Skeletons of 800 babies found, infants believed to be buried at Bon Secours Sisters site. Morgan Stack on May 30, 2014 EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY to raise enough funds to build a memorial at an unmarked …More
Skeletons of 800 babies found, infants believed to be buried at Bon Secours Sisters site.
Morgan Stack on May 30, 2014
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY to raise enough funds to build a memorial at an unmarked grave of as many as 800 babies in Tuam, Ireland.
The site is located at what was a home for unmarried mothers, run by the Bon Secours order, from the 1920s until the 1960s.
Catherine Corless, a local historian and genealogist, was researching the home when she discovered death records for 796 children, ranging from infants to children up to the age of nine.
There was a high infant mortality rate over the forty year period, with many of the children believed to have died from malnutrition and infectious diseases.
She could also find no record of their burial in other graveyards in the county, or in areas where the mothers had been from.
"We can safely assume that they're all in that plot," Corless told TheJournal.ie.
She added that she is now trying to have the grave marked.
A group of us came together late last year, formed a committee, and decided that, when we discovered the enormous amount of children in that plot, it was time to do something.
Morgan Stack on May 30, 2014
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY to raise enough funds to build a memorial at an unmarked grave of as many as 800 babies in Tuam, Ireland.
The site is located at what was a home for unmarried mothers, run by the Bon Secours order, from the 1920s until the 1960s.
Catherine Corless, a local historian and genealogist, was researching the home when she discovered death records for 796 children, ranging from infants to children up to the age of nine.
There was a high infant mortality rate over the forty year period, with many of the children believed to have died from malnutrition and infectious diseases.
She could also find no record of their burial in other graveyards in the county, or in areas where the mothers had been from.
"We can safely assume that they're all in that plot," Corless told TheJournal.ie.
She added that she is now trying to have the grave marked.
A group of us came together late last year, formed a committee, and decided that, when we discovered the enormous amount of children in that plot, it was time to do something.
Irlanda: Arzobispo apoyará investigaciones sobre niños fallecidos en hogar de madres solteras
DUBLÍN, 08 Jun. 14 / 01:32 pm (ACI/EWTN Noticias).- El Arzobispo de Tuam (Irlanda), Mons. Michael Neary, ha expresado su preocupación y ha aceptado la investigación gubernamental, en medio de controvertidos informes respecto al entierro de cerca de 800 niños en un hogar católicos para madres solteras en …More
Irlanda: Arzobispo apoyará investigaciones sobre niños fallecidos en hogar de madres solteras
DUBLÍN, 08 Jun. 14 / 01:32 pm (ACI/EWTN Noticias).- El Arzobispo de Tuam (Irlanda), Mons. Michael Neary, ha expresado su preocupación y ha aceptado la investigación gubernamental, en medio de controvertidos informes respecto al entierro de cerca de 800 niños en un hogar católicos para madres solteras en Irlanda, durante un periodo de 36 años a mediados del siglo XX.
Mons. Michael Neary señaló que al conocer la noticia “estuve seriamente impactado, como todos lo estuvimos, al saber de la cantidad de los números de niños enterrados en el cementerio en Tuam”.
“Estoy horrorizado y entristecido de escuchar del gran número de niños fallecidos involucrados, y esto apunta a un tiempo de gran sufrimiento y dolor para los pequeños y sus madres”.
El Prelado señaló que “sin importar el tiempo transcurrido, este es un asunto de gran preocupación pública, sobre el que se debe actuar urgentemente”.
Catherine Corless, una historiadora local, investigó los sitios de entierro de 796 bebés y niños pequeños, que murieron en el hogar St. Mary, para madres solteras, durante sus años de operación desde 1925 a 1961. La tasa de muerte sería de 23 niños por año. El hogar era dirigido por las Hermanas de Bons Secours.
Informes de inspección del gobierno realizados en el tiempo en el que el hogar estaba en funcionamiento, encontraron problemas de salud. Un reporte de 1944 decía que algunos de los niños en el hogar eran “frágiles, barrigones y demacrados”, según reporta la agencia AFP.
Los niños, en edades entre recién nacidos y ocho años, murieron de malnutrición y enfermedades infecciosas, incluyendo sarampión y tuberculosis, de acuerdo al informe.
