🧵A thread about adoption abortion and maternity care and the sisters of charity 🧵
1/ The adoption board was formed after adoption became legal in 1953 Tom Woulfe was the first registrar of the new Adoption Board in 1953 an appointee of McQuaid.
1/ The adoption board was formed after adoption became legal in 1953 Tom Woulfe was the first registrar of the new Adoption Board in 1953 an appointee of McQuaid.
2/Archbishop McQuaid scrutinised every line of the 1952 adoption act a result of which meant a restriction on children of mixed religious denomination from being adopted and restrictions where a mother recently changed her religion.
3/Adopted mothers had to give up work and had to prove they were not using contraceptives and that they were unable to have children themselves
4/Without clear ‘safeguarding’ of the catholic religion he had worked against any adoption bill and any that passed would not be adopted by the church which ran health and social care
5/ with failing vocations today the church is instead vesting ownership of publicly funded hospitals in private Vatican controlled entities beyond the reach of the State.
6/The Mater Hospital in Dublin and the Mercy Hospital in Cork have both transferred their ownership into such Catholic structures called public juridic persons
7/following 3 motions brought to the Oireachtas that the new national maternity hospital be owned by the state and on state owned land -
8/ -it looks likely that the new national maternity hospital estimated to cost 800 million will belong to saint vincent's healthcare or one of their ‘entities’ -saint vincent holdings
9/saint vincent holdings is a catholic organisation set up by the sisters of charity to hold its interests, the spin is that the sisters of charity will have no say in the running
10/ There are no public board members and the members of the board of st vincent's holdings are also members of saint vincents healthcare group, their mission statement is the same -to the letter -as the sisters of charity
11/ I campaigned for #repealthe8th helped organise the return of voters from the UK, some hilarious and beautiful last minute stories. The subject of the sisters of charity involvement in maternity care is personal to me too in more ways than one
12/ Tom Woulfe joined the management committee of Saint Patrick's Guild adoption society when Sr Gabriel was the Director. The Sisters of Charity ran the guild under the auspices of the Archbishop Dublin; John Charles McQuaid.
13/ Woulfe ran SPG with Sr Gabriel becoming Director when she retired following public pressure Tom Woulfe spoke to Padraig O’Morain for Irish Times ‘97 shortly after stating they’d believed “that once an adoption had taken place the shop should be shut and the key thrown away”
14/Sr Gabriel was referenced in several articles for giving misleading information & in film ‘Dear daughter’ She gave misleading info to Christine Buckley who’s experiences were the subject of the documentary. Sr Gabriel lied all the time, to many of us.
15/ In 1978 The Irish Times published a series on adoption by Olivia O’Leary, who noted there was “no statutory requirement on the adoption agencies as to the way they carry out their assessments or as to the professional qualifications of their workers”
16/ My mum had been writing to both the adoption board and Saint Patricks Guild every week or so and never had a reply from saint patricks guild until the phone call came that week in 1996. Sr Gabriel had some information for her, 21 years my mother had been waiting.
17/ In 1996 my mum and I arrived at the office on Haddington road. We are taken through to a room to wait for Sr Gabriel. I will never forget how unfriendly she seemed, and it goes without saying that there was none of the usual tea and cake given to others, whilst we waited.
18/ I was not allowed into the room with my mother Sr Gabriel refused it, though I objected, a look from my mother let me know to play this game, not to risk it going wrong. My insides turned knowing how much this meant to her and that I couldn’t be with her.
19/ Inside my mum is told to sit and Sister Gabriel told her bluntly and quickly that her mother died in 1988. My mum was devastated. She thought she knew not to hope but still she had hoped. She found herself sitting on the floor and sobbing
20/ she saw the nun sat across looking down at her, perfectly still without expression She found the strength to raise herself and wipe her eyes, the sister asked coldly if she had finished crying
21/ My 42 year old mother could only nod obediently and try to compose herself. The nun showed her a picture of some white iron cots in rows (a standard photocopy given to many) and refused to answer questions or explain how she knew her mum died or give any addresses or contacts
22/ state/public money only for state/public institutions on state/public land Move religion out of health and social care @projectCB @catherinegalway @Ka_ODonnell @maeveorourke @cmcgettrick @ococonuts @MixedRaceIrish @NameBridget @maireadenright #MotherAndBabyHomes #TuamBabies
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