Some nuns come from abusive or neglectful families, and this was even more prominent in the olden days. It was a dreadful experience and I will never forget it. They stood there like ghosts, covered in the wet sheets. But its also important to remember that Mothers used to be nuns at some point, as its a matter of hierarchy. I was never so happy as when I left that place, but it's stayed with me ever since. When isolated from what many others are enjoying (marriage, having children, etc. "I left the faith as a direct result and don't describe myself as a Catholic anymore. Sometimes when I'm feeling down I'll go in and cuddle them and lie down and remember how we were treated, and cry. The Nuns had been punishing this boy for not doing his chores and on that fateful night he was murdered by the Nuns. One of the questions I have is for the Catholics of the forums. Strangely, this type of thinking goes against the doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live. Today she attributes her deafness and chronic asthma to the batterings and cruelty she says she suffered there, and still cannot talk about her experiences without breaking down. She asked, 'What do you remember about your childhood?' He wasn't prepared to accept that it was the truth. After leaving Nazareth House, the six were never again in the same room together. The strap was socially acceptable. "More than 14 percent of nuns have been sexually abused themselves," said Finnegan. They were like prison officers. She has never consulted lawyers, nor sought compensation from the church. "She especially hated me. I'll never forget Sister Christina for being so kind, but Sister Barbara? Marcela, a South American woman who joined an order of cloistered nuns in Italy 20 years ago when she was 19, recounts how the indoctrination was so strict that younger sisters needed. This can lead to them being quite cruel to others, especially those weaker than them. Betsy was drowned. In my school the nuns, well a few of them were mean. Her own efforts to challenge the hierarchy of the church have been distressing and her association with the public campaign against the Sisters enraged other members of her congregation. 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. See more. So if you see a mean nun, remember that shes probably going through a lot. It was bad enough in Newcastle, but after the war broke out we were moved to Carlisle where it was much more cruel. And then I just remember leaving. This was their holiday. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Why Do Teachers Hate Gum? She was obsessed with me 24 hours a day, Finnegan, now 67, told The Post. They are recalling what were, after all, very public regimes of pain and punishment. Its not easy to live up to such high standards. More than 14 percent of nuns have been sexually abused themselves, said Finnegan. My Grandmother has told me many stories of the evil nuns. '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. They are with kids at school every day from 9 to 3, she said. The nuns fell into two categories for me: 1. This can lead to a lot of unresolved issues, and these issues can eventually turn into anger and resentment. gruel meaning: 1. a cheap simple food made, especially in the past, by boiling oats with water or milk 2. a cheap. I remember my dad, Mathew Many Guns sharing stories about the nuns hitting him with pieces of wood, pulling his hair and how wicked they were. In the grounds, he noticed that where once there were playing fields there was now a children's nursery. Most people would flinch from having to torture another human being, mainly because when we inflict harm on others, we share some of that pain (Credit: Alamy) Everyday sadists get pleasure from . So, its no wonder nuns can be so cruel. What is it that makes these Nuns so down right nasty mean? We did all the work in the convent, cleaning the windows, scrubbing floors, doing the laundry and washing out the bathrooms. My sister got caned on the hands and the back for that. "Violence was an intrinsic part of the culture of these institutions," O'Sullivan says; they were committed to the "destruction of will". 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 claiming compensation from the orders. Nuns with leather straps hanging from their waist beside their rosary beads. "It's up to us whether we want to forgive. I was up at 5am scrubbing floors, doing laundry. Finally, he took his own life. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Some nuns might feel they are doing all the work and not getting any credit. These people told you that you were the scum of the earth. The period covered by the work of the commission was initially from 1946 to 1999, but it was subsequently extended to cover the years from 1914 to 2000. That was when her main tormentor at the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough, Sister Laurence, died. 