A Catholic-School Veteran Tells All

It is a FACT that the Catholic Church did nothing about the beatings that went on in the clasrooms of there schools. The reason the Catholic Church is a target is because it deserves to be. In the Olney section of Philadelphia, the St. Joseph's nuns who taught at St. Helena's were brutal task masters who found pleasure in "controlling" kids by face slacking, punching and head bangings against blackboards ON A DAILY BASIS. Were there day's of fun and learning?? Absolutely. There were many of those. Where the problem lies is in the unexpected, unexplained and unprovoked assaults that happened because they had Carte Blanc power and used it when they thought it would be to there advantage. Those who think the Catholic Church is being attacked are just hiding there heads in the sand. There are a multitude of reasons that people bring this kind of behavior to the surface. It's because it happened and it had life long negative affects on to many people. And it was done in the name of God. And it was done by a group of people who said "love thy neighbor" and then followed that up with a fresh can of whoopass. This is the same church who harbored dispicable pedophiles and moved them around from parrish to parrish and denied any of it ever happened. This is the same church that was a breeding ground for homosexuals even though that lifestyle was not supported by that church. This same church continues to avoid it's past for one reason only. MONEY. Money equals power and they have plenty and some of these issues are causing them to part with that power. What this church doesn't like is that people are asking questions that make them squirm and they think they answer to a higher authority. If they weren't guilty of this madness, they wouldn't be so nervous and there hypocritical leader in Rome wouldn't have apologized for the past actions of his corrupt flock. They just want everyone to pray and forget. That's like telling the Jews to forget the holocaust and the Chinese to forget Nanking or any other atrocities that have happened. What that phony in Rome, as well as all of his red hat wearing servants fail to see is that they can't hide behind the cloth. They are no different from any other human who has ever walked this earth. They will be held accountable and there time will come sooner then they think. AAhhhh, I feel better now. That was a great article...and funny too.

Absolutely true account of a Catholic primary school: One girl was punished for talking in class by being grabbed by the back of the neck, pushed to the front of the class and forced to lick the dirty blackboard. One boy received insult after injury as the nun broke a wooden pointer over his head and suggested she ought to make him pay for it (the pointer). Division problem completed incorrectly...whack! across the behind with a yardstick. Two rambunctious girls question authority...get called athiests for questioning the word of God through his spokeswoman while she requires the rest of her classes to pray on their knees for the offenders. One principal was infamous for coming into a classroom, calling offending students to the front of the class, naming their offenses, having them bend over, lean on a desk and receive a vigorous strapping. The peace sign, so popular in the sixties and seventies, was called the communist broken cross! A young girl received a wound up backhanded slap across the face for being in the hallway during class. When the nun was told that she was asked by the teacher to be out there to post something on the bulletin board, there was no apology follow-up. We were repeatedly reminded to remove all valuables from our desks when "public school children" were expected to come in that evening for catechism. These are just some of the more memorable highlights of my parochial career. Three nuns were the worst abusers. Most others were less extreme. Were there some wonderfully compasionate nuns? In my eight years of experience, I can only name two. They have my eternal gratitude for being a blessed breath of fresh air for their gentle kindness.

What Sister Rosemarie meted out in eighth grade was brutality. She stood over a kneeling student???s legs and hit each child, boys and girls, as hard as she could swing her arm, alternating five times on each side of the head. Each child reeled from the blows. It ruined one boys life: he never looked anyone in the eye again, didn???t marry, didn???t date, didn???t become a dentist although he was a top student. We were a good class. Most of us had been together since first grade. We still see each other. No one has forgotten it. She also told us not to tell our parents because ???we don???t air our dirty laundry in public.??? I am sure our parents would not have appreciated what happend to usin her class. Other nuns were saints. Overall it was a good experience, except for her, and we learned so much more academics than public school students.

I went to Catholic School for 9yrs on L.I. , N.Y. I was assaulted on numerous occasions ie, During choir practice I was goofing around with a friend and the instructor snuck up behind us and grabbed us by the hair and slammed our heads together 3 times with incredible force. We were then rushed to the stairs in the Cathedral and thrown down 30 concrete steps. Another incident took place in 6th grade when a disruptive classmate who was already seated against the wall in the back of the classroom caused a disruption. The nun raced to the back of the room and grabbed the student by the hair with 2 hands and slammed his head full force several times against the concrete cinder block wall behind him. He was rendered unconscious.I can still see her face all red and full of rage and her voice was blood curdling. I was slapped full force, full wind up several times by both nuns and teachers. The last incident which I'm sure probally destroyed this girl as a human being was in 6th grade and due to the fact her body was changing she had strong body/persporation odor. Instead of speaking with her privately and seeing if it's in fact a possible medical condition, she was told to stand up in the middle of class and berated like a Marine in boot camp by a nun. She told her she's a pig, that she stinks like b.o. etc and then had the girl stand in the back of the class all day. I also need to add that it was common place for girls caught chewing gum to be forced to place the gum on the end of their noses and leave it their for the whole day. What humilty. Fortunately I am certain that it was my Mother that brought an end to the terror that was taking place for yrs at our school. I had a sister 5 yrs older than I that was beaten very badly by the nuns. She carries the scars to this day. My Mother and Father did nothing about it until one day I got it too. My Mother jumped in her car and raced to the school and raised Holy Hell. Things changed shortly thereafter. The one nun that terrified the school for yrs one day chased a kid down the stairs while we were heading down to the cafetaria and had her shoe get caught up in her habit and went head over heels and left in an ambulance never to return. Her replacement was a young, lovely teacher just 22 yrs old. Between my Father with the belt and the constant incidents at school I truly believe I developed a nervous condition. These methods just didn't work for me. I'm almost 50 and 3 grown kids and I'm happy to say that I've never layed a hand on them nor have they ever been assaulted in school. I was also taught to always tell the truth and this is the God honest truth. I have so many more.

