Catholic Nuns Also Abused Children by Joep Dohmen
The 9 - Year Old and the Nun by Steve Theisen
Still Waiting for the Church to Apologize by Kim Michele Richardson
A Leader Knew and Did Nothing by Landa Mauriello-Vernon
Our Home Page on Institutional Abuse in Ireland
Telling the Untold Story of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
Native Survivors' Testimonies of Crimes Against Humanity in Residential Schools in Canada
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO SIGN A PETITION TO EXPOSE AND OUST ROMAN CATHOLIC CLERGY ABUSE PREDATORS
Also, read the petition on our Petitions page.
Click on images for more information
Review by Thomas Doyle on The Unbreakable Child
Book Trailer Video for The Unbreakable Child
Life at St. Colman's Home
From the St. Colman's Web Site ...
"The foundation of St. Colman’s was inspired by Father William P. Sheehan of St. Patrick’s Church in West Troy and five Sisters of the Presentation from Fermoy, Ireland in 1882—with the goal of founding a Home for Children in order to keep orphaned siblings from being separated.
Today, St. Colman’s continues to meet the needs of families and children in the 21st century. We continue to care for the religious, physical, intellectual, moral and social development of the children.
The Mission of St. Colman’s home can be defined simply and succinctly: to improve the quality of life for each child whom we serve."The Murder of Gilbert Bonneau
"My family was told by the nuns that LIttle Gilbert had died of meningitis, and this is written on his Death Cert."
"... in 1978 my older brother Bill received a telephone call from a woman who was in St. Colman's Home. As a teenager, she had witnessed a nun severely beating my Little Brother Gilbert with a stick and said Gilbert died of a fractured skull."
"... a nun had placed a pillow over his head while he was in the home's infirmary suffering from severe stick beatings by nuns and a woman caretaker and the pillow ended his life forever..."
".... I remember like it was yesterday when Little Eight Year Old Gilbert Bonneau was without a doubt, MURDERED in that institution (pictured above). I was just a few feet away from the raging nun that smothered him to death."
"I believe I am here because the nun who told me to turn my head to the wall does not know that I saw her press that pillow on Gilbert's face. Now he is dead."
The family of Little Gilbert Bonneau and the man who witnessed his death continues to seek justice for him. The Roman Catholic hierarchy, nuns included, continue to cover-up, stonewall, re-victimize, and ignore those who were tortured - at least one, to death - at St. Colman's Home in Watervliet, N.Y.
"Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them."
Statue of Jesus and Children outside St. Colman's 'Home'.A Web Site Set Up for Justice for the Murder of Gilbert Bonneau
More "Holes to Hell"
Madonna Manor, Louisiana
Hope Haven, Louisiana
St. Thomas/St. Vincent Orphanage in Kentucky
Bella Bella Sterilization Center in British Columbia-----------
"And I had a sister. She was pushed out the window by a nun. She died."
"Was there any investigation?"
"No. It was just swept under the rug. She never even started life and she was taken away by the hands of the Catholic Church."
Documentary: Sex in a Cold Climate. Five parts. This documentary interviews four women and take a look at thier lives in the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJs-4cncGmk
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGVuW9FRhZs
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZf5FGvON4
Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeVR3OugKE
Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HH-pNE1Htk
Documentary: States of Fear. A history of the abuse of children at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHQj4SjMMgM
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqQ27xlS5QM
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es7riF3OaAM
Video Clip: The Magdalene Laundries. Ireland's Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has released a damning report on abuse in reformatories (these "schools" were also tax-supported, including the Magdalene laundries run by the Sisters of Mercy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVLJaa6XYaAVideo Clip: Magdalene Laundry, Sth Australia, One woman's account about being in one of the Magdalene laundries (Good Shepherd Convent) South Australia, Forced Labor. Excerpt from In the Shadows of Eden by Rachael Romero, 2005 edition. Available from Docurama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaujDhllxyg****See More on our Video Links page in The Library.****
- Reports -
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Report
Executive Summary of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Report
Executive Summary of the Ferns Report
Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
The Institution needs to be Fearlessly Examined - and Dismantled
A Commentary by Thomas Doyle
Respect for the Dignity of Persons
Straight from the Catholic Catechism
The 5th Commandment - Respect for Human Life
2261 Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth commandment: "Do not slay the innocent and the righteous. The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human being, to the golden rule, and to the holiness of the Creator. The law forbidding it is universally valid: it obliges each and everyone, always and everywhere.
