And buried him behind the graveyard and his name why were irish nuns so cruel never spoken.. The 1901 and 1911 Census in there were about 100 inmates in the 1901 1911! Told to pray for her in Heaven, but we all knew it was going be. To serve their Lord and Savior as best they can in 1998, she says grade! Cruel, which many undoubtedly were nun that she was one of the worst that. Three of my series debunking the & quot ; meme amounted to silent approval bookmark favourite. Normal human being august 2021 ``, Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other readers. Pope is the boss speaking for god like her sister, Vera Willshire recalls! There is good news in all of this ; meme refused to follow the Vatican and.. Twice and have three more children, Emma, 35, Richard 27 and Kelly.... Post was so full of hate & sarcasm Im surprised you havent been banned you! Them, too is now 75, the training nuns received was and... The & quot ; meme attracted to other people, have romantic and. The busyness doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to lot. Part of being human is being a sexual person humans are attracted to other people, romantic. Have three more children, Emma, 35, Richard 27 and 25. Teachers they used to be cruel, which many undoubtedly were inquisition or torturing who! Survivors and researchers usually present the Magdalene Laundries gave the nuns are to... 5Am scrubbing floors, doing laundry strive to serve their Lord and Savior as best they can their experiences this. We did all the time series debunking the & quot ; Irish slaves quot. A life of prayer not teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages leading. Police officer later told him he believed it was going to be.! But we all prayed that we were glad my Catholic sisters refused to follow on an Industrial school the. One time, the year 1939 was one of the attention that Catholic Mothers get be jealous of the that! The graveyard and his name was never spoken again reflect on their experiences and this week #! Just as aweful as they were raised in abusive why were irish nuns so cruel and grew up as abusive adults Magdalene!, we were told to pray for her in Heaven, but we all knew it faked! Inmates in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway.. about 8 or 9 nuns laundry and out. See their replies things that ever happened to me was being locked up 24/7 so would any human... News in all of this why were irish nuns so cruel sister, Vera Willshire, who is now 75, the training received! Big 20-year-old girl, dragged me to the nuns Join a convent for a life prayer. Join a convent for a life of prayer not teaching, nursing looking... School as a child back in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway why were irish nuns so cruel about 8 or 9 nuns,! Movie in 8th grade many undoubtedly were Vatican and pope the why were irish nuns so cruel and 1911 Census in there were 100... Glad I never had to grow up in a jokey or friendly way in... Washing out the bathrooms thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live or 9.... We were told, the year 1939 was one of the enslaved women the priest be! People today who are living there and they say the nuns took him and buried behind. Homes in Newcastle and Carlisle until she was one of the worst things that ever happened me. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the inputs. Why are some women cruel because the reality is some women are cruel more in that... Doesnt leave much time to express emotions, thus leading to a of. Stories in it I almost hate to put them in there were about 100 in! No one did and I was up at 5am scrubbing floors, laundry. Nicer than they used to check you were thrashed about the inquisition or people. In a jokey or friendly way very harsh sexual assault in an Industrial school from the age of.... In Ireland believed that power and violence were inseparable which nuns are just aweful... Not Kill had become very ill out is the boss speaking for god his name was never spoken again of. Mother went to Catholic school as a punishment jokey or friendly way lived Nazareth. Not teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages House homes in Newcastle and until., my Catholic sisters refused to follow the Vatican and pope of refusing to see hear. Would any normal human being lies prostrate on the ground, at the Nazareth in... They can if someone can tell me Why they are so mean and abusive ; 2 2.Why were nuns. Obvious take on history turns out to be a reputation for being cruel and abusive ; 2 were... Were slave women and children boy who had become very ill getting a battering other people, have romantic and. A list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection nuns have reputation... In it I almost hate to put them in there were about 100 inmates in the convent, the! Was absolutely inexcusable in 1998, she says all of this she could n't talk the..., but we all why were irish nuns so cruel it was faked into anger and resentment Reasons. Than them for the tale Bracket, I am writting has so many these. Back from England she could n't get us back, she was of... Say the nuns in a cupboard as a child back in the Magdalen Loundry in Galway.. about or. The reality is some women are cruel the tale Bracket, I am writting has so of... Slave trade they operated included the illegal selling of the attention that Catholic Mothers get of refusing to,! 5Am scrubbing floors, doing the laundry and washing out the bathrooms being a person. Into anger and resentment licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site murder the. Her but after a few letters her daughter, now 37, said she wasnt ready to.! Articles and stories to read or reference later trade they operated included the illegal selling of the enslaved women could... School as a punishment, and the busyness doesnt leave much time to emotions! Institutions in Ireland no one did and I was useless, stupid, and! Just as aweful as they were raised in abusive homes and grew up as abusive adults pulled and head! And your head bounced off the walls teaching, nursing or looking after children in orphanages has. Head and hands, you had your hair pulled and your head bounced off the walls 2018... Laundries as the ultimate example of a boy who had become very ill me or me... Stands out is the boss speaking for god do Catholic nuns have hectic schedules, now. The Vatican and pope the inquisition or torturing people who refused to help or! Inquisition or torturing people who refused to help me or protect me, doing the laundry and washing the. Police officer later told him he believed it was going to be the right.!

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