What a slanted view. I have discussed this with many, many Catholic shool students (me being with nuns K through 12, and Catholic college with the Jesuits thereafter) and the overwhelming opinion is that VERY LITTLE physical punishment actually occured. I can remember only one instance, and frankly thought that it came from pure frustration from the num/teacher and that the student earned it. I can testify to almost universal agreement among practicing Catholics that I have asked about this. Usually the "abused" and "beaten" attitude comes from a disenchanted former Catholic who appears to want to justify his lack of belief and his lifestyle. Frankly, the media loves this and panders to it.

I graduated in 1969 after 9 years of nuns (3 different schools,3 different orders, 3 different states) and 4 years of Priests in high school. The Sisters were strict,fair and I might add beneath the veneer of toughness - loving. Not to mention being excellent teachers and of course models of faith. I received my share of discipline (deserved) but was never struck nor ever witnessed any corporal punishment being meted out. David Noonan piling on does these women of God an undeserved disservice. As for the Priests - DITTO!

I graduated in 1969 after 9 years of nuns (3 different schools,3 different orders, 3 different states) and 4 years of Priests in high school. The Sisters were strict,fair and I might add beneath the veneer of toughness - loving. Not to mention being excellent teachers and of course models of faith. I received my share of discipline (deserved) but was never struck nor ever witnessed any corporal punishment being meted out. David Noonan piling on does these women of God an undeserved disservice. As for the Priests - DITTO!

What a ridiculous bit of anti-Catholic nonsense! Newsweek's editors should be embarassed to publish such drivel. While I am no longer a "practicing" Catholic I'm always dumbfounded and astounded how this remains one group of people that it is ok to be outwardly bigoted towards, and you Mr. Noonan have defined yourself as a bigot. The vast majority of all the nuns and other religous gave selflessly of themselves for our education. Many now live in poverty. Instead of such sewage perhaps you should think and write of the role they played providing you with this gift. I must say, however, I will take the money I save on my Newsweek subscription and provide it to one of the charities which collect to provide for them in their retirement

Noonan, you need a psychiatrist, not a newspaper! Grow up!

I went to regular public schools, not Catholicl, with less corporeal punishment, but the feeling of low-grade dread was constant there, too. School was simply a hostile environment--the teachers and administrators were certainly not on a kid's side, and neither were most of the other kids.
It's not just nuns who can be awful, it's anybody who is more concerned with their own institutional rules than the humanity moving through their institution. Kids are often tough to deal with and exhausting. Violence and threat are simple, easy, and effective ways to keep them in line. Takes a strong adult to stay above such tactics.

I remember my nuns that use to ue a pointer across the back of the hands and the paddle across your back side, When i transfered to public school we had the paddle administered by the principle or the male PE coach. I never felt any pain but i sure didn't repeat my bad behavior.

While I definitely heard of physical punishment of boyu I went to school with, I too wluld have to say the nuns who taught all of us shaped us in so many positive ways. Among teachers in public school going back to the 50s and 60s I'm sure you'd hear of corporal punishment - and even in the 70s when I was in grammar school. I do think Catholic schools to this day come down harder on young boys than on young girls (by high school it is reversed), but I know none of the nuns who taught me would allow the type of bullying girls today exhibit, nor would they give up on any children who learn differently, as many teachers today do.

I went to catholic school from grade school to graduate school. Loved every minute of it and yes, in grade school I witnessed ruler slaps, shoulder poking with a strong finger but no slaps. They were stern but also fun and loving. I have good memories from daily recess where they would hike up their habits and run with us or at CYO camp where we all stayed in the same dorm and talked through the night. Some of these ladies had actually dated and would tell us a few stories ...what to look out for, what to be careful of. Straight talk, I had IHM's in grade school, Dominicans in high school and college and Jesuits in grad school. A valuable and appreciated education. Now I'm a humanist, read also as atheist. One could say I'm a cultural catholic. This experience helped to form me, grounding me...so what that this came from faith-filled people.

I WANT TO THANK repete1000. WHAT YOU WROTE IS SO IMPORTANT. KIDS THAT BULLY OTHERS - SOMETIMES FOR YEARS - WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR NASTINESS IF THEY FACED CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR. LETTING "KIDS BE KIDS" BY SWEARING, FIGHTING, ETC IS STUPID AND DESTRUCTIVE TO SOCIETY. GROW UP DAVID.

I WANT TO THANK repete1000. WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS SO IMPORTANT. EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS PERSON'S POST, JUST BELOW MINE.

I have no idea, how parents pay $7-10,000 per year for K through 8, in Catholic School, which is run by lay teachers. I am a product of a Catholic Education in the 50's & early 60's, and I do not remember any physical violence by the Nuns. They were Dominicans. I was an honor student and very well treated. Any child, who goes to school for an education, who is mannered and behaved, will have none of the above treatment mentioned. Many parents in today's times, send their children to private schools, so the school can disipline their children! How sad. Behavior begins at home!

I'm really really surprised this topic was broached. I attended a Catholic school in Europe and let me tell you, the Nun's there could be as tough as Woodpecker lips. I remember a fellow classmate named Spiro, he and I were headed up to the office for different yet sundry reasons. At the time, his uniform consisted of knee length gray tailored shorts, white shirt and plaid tie with a dark blue blazer. I had on the same thing except I was wearing long trousers, what I will always remember is bumping into him again on the way back to class and seeing the marks on his legs left by whatever it is the Nuns beat him with. I remember thinking at the time how 'different' he seemed after his disciplinary action was meted out. I don't ever remember seeing him laugh or smile after that incident.