A Catholic-School Veteran Tells All

I attended Catolic schools for 12 years. I'm a girl who got wacked on the legs with a ruler if I didn't remember my assigned multiplication tables. ( Which I learned perfectly. ) Would I have learned them anyway, maybe...who knows.?That's the only time I remember getting whacked 40 some years later ,I just started my 2nd masters' degree. I don't have a criminal record, I respect others and think I am respcted by most of my peers. I'm not sure I'd trust someone to determine what kind and when cororal punishment is appropriate,for my children but I sure leanred a lot from those nuns, What they taught me continues to serve me exceedingly well The Sisters have my deep and sincere gratitude . I have much bigger issues with the Catholic Church,

.What a wimp! I am sick of listening to these fallen away Catholics blaming the nuns for their unhappy predicament.
Good Grief. I attended 12 yrs of Catholic schools in the 50's and 60's and never once saw a nun strike a student.


We received an excellent education, could read and write and everyone I know has been sucessful in their careers.

Dear Mr. Noonan,

So many Roman Catholic readers find themselves tonite in a frame of mind similar to mine. It's a bit of blend, with equal amounts of sadness, anger, frustration and motivation to respectfully challange your point of view and the not so veiled attack on the people and the instititution that have served so many, so well for so long. To my mind, your article injures and hurts. It delivers an unbalanced effort which I'm afraid was intentional. I, like many of those previous posters, spent an identical length of time in Roman Catholic Educational Institutions. I recall quite clearly and quite happily, the many dedicated, unselfish Sisters, Priests and Brothers that offered service to us as Teachers, Role Models, Coaches, Confidante's and sincere friends. Throughout my years in Catholic Schools, I was never beaten nor was I touched in a way that made me feel afraid or uncomfortable. Whether it was the Franciscans, The Dominicans, The Notre Damers etc., I always was made to feel important and a child of God. When I got out of line, did I get a whack? Yes I did. Did I deserve it? Looking back, I sure did! Did I do it again? Nope. Not out fear, but because I understood that what I did was wrong. Do I hate the Church? No. Do I despise the Good Sisters? No. Do I look back at those years in the 50s and 60s with anger and desire for payback? No. In fact, as a previous poster caused me to think about, I'm tonite overcome with gratitude to those human beings who elected to embrace a call to service and who worked darn hard to provide us with an environment of encouragement, challenge and excitement. I don't recall not wanting to go to school and I sure wasn't alone in that regard. We (often classes of 40 +) looked forward to the promise of leadership and fellowship the Good Sisters, the lay people, the Pastor and his Curates delivered and the support the gave to their parish families You know, in then end, I guess I'm not so much angry anymore about what you wrote. I guess I'm just disappointed that you chose to ink only the imperfections and none of the incredible contributions these people made. Perhaps someday, when it is perhaps more fashionable to do so, you'll find the motivation to share a few supportive and uplifting memories. If you can't recall any, then you were either one of a sad few or you simply have no interest in being fair. In any event, Dominus Vobiscum. For when you someday meet the souls of so many who served so many, you'll want Him close by to calm the crowd. Thanks for reading this. Chuck S.

I went through 12 yrs. of being taught by nuns (Providence) and found most of them to be wonderful and loving.
In the 1960's they had 35-50 students in each classroom. Probably 99% of us graduated and 99% of us never were hit (abused) by any of the nuns. We all learned to read and write and behave and most have been successful in life in their careers. I never witnessed any of the students being hit by a nun. Quit blaming the good sisters for your failures and excuses ...you probably don't practice Catholicism and are looking for someone to lay the blame on. Wise up.

Hey Clevelandgirl...
Yes, I call you a liar! Here's what you wrote (below). Basically 1/6th of the world population (Catholics) is just evil... What a lunatic. Look at how you keep reposting the same cr*p to keep it in view, too. You have a problem, like Noonan (JMHO)... Get help.
What you wrote: "The entire institution is rotten, corrupt, evil, harmful, and destructive. It loves nothing better than child sacrifice as particularly pleasing to its evil and hateful god. It loves nothing more than adults who support child sacrifice - and put lots of money in the collection basket."
Sound like a rational, reasonable person?
NO. It doesn't...