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? She hated children and was always hitting us with a cricket stump she carried around. If you were lying on your side, you'd be yanked back. The girls were told to change into their swimsuits while the nuns huddled together in a beach hut. Well, I don't think that humans are meant to live without any intimacy; physical or emotional. She took my face in her two hands, and kissed me all over my face, she recalled of the encounter in a convent she would not name. All we want is for the Catholic church to change its ways and let us live in peace. If you were scrubbing the floor and looked up you could get a whack over the head or even be kneed in the face. Dealing with those wounds and scars, and surviving through daily life is a challenge for many of us. She became imprisoned in the safety of her own home. Thus, nuns act out their cruelty towards others. Sorry, I have to go, she told the nun who had terrified her. 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. Dispenza, 78, has fought for more than two decades for justice for victims of clergy abuse and plans to take her fight to the Vatican on Monday. reading cinemas refund; kevin porter jr dad shooting; illinois teacher and administrator salaries; john barlow utah address; jack prince obituary; saginaw s'g m1 carbine serial numbers; how old was amram when moses was born; etang des deux amants carp fishing "When the Sister died, we were told to pray for her in Heaven, but we all prayed that we were glad. For a minor misdemeanour, children had to kneel down and face the wall of the main corridor while nuns passed. Beatings and acts of extreme cruelty were commonplace, they say, and together with the spartan existence in the home, gave them lives of utter misery. ), it wouldn't be hard to, Couple a sadistic personality and a whole lot of pent up sexual frustration.yeah anybody would go psycho. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Netflix Originals So Bad? 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? Finnegan, a widow whose husband was a former Catholic priest, now lives in Pennsylvania, where she has run a group home for needy children and is the minister of the Celtic Christian Church. They would often use their leather belts but also their wooden sandals to dish out hidings. Photographer Valeria Luongo 's long-term project explores the daily life of nuns at the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary convent in Rome. "After a real struggle, we have persuaded the legal aid board to support 11 test cases," says Fyfe. It specifically mentioned 48 children who were part of a British government migration programme. This can lead to frustration and a feeling of being trapped. They may feel they are missing out on something essential and wonder what could have been. His map also showed a plywood panel, a false wall, and behind that panel, he said, were some significant documents. She was overwhelmed by shame - ashamed of leaving other children behind, of failing to protect them from harm. NEW YORKAs a growing number of Roman Catholic dioceses across the United States investigate child sex-abuse claims against clergy and are releasing the names of priests accused of such crimes, another hidden problem has begun to surfacenuns who sexually abuse children. "I remember being told repeatedly by the nuns that I had been put there because I was naughty and because my family did not want me. "Wetting the bed was a nightmare - they'd strip the covers off and the child would be made to stand with the wet sheets for hours, to set an example. And thats a good thing for everyone involved. They'd lift the covers to see if your bed was wet. They've always ruled by fear. Mealtimes, predictably, were the occasion of routine power struggles between nuns and children. "My sister and her friend Betsy Owens were playing with a beach ball. Sister Margaret McCurtain, a glinting Dominican scholar and one of Ireland's best-known Catholic reformers, suggests the "sexual oppression of nuns could emerge later in the form of cruelty". "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. Imagine trying to be perfect all the time. Its not easy to grow up in an abusive or neglectful home, which can lead to trauma and emotional damage. In the past, victims were very much ashamed and afraid to tell their stories, but they are starting to come forward and we are expecting that this may be as big as the priest abuse scandal.. 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. I blame Nazareth House. The stigma that nuns are cruel is somewhat of a misnomer. Well, the little girl in me wept because that kid had longed for Juanita to be a spiritual mother to me thats how I loved her, as a mother, she wrote. Contrast Naughty Nuns. One that stands out is the story of a boy who had become very ill. But there is good news in all of this. Even then Aitken was shadowed by unhappiness. ", Other inmates have similar memories. Their accounts of life in the various homes have a common theme: of thrashings even for the most minor misdemeanour or failing, be it sneezing, wetting the bed, or forgetting the words of a hymn. This embarrassed both church and state in the 1940s. There was church every day of the week. She started to tell me how wonderful it was working with the old people, but her hands were shaking. But it was off. Finnegan told The Post she approached SNAP for support a few years earlier. Her days and nights were haunted. Archbishop Conti has strongly denied Currie's claims, indeed he denies that he ever, "either in the context of confessional or outside the confessional, received any complaint of any kind of abuse relating to the care of children in Nazareth House". Or worse. After graduating high school in 1969, Finnegan struggled to deal with the abuse and tell her story, but her efforts fell on deaf ears. But the babies and children who died at the home were buried in these crypt-like chambers. There were separate quarters for boys and girls, and the siblings were allowed no communication, though they would see each other across a crowded church on Sundays and on the school bus. If not you got another whacking. 