2262 In the Sermon on the Mount[*], the Lord recalls the commandment, "You shall not kill," and adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred, and vengeance.
2266 Preserving the common good of society requires rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm. For this reason the traditional teaching of the Church has acknowledged as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty. For analogous reasons those holding authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the community in their charge.
The primary effect of punishment is to redress the disorder caused by the offense. When this punishment is voluntarily accepted by the offender, it takes on the value of expiation. Moreover, punishment has the effect of preserving public order and the safety of persons. Finally, punishment has a medicinal value; as far as possible it would contribute to the correction of the offender.
2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
"The inalienable right of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death." Donum vitae III
"The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined... As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the [child**], the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights." Donum vitae IIIRespect for the souls of other: scandal
2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He/She damages virtue and integrity; he/she may even draw his/her brother/sister into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.
2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fasted round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.
2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion. Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to "social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible". This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.
2287 Anyone who uses the power at his/her disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged. "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come."
Respect for bodily integrity
2297 Kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong. Terrorism which threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately is gravely against justice and charity. Torture which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity.
You Be the Judge
Read the essays, accounts, reports, and watch the DVDs.
Then, read the Catholic Catechism - Morality according to the Catholic Church, in words if not in deeds.
Finally, decide for yourself if those "holier than thou" are living by the same code they arrogantly force upon the rest of society. More importantly, ask yourself if those with the crucifixes hung around their necks are even living by the code delivered by the One hanging on that very cross?
*The Sermon on the Mount
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, he will sit upon his royal throne and all the nations will be assembled before him. Then he will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
The sheep he will place on his right hand, the goats on his left. The king will say to those on his right: Come. You have my Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the just will ask him; 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we welcome you away from home or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we visit you when you were ill or in prison? The king will answer them: 'I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left: 'Out of my sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was away from home and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing. I was ill and in prison and you did not come to comfort me.'
Then they in turn will ask: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or away from home or naked or ill or in prison and not attend to your needs?'
He will answer them: 'I assure you, as often as you neglected to do it to one of these least ones, you neglected to do it to me.' These will go off to eternal punishment and the just to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)It is not up to man/woman to be the final judge. No mortal has the power to condemn anyone to heaven or hell (though the pope and some clergy might think they do). However, humans do have the right, power, and moral duty to discontinue supporting individuals and/or organizations that perpetrate the rape, torture, sodomy, abuse, and neglect of "these least ones". For, where do you think the king will put those who look the other way to the terrorizing of innocent children - on the right or on the left?
**The actual text of the CCC reads "unborn" child. We simply deleted the word "unborn" so that all children are included, born as well as unborn.
Printable Version of This Home Page
Printable Version of our Home Page on Ireland
Links to our Other Previous Home Pages
Our Legislative Directory (in progress)
This home page feature is dedicated to all who have suffered any kind of abuse by Catholic nuns and also to Sister Maureen Paul Turlish and Sister Sally Butler who have demonstrated extraordinary courage in advocating for victims and survivors of clergy and religious sexual abuse.
It is a rare individual who is willing to be a voice for truth and good despite being personally attacked and unfairly treated in the process. Thank you to all who have taken a stand for children and survivors.
Please forward the link to this page to your friends, family, favorite network, television or radio personality and, most importantly, your elected representatives. For those who have suffered, Break the Silence now!!!
Disclaimer: Companions in Hope posts written and videotaped material relating to abuse, assault and corruption for the purposes of education and awareness so that the truth may be exposed, justice may be done, and the vulnerable of our society may be protected from harm.
We do not necessarily agree with or accept as fact the contents of everything we reprint from other sources. Our visitors can make their own judgments, draw their own conclusions, and form their own opinions. No responsibility or liability, therefore, shall attach itself to us, our web site, or our twitter page.
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