24 years in these catholic church orphanages. The Good Shepherd and then
the Nazareth House nuns took the place of my family. They told me my
mother was dead. In the two orphanages life needed to meet the nun's
requirements. In part this meant that, because my mother was sinful, if I
was not beaten to change me, I would be too. So they said when they
beat me.
I find it hard to think about it because to remember it to re-live the fear and confusion - the unhappiness of being a child able only to hope that if! earned the nun's favour, I would become one of the children who the nuns cared about; who had a life which was sure to end in Heaven. Instead of being the child the nuns' found me to be - who needed to be beaten for her mother's sin and because, although there was little hope for it, that might help me to be worthy of love - eventually God's love.
http://annfreespiritnunsabusedchildren.blogspot.co.nz/p/blog-page_20.html
I find it hard to think about it because to remember it to re-live the fear and confusion - the unhappiness of being a child able only to hope that if! earned the nun's favour, I would become one of the children who the nuns cared about; who had a life which was sure to end in Heaven. Instead of being the child the nuns' found me to be - who needed to be beaten for her mother's sin and because, although there was little hope for it, that might help me to be worthy of love - eventually God's love.
http://annfreespiritnunsabusedchildren.blogspot.co.nz/p/blog-page_20.html