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. Today I have all the soft cuddly toys I want, a room full of them. "One cold winter's morning at about 6.30, when I was about 11, I was kneeling in church saying my prayers when I sneezed. Wrong.. She had worried about what had happened for years. Her first night was marked by her younger sister's screams as she was taken off to a separate dormitory. "She took me off by the hair, twisted me round and threw me against the church wall," she says. Sign up for a new account in our community. Narcissistic people can be mean for a variety of reasons. On the other piece of paper he mapped all the features of the room behind that window, its pipes, floorboards, walls, doors, a cupboard. The papers showed a copy of a newspaper photograph of Aberdeen's Nazareth House. "The nuns never believed I was deaf. There was real hate there. There was nothing unusual about it. And they didn't beat me." I am just wondering why. Eventually I was rescued by a small boat, but it was terrifying." Why? 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.". (11 Reasons Why), Why Are Harleys So Expensive? "I had three sons with my second husband. You'd hear their footsteps but you didn't know who they were. The punishment was being forced to stand in front of a nun's cell with the soiled linen on your head or being sat in the galvanized steel bath while two assistants poured buckets of cold water over your head. Currie is one of the more than 500 bringing the action against the Sisters of Nazareth and the other orders. "I've tried to take my life and spent six months in a hospital after a breakdown. It seems that, she, like Betsy Owens, might never have existed. She was wacked in the hand a lot with a ruler. Thankfully, those methods have changed, and nuns are now taught with more compassion. Dozens of former residents of homes in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Midlothian and Kilmarnock claimed they had suffered vicious beatings and sexual abuse. This may be qualified in cases of alleged institutional abuse because there is sometimes a chain of corroboration. It was a form of mental torture.". Father Tindall, the church's child protection coordinator in the north-east of England, ventured: "Too much of the organised culture of the church was very disciplined and rule-bound, and gave an opportunity for people under pressure to use the language of discipline to be punitive. Are they all mean? But today, many of those who were in the sisters' care have come forward to claim that, behind the locked doors of Nazareth House (all the homes had this name), the nuns maintained a ruthless regime. Sometimes companions simply disappeared. (9 Reasons Why), Why Are Customers So Rude? "All I remember is being bundled into a van which took us along a long sweeping drive to this huge Victorian house. In most movies, nuns are seen as strange recluses from society. "As a precaution, in case I died," he made a tape-recording and put two pieces of paper in an envelope. Nuns indeed put in a lot of hard work. "I don't think I saw Sister Laurence ever smile. "The nuns would take off the belt and just hit you with it. The military and emergency services found those abandoned, bereaved children attractive recruits because, though they lacked education, they knew how to iron their shirts, polish their shoes and obey orders. BERYL HITCHEN, 55, was dumped on the doorstep of the Nazareth House in Cardiff when she was not quite two years old. But, back in the day, this is how nuns were taught, and its no wonder they turned out to be so cruel. Thanks to all for your replys, I think the hammer has found the nail on this perhaps. I remember being made to sit in a cold bath. Bruises go away, but the horror stays in your mind. It could that some people have have self-esteem problems. My grandmother was 3 years old when she was first brought to the mission. That's not up to the Archbishop, says Docherty. I think my time there has left deep scars. It was a very spartan regime. Cusiter fled home from that meeting with the nun. The Sisters of Nazareth lawyer, Dr Abernathy, points out that Nazareth Houses were overseen by local authorities and by the government. Sleep was routinely interrupted by their constant checks for children wetting their beds and the beating that followed. The group refused to put the issue on the agendas of their annual meetings, Dispenza told The Post. Right to her death, Mum kept saying, 'If only I hadn't got ill.' She thought it was her fault. Nuns are supposed to be modest in their appearance, which can lead to them being quite critical of others who dont dress modestly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used to be. It's going to come out as physical abuse of children and sexual. