A much different experience at St. Joseph's

I was shocked when I read the front-page story (June 18) concerning St. Joseph’s Orphanage for Girls. I, along with my sister, lived at the orphanage from 1956 to 1960, and a dear friend of mine was there from 1952 to 1962, while my husband lived at the Healy Asylum (orphanage for boys) from 1954 to 1961. None of us ever experienced any of the abuse mentioned in the article. I am not saying it didn’t happen; I am just saying that such treatment came as news to us.

I can remember being disciplined there, as my parent would have disciplined (the way it was, back then). That is, if my elbows were on the table, one of the nuns would tap our elbows on the table as a reminder that elbows do not belong there. We remembered the next time.

Or, when I pulled a little girl’s hair, that mine was quickly pulled in return. I remembered the next time. Or, when I kicked a girl in the shin, I was quickly kicked in the shin. I remembered the next time. That was all I experienced in the way of physical contact. Back then, it was called discipline and it definitely worked for me.

I have to say, we received good care, decent food and were all treated the same. I, too, had a handicapped girl in my class and she was never mistreated.

When I was sick in the night with an earache or stomach flu, I was taken care of, as my parents would have done.

As for my name being a “number” — I never felt as if I was treated like a “prisoner.” They never ever called me by my number. I could see it as being very necessary, with 100 girls and some sharing the same name, to have specific numbers sewn into personal belongings, such as clothes, to be sure yours didn’t get mixed up with some else’s with the same name. My number was B+54, and it was sewn into all my clothes and even my doll’s clothes. I actually thought it was a great idea and felt nothing negative by it.

We were treated with many fun activities, such as cake walks, Christmas shows on stage with parents and friends invited (and, yes, gifts that we kept and were never taken away from us after the event), a yearly visit to the Shrine Circus, hikes with packed lunches, nighttime ice skating and sledding privileges, not to mention the wonderful backyard with a complete playground, in-ground swimming pool and ice skating rink.

There were only two nuns, taking care of 100 children, which is a huge responsibility. My husband and I raised two girls — I cannot imagine taking care of 98 more, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

From our experience, and I speak for the other two who have signed their names, and for another who didn’t wish her name used, we feel we have been blessed to have had the opportunity to have had the Grey Nuns help our parents raise us, as well as lead us in our faith so early on.

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