Catherine Corless dijo que un antiguo tanque séptico cerca del hogar sirvió como una tumba masiva. Niños de la zona, según se informó, habrían encontrado restos oseos en esta tumba en la década de 1970, pero el sitio no ha vuelto a ser examinado.
Sin embargo, de acuerdo a CNN, el sargento Brian Whelan, con la oficina de prensa de la policía nacional de Irlanda, indicaron que los restos fueron encontrados en un cementerio en el terreno del hogar, no en un tanque séptico.
Whelan dijo que no había evidencia de actos impropios, y la policía no está investigando.
Por su parte, Charlie Flanagan, ministro para los temas de Niños y Juventud de Irlanda, dijo que el gobierno está considerando cómo responder a los informes.
Mons. Neary agradeció el anuncio y dijo que la arquidiócesis de Tuam continuará trabajando con las Hermanas de Bon Secours y la comunidad local para recordar a los muertos y sus familias, con un servicio de oración memorial y una placa.
“Será una prioridad para mí, en cooperación con las familias de los fallecidos, buscar obtener un dignificado re-entierro de los restos de los niños en una tierra consagrada, en Tuam”, dijo.
El Prelado precisó que la arquidiócesis “no tuvo ninguna participación en el manejo del hogar”, y no tiene relación material con sus archivos. Indicó además que entiende que las Hermanas de Bon Secours entregaron el material al Consejo del Condado Galway y a las autoridades, en 1961.
“Mientras que la Arquidiócesis de Tuam cooperará completamente no obstante existe un claro imperativo moral de parte las Hermanas de Bon Secours en este caso, para actuar de acuerdo a sus responsabilidades, para el interés del bien común”.
“Que el Señor, en su infinita misericordia consuele a todos los que han sufrido y lleve sanación a sus seres amados”.
ACI Prensa contactó a las Hermanas de Bon Secours Internacional para obtener sus comentarios, pero no ha recibido respuesta hasta el cierre de esta edición.
www.aciprensa.com/…/irlanda-arzobis…
DUBLÍN, 08 Jun. 14 / 01:32 pm (ACI/EWTN Noticias).- El Arzobispo de Tuam (Irlanda), Mons. Michael Neary, ha expresado su preocupación y ha aceptado la investigación gubernamental, en medio de controvertidos informes respecto al entierro de cerca de 800 niños en un hogar católicos para madres solteras en Irlanda, durante un periodo de 36 años a mediados del siglo XX.
Mons. Michael Neary señaló que al conocer la noticia “estuve seriamente impactado, como todos lo estuvimos, al saber de la cantidad de los números de niños enterrados en el cementerio en Tuam”.
“Estoy horrorizado y entristecido de escuchar del gran número de niños fallecidos involucrados, y esto apunta a un tiempo de gran sufrimiento y dolor para los pequeños y sus madres”.
El Prelado señaló que “sin importar el tiempo transcurrido, este es un asunto de gran preocupación pública, sobre el que se debe actuar urgentemente”.
Catherine Corless, una historiadora local, investigó los sitios de entierro de 796 bebés y niños pequeños, que murieron en el hogar St. Mary, para madres solteras, durante sus años de operación desde 1925 a 1961. La tasa de muerte sería de 23 niños por año. El hogar era dirigido por las Hermanas de Bons Secours.
Informes de inspección del gobierno realizados en el tiempo en el que el hogar estaba en funcionamiento, encontraron problemas de salud. Un reporte de 1944 decía que algunos de los niños en el hogar eran “frágiles, barrigones y demacrados”, según reporta la agencia AFP.
Los niños, en edades entre recién nacidos y ocho años, murieron de malnutrición y enfermedades infecciosas, incluyendo sarampión y tuberculosis, de acuerdo al informe.
Catherine Corless dijo que un antiguo tanque séptico cerca del hogar sirvió como una tumba masiva. Niños de la zona, según se informó, habrían encontrado restos oseos en esta tumba en la década de 1970, pero el sitio no ha vuelto a ser examinado.
Sin embargo, de acuerdo a CNN, el sargento Brian Whelan, con la oficina de prensa de la policía nacional de Irlanda, indicaron que los restos fueron encontrados en un cementerio en el terreno del hogar, no en un tanque séptico.