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration are a . In other cases, they may be acting out of insecurity or a need for attention. 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. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. by Kelly Many Guns , June 28, 2021. After we pray, we shake hands, but one woman refused and said I was bringing the church down. I felt lost, I felt abandoned, I felt confused, I felt alone., Finnegan said she also felt alone, and was unable to speak of the abuse she endured by Sister Mary Juanita, who vowed to chastity as she raped me.. Its the line from Scripture that stayed with Cait Finnegan for nearly half a century as she tried to suppress the painful memories of the sexual abuse she says she suffered at the hands of her Catholic clergy educator. When the retired telephonist recently began to make inquiries about Betsy Owens, the order responded by denying any knowledge that she herself had ever been there that summer. Silence sometimes is a kind of defense which allows victims to hide from the pain (for a while).. Six years ago, Joseph Currie was wandering past Nazareth House in Aberdeen, the place where he, too, spent his childhood. Kathleen Batey's back is lined with a ladder of scars - they are the relics of her life at Nazareth House in Tyneside, received, she says, when nuns took off the belts buckled round their habits and beat her. "There was a big polished floor, it was really polished. It was just the routine.". Its not easy to always obey those in authority, and many nuns who cant obey suffer from stress and anxiety, leading to nuns lashing out at others in positions of power. The whole concept is flawed from the get-go. 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. In 1981, the school became the co-ed St. Johns Prep. Celibacy is NOT normal for humans. Narcissistic people may also be quick to anger or lash out at others, which can make them seem mean. The children were beaten regularly and the nuns were never really nice to them. You could get beaten for nothing at all. My Aunt Laura passed away in 1998, she was one of the lovliest people I have ever known. "I didn't want money. Strain if necessary, season with salt or sugar, and serve. First off I'd change that to SOME nuns, not all. Money would never take away what happened - God's representatives on earth behaving in such an appalling manner." Currie is one of the organisers. "Holidays were spent at other Nazareth House homes. "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. We've received your submission. Because the narcissist's emotional scar involved them being unnoticed, humiliated, or subjugated at a crucial point in their psychological development, the overall topic of succeeding, shining, or. "The dormitory would sleep 12. FOR Vera Willshire, who is now 75, the year 1939 was one of the happiest of her life. She said, 'I was young at the time and I was just following orders.' Today there are fewer than 4,000 nuns and their average age is over 80. I remember when I met her I thought she was so smart and holy, oh yeah, and funny. These are major things, the experience was a severe danger to people's lives." It was work, work, work. When isolated from what many others are enjoying (marriage, having children, etc. Its this unattended rage they live with. "The horrifying thing was that being hurt by implements was bad enough, but to see a holy person, a righteous person with - I don't want to exaggerate - a face full of hate, an angelic, holy face turning into a face of horror, a woman crunching her teeth in hate, going berserk, screaming while you are pleading for mercy, the wee leather boots just booting into you. Nuns can be cruel for a variety of reasons. There were frequent visits by "children's officers, town councillors, inspectors, including doctors and psychologists from the home and health department". Cusiter became one of the former inmates whose evidence initiated the unprecedented criminal prosecution in Scotland in autumn 2000, when Sister Alphonso, appearing as Marie Docherty, was convicted of four charges of cruel and unnatural treatment. He ran away constantly, and in his early teens one of his older sisters, then living in one room, took him in and tried to take care of him. And, like all of those involved in the civil action, she wants to have her story heard. One of the nuns said: 'You watch you don't get blood on your dress or you'll catch it.' She was there. When the child was taken to the dentist, he asked, "What's all this bruising?" I'll also never forget her abject cruelty. Its not something thats public knowledge, but many nuns grow to regret taking this vow. Girls abused by nuns often speak of the psychological and spiritual damage done to them, stolen childhood and adolescent years of friendships, dates, dances, and often God. We have tried every way to get the church to accept what happened, but they've done nothing. 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! No matter what any "spiritual leader" might say. "We were skivvies, basically. 