Almost forgot to mention that if you weren't given permission to use the restroom you did not go for fear of a beating, and instead had an accident This happened more than once. I have always wondered how these abusers slept at night.

My time in the Catholic school system was in the 70's, 1st to 4th grade. At that point the school closed for lack of funds, and i ended up going to a public school. While I was never slapped in the face, rulers to the knuckles and whipping with a yardstick were commonplace, and the lay teachers were just as adept and swinging these implements on one's backside as the nuns. Guess that's why i'm conflicted about religion to this day. The teachers would tell you that God preached love and joy and grace one mionute and would haul off and hit you for some perceived infraction of rules the next. I made sure that when i had children of my own, they under no circumstances would go to a parochial school.

At least you had the foresight to put the years this you claim happend (40-50 years ago) before slaughtering the Catholics. They, like the public school system, phased out that type of punishment many years ago. Not only that, but I aaked my mom and her siblings, who attended Catholic schools, and they only remember having their palm slapped. Not all nuns slapped kids. Maybe they just were trying to slap the stupidity out of you. Looks like it didi not work.

Of course, this article implies that only Catholic schools used and abused corporeal punishment. The use of physical punishment was used in all sectors of education, public and private until a more enlightened and reasonable response to student misbehavior began to be implimented. This article is Catholic bashing at its lowest. David, it is time to grow up!

I went to Catholic Schools in the 60's and 70's for 10 years. The things that we went through as children would probably make headline news today. We were swatted with fraternity paddles and yardsticks. We were forced into stress positions against the wall holding large bibles in each hand outstretched. Our mouths at times were duct taped shut and forced to put wet soap in the mouth if we uttered a bad word.. There was no discrimination over swatting girls either, and I had always thought they got it worse because they had to wear uniform skirts. At least us boys had pants to soften the sting a bit. My older brother was naturally left handed, and the nuns forced him to write with his right hand because they felt that being left handed was a sign of the devil. I also remember having to go to inspection of your lunch tray to make sure you ate every bite of food. Those who had the misfortune of eating the school prepared hot lunches had to finish every bite of lunch no matter how disgusting you might have found what you were served. If you didn't eat EVERYTHING, you were forced to eat all of it with a nun standing over you, or face getting swats, or not being able to go outside to play for the remainder of your lunch hour. At one point my head was pounded over and over against a brick wall as a nun held me against the wall and shook me because I did not complete a religion homework assignment. This was in 4th grade. I was 9 years old and I will forever remember this.

Did all this make me a better student? I don't know about that, but I do know that reflecting back on these 10 years of my life made me question religion, especially the Catholic Religion. I will admit that when I did go to public schools for the last two years of high school, I found myself ahead in most classes. However, the public school did have much nicer facilities, nicer classrooms, and much nicer gym equipment. Being able to wear jeans and t-shirt meant the world to me as well. The catholic schools I attended didn't even have air conditioning! On some summer days I remember the principal "Sister Alice" (the students secretly called her "Sinister Alice") wouldn't let students open the windows. What her logic was that the fresh air would distract us from our studies!

These abuses are not exagerations by any means. I will say that I was never sexually assualted by any priests that I can remember. Another bright side is that I have lots of stories to tell grandchildren about Sinister Alice.

I always wondered if there is some sort of "nun store" where they bought those bamboo clickers... I've never seen one at Walmart.