Whelan dijo que no había evidencia de actos impropios, y la policía no está investigando.
Por su parte, Charlie Flanagan, ministro para los temas de Niños y Juventud de Irlanda, dijo que el gobierno está considerando cómo responder a los informes.
Mons. Neary agradeció el anuncio y dijo que la arquidiócesis de Tuam continuará trabajando con las Hermanas de Bon Secours y la comunidad local para recordar a los muertos y sus familias, con un servicio de oración memorial y una placa.
“Será una prioridad para mí, en cooperación con las familias de los fallecidos, buscar obtener un dignificado re-entierro de los restos de los niños en una tierra consagrada, en Tuam”, dijo.
El Prelado precisó que la arquidiócesis “no tuvo ninguna participación en el manejo del hogar”, y no tiene relación material con sus archivos. Indicó además que entiende que las Hermanas de Bon Secours entregaron el material al Consejo del Condado Galway y a las autoridades, en 1961.
“Mientras que la Arquidiócesis de Tuam cooperará completamente no obstante existe un claro imperativo moral de parte las Hermanas de Bon Secours en este caso, para actuar de acuerdo a sus responsabilidades, para el interés del bien común”.
“Que el Señor, en su infinita misericordia consuele a todos los que han sufrido y lleve sanación a sus seres amados”.
ACI Prensa contactó a las Hermanas de Bon Secours Internacional para obtener sus comentarios, pero no ha recibido respuesta hasta el cierre de esta edición.
www.aciprensa.com/…/irlanda-arzobis…
Irish Baby Graves Scandal: 2,000 Children Used as Drug 'Guinea-Pigs'
Over 2,000 babies and young children at a number of Irish orphanages linked to the mass baby graves scandal were injected with a vaccine for diphtheria in the 1930s, it has been revealed. The children were used as guinea pigs on behalf of drugs giant Burroughs Wellcome. No evidence of consent has been discovered and there are no …More
Irish Baby Graves Scandal: 2,000 Children Used as Drug 'Guinea-Pigs'
Over 2,000 babies and young children at a number of Irish orphanages linked to the mass baby graves scandal were injected with a vaccine for diphtheria in the 1930s, it has been revealed. The children were used as guinea pigs on behalf of drugs giant Burroughs Wellcome. No evidence of consent has been discovered and there are no records of how many children became ill or died as a result.
“Vaccine trials would not have been acceptable to government, municipal authorities, or the general public”
Irish historian Michael Dwyer
The discovery was made by Irish historian Michael Dwyer, of Cork University's School of History, when he trawled through thousands of old medical records. The illegal trials - consisting of a one-shot injection of the drug - took place before the vaccine was made available for commercial use.
"What I have found is just the tip of a very large and submerged iceberg," says Dwyer. "The fact that no record of these trials can be found in the files relating to the Department of Local Government and Public Health, the Municipal Health Reports relating to Cork and Dublin, or the Wellcome Archives in London, suggests that vaccine trials would not have been acceptable to government, municipal authorities, or the general public."
A spokesman for GSK – formerly Wellcome – said: "The activities that have been described to us date back over 70 years and, if true, are clearly very distressing. We would need further details to investigate what actually took place, but the practices outlined certainly don't reflect how modern clinical trials are carried out."
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in PhilomenaPathe UK
Two of the homes where the drug trials on children are alleged to have taken place were Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary and Bessborough, Co. Cork. Sean Ross Abbey was the home where Philomena Lee was made to give up her child for adoption. Her son died without seeing his mother again. The story was made famous in the award-winning film Philomena.
The Sean Ross Abbey and Bessborough homes are also linked with the discovery of mass baby graves at Tuam, Co. Galway by historian Catherine Corless. The remains of almost 800 babies were found in a septic tank at the site of the home, once run by nuns from the Sisters of the Bon Secours.