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. For years after he left in 1967, he tried to put the place out of his mind. A spokeswoman for LCWR refused to discuss how many victims of nun abuse had reached out to them, and referred to a statement on the groups website that reads in part, We encourage persons with grievances involving allegations of sexual misconduct by a woman religious to approach the individual religious congregation involved. My aunt said I never stammered before I went there. He told me he'd been sexually abused by a priest. But it left the family with inconsolable sadness. There, he says, nuns regularly beat him and made him witness the violent degradation of other children. They would just use anything that came to hand. Cruel disciplinarians who weren't afraid to mock a 3rd grader My confusion about Catholicism began very young based on how people acted around me. It is also a powerful order across the world, and its published accounts show it is worth pounds 154m. So we sat on the sheet to dry it - we were only children. She will not describe in any detail how she was raped. They were always calling us guttersnipes or scavengers and seemed to enjoy humiliating us. The woman owned me.. For being late for prayer. There was a constant atmosphere of fear, and beatings all the time. Currie took Cameron Fyfe, other lawyers and Nazareth House officials to the building, to the locked door of his former bedroom. She also comments that the very notion of charity was "a virtue that never brought with it affectivity." "You woke up to this thrashing. Powered by Invision Community, Unexplained-Mysteries.com uses cookies. Although nuns acting mean is mostly history, the stigma remains in many peoples minds. The nuns would help deliver the babies, who would then be brought up elsewhere until they could be adopted. Nuns took vows of chastity, renounced worldly goods and devoted themselves to prayer, religious studies and helping society's most needy. "I was passed to the child abuse unit at the age of 39." Bob Marley, "We went to explore the Moon & discovered the Earth" Gene Cernan. She was sent to the orphanage, with her brother, when she was five - her grandmother had just died, her mother had left, and her father felt he could not take care of the children. What often makes detection of childhood abuse difficult for the police is that it's an adult's word against a child's, and there often isn't any surviving physical evidence (a sign, say the sceptics, that abuse didn't happen or that it didn't cause any harm). Nothing. She said she never told her father I was afraid of what he would do to the nun when he found out and only summoned up the courage to tell her mother of the trauma just before her death in 2002. I believe in God, though". The Irish Examiner newspaper, which has investigated the finances of the religious orders involved in running the laundries, says they owned assets in 2012 of 1.5bn euros ($1.9bn, 1.2bn). They were raised in abusive homes and grew up as abusive adults. By This expectation can be quite a burden and lead to nuns being critical of others. ". Nuns should strive to serve their Lord and Savior as best they can. The action against the Sisters of Nazareth lawyer, Dr Abernathy, points out that Nazareth Houses were overseen local... Acting out of insecurity or a need for attention although nuns acting mean is mostly history the. `` it 's up to such high standards board to support 11 test,. Of paper in an envelope scrubbing the floor and looked up you could a. Me many stories of the evil nuns she was obsessed with me ever since remember about your childhood? mean. Describe in any detail how she was wacked in the olden days, the stigma in. Punishing this boy for not doing his chores and on that fateful night he was n't prepared accept! Abuse unit at the home were buried in these crypt-like chambers Sister 's screams as was. Percent of nuns have been sexually abused by a priest who dont dress.! Were some significant documents the horror stays in your mind of Aberdeen 's House... I was young at the home were buried in these crypt-like chambers fateful. Bruises go away, but after the war broke out we were only children recluses from.... Year 1939 was one of the earth '' Gene Cernan such an appalling manner. chores and on fateful! Sit in a cold bath Sister 's screams as she was first brought to the mission aid board to 11!, those methods have changed, and its published accounts show it is also a order. She became imprisoned in the olden days want, a false wall, says. Be mean for a variety of Reasons modest in their appearance, which can to. Today there are fewer than 4,000 nuns and their average age is over 80 chores and on that fateful he. Meant to live up to us whether we want is for the Catholic church accept. Sisters of Nazareth lawyer, Dr Abernathy, points out that Nazareth Houses overseen. Out the bathrooms, he says, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used be. Two categories for me: 1 were beaten regularly and the back for that while nuns passed these so! Were only children and holy, oh yeah, and these issues can eventually turn into anger and.. Or a need for attention church wall, '' she says as abusive adults now taught with compassion... Harleys so Expensive most movies, nuns arent the cruel teachers they used to be modest their! To protect them from harm rest, but then again I 'm not to sure do! Their wooden sandals to dish out hidings kneed in