Newsweeke publishes this article about violence in catholic schools years ago and also publishes another article entitled The Principal and the Paddle, which tells of a principal in the state of S.C. using corp pun. currently. Most people are unaware taht 21 states still allow this practice in school when it really should be abolished from schools. I attended Catholic school and a recipient of the corp pun but also witnessed classmates on the receiving end. When I went home I also saw my share of domestic violence. Isn't it time America wakes up and outlaws this in schools. When you have a child who witnesses this at school then goes home to see more violence it can cause children to grow up and have major problems - depresseion, alcohol and drug abuse, deviance and grow up to be a bully themselves. It is time to end the cycle of violence and outlaw it in all schools in the remaining 21 states. Most CIVILIZED nations have already done so.

Note that those who attack the survivors of abuse in catholic schools here and elsewhere are themselves bullies. In catholic schools, bullies were rewarded. Bullies were allowed to beat on other children without fear of punishment. Bullies were never punished by the abusive nuns and priests. Bullies were the little darlings of the power structure because they would one day become part of it, apologists for it, contributors to it, enablers of it, and perpetuators of a punitive and abusive mentality in religion and society. RCC Inc loves bullies and sadists and does everything it can to turn the remainder of their "flock" into masochists for sadists to have their way with.

On the other hand, the weak and vulnerable and quiet and sweet and "different" children were punished for no reason. They couldn't stand up for themselves, they got beat on by nuns, priests, and bully children. They were told at every opportunity that god hated them, that they were losers, that they would never please god no matter how hard they tried.

One can only conclude from this that RCC Inc loves and rewards bullies and punishes good people. One can only conclude that the god of RCC Inc is full of hate and punishment and abuse instead of love and compassion.

One can only conclude that hell is a better place than heaven with the god of RCC Inc...

The true relationship of the shepherd to the sheep is: fleece 'em, screw 'em, kill 'em, eat 'em. I guess that makes catholics no better than livestock.

I attended a Catholic School from 1st grade through first year in High School. Was it strict yes? Did I get smacked? No ??? never. I was put in the corner for talking too much. When I told my parents about it was when I got smacked. Did I misbehave again at school? No. Did I have that "us against them" feeling then...sure I was a kid. I did not fully understand about life. We live in a society that has rules. As a child I did not understand nor appreciate the rules, but rules need to be there none-the-less. I attended Catholic school in the late 50's and early 60's. The culture was different then. Corporal punishment, whatever we think of it today, was the norm in my home as well as school. I was taught to obey rules, as well as respect my elders and no back talking.

As I read the blogs and comments of the young people on the Internet, I realize the fine art of discussion and debating has been lost. If you try to express your opinion as Miss California did, you don't get a discussion; you get crucified on every type of media and more often than not with foul language associated.

By the way, here are some other facts to be aware of when talking about a Catholic education in the "olden days." Each of the nine years I attended Catholic school I attended, the classrooms had anywhere from 35 to 45 students. The teachers were never given any planning time. And they never had classroom assistants. We did not have a cafeteria so we ate bag lunches in our classroom. No one relieved the Sisters for lunch or for recess duty.

Back in those days, there were not many "careers" for Sisters. Your choices were teaching, nursing or housekeeping. I am sure there were women called to the religious life that chose teaching as the best choice on a very short list.

I agree hitting a child is never the answer. However, placing blame on every nun and every Catholic school is also not fair and not the answer either. Mr. Noonan, if you have a beef with how you were treated in the Catholic School, perhaps you should have found the Sister with whom you have the altercation, spoken to her about the treatment and then forgiven her instead of trashing the whole educational system.

P.S. Mr. Noonan - You might also want to thank the teachers of that Catholic education you received for giving you the foundation for and the fostering of writing skills you have to become a journalist for Newsweek. I will pray for you and ask God to give you a forgiving heart. God bless!

tomd35310 is a Holocaust denier. Can you *prove* I"m a liar, or is that just your bullying assertion of the righteousness of every evil act perpetrated by RCC Inc against children and vulnerable adults. I'll bet you use a cilice and a discipline on yourself, your wife, and your children. You clearly believe in biblical injunctions in support of beating women and children and keeping them lower than slaves and animals.