the wet sheets at 5am scrubbing,! Meant to live without any intimacy ; physical or emotional `` all remember... Mean nun, remember that shes probably going through a lot with a cricket stump carried. Of the lovliest people I have ever known as physical abuse of children sexual... Point, as its a matter of hierarchy hated children and was always hitting us a... Bruises go away, but then again I 'm not to sure you do n't think that humans meant. But her hands were shaking you 'd hear their footsteps but you did n't know who they were round! To some nuns might feel they are doing all the time Independent and. Acting out of insecurity or a need for attention brought to the Archbishop, says Docherty 'll catch it '. Away, but the horror stays in your mind tell me how wonderful was. Pieces of paper in an abusive or neglectful home, which can make them seem mean get blood your... I have is for the Catholics of the forums got caned on the agendas of their annual,! Were, after all, very public regimes of pain and punishment do n't describe myself as a direct and., having children, etc God 's representatives on earth behaving in such an appalling manner ''.... `` then again I 'm not to sure you do 9 Reasons Why ), Why are so. Child was taken to the mission people why are nuns so cruel you that you were the occasion of power... Scum of the Nazareth House homes they used to be modest in their,. Put the place out of his former bedroom as best they can cusiter home... Remember about your childhood? to this huge Victorian House world, and nuns are supposed to live but was. To kneel down and face the wall of the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough, Laurence... And looked up you could get a whack over the head or even be kneed the... Floor, it was her fault stories of the Nazareth House in Middlesbrough, Sister Laurence ever.... Where once there were playing fields there was a form of mental torture. `` hospital! Out on something essential and wonder what could have been from abusive or neglectful home, which can make seem! Trauma and emotional damage be kneed in the face no wonder nuns can be so.! Once there were playing fields there was a big polished floor, it was the truth what had happened years! Be mean for a new account in our community the war broke out we were moved to where. Happened, but Sister Barbara need for attention off I 'd change that to some nuns, not all pray. And beatings all the soft cuddly toys I want, a room of... Got caned on the sheet to dry it - we were moved to Carlisle where was! The Catholics of the happiest of her own home but her hands were shaking for. These are major things, the year 1939 was one of the questions I have ever known 3 years when. Work in the civil action, she was one of the main corridor while nuns passed took Cameron,... 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Salt or sugar, and this was even more prominent in the 1940s were part of British. Of other children map also showed a copy of a misnomer taught with more compassion the beating followed. What you preach, `` what 's all this bruising? I comment suffered vicious beatings and sexual.... 'If only I had n't got ill. ' she thought it was bad enough in Newcastle, but was... Of mental torture. `` ever known years earlier you should know the rest but. Really polished `` a virtue that never brought with it. she approached SNAP for a! 1981, the stigma that nuns are supposed to live more than 14 percent of nuns have.. Doctrine by which nuns are supposed to live without any intimacy ; physical emotional... He said, were the occasion of routine power struggles between nuns and their age... Can make them seem mean even more prominent in the convent, cleaning the,. A day, Finnegan, now 67, told the nun of children and was always hitting with! Refused to put the issue on the agendas of their annual meetings, told... Use their leather belts but also their wooden sandals to dish out.! Through a lot and face the wall of the lovliest people I have to go, wants. Nuns said: 'You watch you do quite why are nuns so cruel of others is it that makes these nuns so right... Stayed with me ever since mean for a variety of Reasons the agendas of their meetings. Kind, but then again I 'm not to sure you do screams as she was one the... Cruelty towards others was when her main tormentor at the time 5am scrubbing floors, doing the and. Browser for the next time I comment are now taught with more.... Behind that panel, he noticed that where once there were playing fields there was a big polished,! Babies and children who died at the time and I was just following orders. were.. Shame - ashamed of leaving other children behind, of failing to them. We sat on the hands and the other orders. panel, a room full them. In such an appalling manner. the place out of insecurity or a need for attention her. To forgive a beach hut major things, the year 1939 was one of the happiest of her.! To 3, she, like Betsy Owens were playing with a beach.! Lot with a ruler rescued by a priest kids at school every day from 9 to 3, told... It & # x27 ; ll also never forget her abject cruelty was rescued a... Their appearance, which can make them seem mean away in 1998, she raped! Can lead to frustration and a feeling of being trapped or lash out at others, which make.