In addition, there were heaps of punishment dealt out by teachers for being "too smart", especially if you were a girl and you tested as high as the smartest boys. *Anything* that made you different in any way was used to squash you down, from asthma (not me, other kids) to brains to any kind of physical disfigurement or having poor parents who didn't give enough in the collection basket. There were "in families" and "out families". The knife-puller was a member of an "in-family" (one that donated more than our family did), which was part of why he was rewarded for pulling a knife instead of punished.

The entire institution is rotten, corrupt, evil, harmful, and destructive. It loves nothing better than child sacrifice as particularly pleasing to its evil and hateful god. It loves nothing more than adults who support child sacrifice - and put lots of money in the collection basket.

I attended a Catholic School from 1st grade through first year in High School. Was it strict yes? Did I get smacked? No ??? never. I was put in the corner for talking too much. When I told my parents about it was when I got smacked. Did I misbehave again at school? No. Did I have that "us against them" feeling then...sure I was a kid. I did not fully understand about life. We live in a society that has rules. As a child I did not understand nor appreciate the rules, but rules need to be there none-the-less. I attended Catholic school in the late 50's and early 60's. The culture was different then. Corporal punishment, whatever we think of it today, was the norm in my home as well as school. I was taught to obey rules, as well as respect my elders and no back talking.

As I read the blogs and comments of the young people on the Internet, I realize the fine art of discussion and debating has been lost. If you try to express your opinion as Miss California did, you don't get a discussion; you get crucified on every type of media and more often than not with foul language associated.

By the way, here are some other facts to be aware of when talking about a Catholic education in the "olden days." Each of the nine years I attended Catholic school I attended, the classrooms had anywhere from 35 to 45 students. The teachers were never given any planning time. And they never had classroom assistants. We did not have a cafeteria so we ate bag lunches in our classroom. No one relieved the Sisters for lunch or for recess duty.

Back in those days, there were not many "careers" for Sisters. Your choices were teaching, nursing or housekeeping. I am sure there were women called to the religious life that chose teaching as the best choice on a very short list.

I agree hitting a child is never the answer. However, placing blame on every nun and every Catholic school is also not fair and not the answer either. Mr. Noonan, if you have a beef with how you were treated in the Catholic School, perhaps you should have found the Sister with whom you have the altercation, spoken to her about the treatment and then forgiven her instead of trashing the whole educational system.

P.S. Mr. Noonan - You might also want to thank the teachers of that Catholic education you received for giving you the foundation for and the fostering of writing skills you have to become a journalist for Newsweek. I will pray for you and ask God to give you a forgiving heart. God bless!

yes I remember those days quite well. I went to 12 years of Cathiolic school and even remember getting hit on the hands with a ruler. That happened in West Virginia. I do know the nuns had their PETS!!! The kids whose parents were always there to kiss the nuns --- those kids were the favorites of the nuns. Like you say NOT every nun was so mean but there were those who were. I even remember when report cards came out the parish priest passed report cards out and read them himself and embarrassed you in front of everyone if you did not do well. I am very much against catholic school now as a rememberence of those times.

Part 3: Nuns in residential schools in Ireland, Canada (they're digging up bodies in Canada and think that most of the deaths from "TB" were actually children beaten to death, murdered, at the schools), and other places were even worse. Read "Suffer the Little Children" to get an idea that what my family and I experienced was only a small taste of the evil these schools could perpetrate on little children. I see the catholic conservatives as being no better than Holocaust deniers in their assertions, which is right in line with RCC teaching, as they *love* Holocaust deniers now. There was a second Holocaust, perpetrated by RCC Inc, the organized criminal child rape cult - it was a Children's Holocaust. Those of us not killed were seriously damaged for life. If there was only one school available for my child, and it was a catholic school, I would not even think of sending them there and would homeschool instead. Things haven't changed, as some friends recently learned from their grandson's kindergarten experience this year. It's still the same old god hates you, you're never good enough no matter how much you pray, etc. Even if the physical abuse isn't there, the emotional abuse sure is, and they're getting their grandson out asap.