Altogether some 4,000 babies are thought to have been buried in mass graves across Ireland in the mid-20th century. There are calls for Taoiseach Enda Kenny to make a formal apology and launch an investigation into the scandal. Kenny said he had ordered officials to "see what the scale is, what's involved here, and whether this is isolated or if there are others around the country that need to be looked at".
www.ibtimes.co.uk/irish-baby-grav…
Over 2,000 babies and young children at a number of Irish orphanages linked to the mass baby graves scandal were injected with a vaccine for diphtheria in the 1930s, it has been revealed. The children were used as guinea pigs on behalf of drugs giant Burroughs Wellcome. No evidence of consent has been discovered and there are no records of how many children became ill or died as a result.
“Vaccine trials would not have been acceptable to government, municipal authorities, or the general public”
Irish historian Michael Dwyer
The discovery was made by Irish historian Michael Dwyer, of Cork University's School of History, when he trawled through thousands of old medical records. The illegal trials - consisting of a one-shot injection of the drug - took place before the vaccine was made available for commercial use.
"What I have found is just the tip of a very large and submerged iceberg," says Dwyer. "The fact that no record of these trials can be found in the files relating to the Department of Local Government and Public Health, the Municipal Health Reports relating to Cork and Dublin, or the Wellcome Archives in London, suggests that vaccine trials would not have been acceptable to government, municipal authorities, or the general public."
A spokesman for GSK – formerly Wellcome – said: "The activities that have been described to us date back over 70 years and, if true, are clearly very distressing. We would need further details to investigate what actually took place, but the practices outlined certainly don't reflect how modern clinical trials are carried out."
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in PhilomenaPathe UK
Two of the homes where the drug trials on children are alleged to have taken place were Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary and Bessborough, Co. Cork. Sean Ross Abbey was the home where Philomena Lee was made to give up her child for adoption. Her son died without seeing his mother again. The story was made famous in the award-winning film Philomena.
The Sean Ross Abbey and Bessborough homes are also linked with the discovery of mass baby graves at Tuam, Co. Galway by historian Catherine Corless. The remains of almost 800 babies were found in a septic tank at the site of the home, once run by nuns from the Sisters of the Bon Secours.
Altogether some 4,000 babies are thought to have been buried in mass graves across Ireland in the mid-20th century. There are calls for Taoiseach Enda Kenny to make a formal apology and launch an investigation into the scandal. Kenny said he had ordered officials to "see what the scale is, what's involved here, and whether this is isolated or if there are others around the country that need to be looked at".
www.ibtimes.co.uk/irish-baby-grav…
One more comment from Irapuato
Bishop expresses 'shock' over mass grave at home run by sisters in Ireland
"I was greatly shocked, as we all were, to learn of the magnitude of the numbers of children buried in the graveyard in Tuam. I was made aware of the extent of the situation by media reporting and historical research. I am horrified and saddened to hear of the large number of deceased children involved and this points to a …More
Bishop expresses 'shock' over mass grave at home run by sisters in Ireland
"I was greatly shocked, as we all were, to learn of the magnitude of the numbers of children buried in the graveyard in Tuam. I was made aware of the extent of the situation by media reporting and historical research. I am horrified and saddened to hear of the large number of deceased children involved and this points to a time of great suffering and pain for the little ones and their mothers.
I can only begin to imagine the huge emotional wrench which the mothers suffered in giving up their babies for adoption or by witnessing their death. Many of these young vulnerable women would already have been rejected by their families. The pain and brokenness which they endured is beyond our capacity to understand. It is simply too difficult to comprehend their helplessness and suffering as they watched their beloved child die.
Regardless of the time lapse involved this is a matter of great public concern which ought to be acted upon urgently. As the diocese did not have any involvement in the running of the home in Tuam, we do not have any material relating to it in our archives. I understand that the material which the Bon Secours Sisters held, as managers of the Mother and Baby Home, was handed over to Galway County Council and the health authorities in 1961.
I welcome the announcement today by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Charlie Flanagan TD, to establish a cross-departmental examination of the burial arrangements for children in Mother and Baby Homes. This will have the legal authority to examine the situation and to determine the truth. While the Archdiocese of Tuam will cooperate fully nonetheless there exists a clear moral imperative on the Bon Secours Sisters in this case to act upon their responsibilities in the interest of the common good.
The Diocese will continue to work with the Sisters and the local community to provide a suitable commemorative prayer based memorial service, and plaque, and to ensure that the deceased and their families will never be forgotten.
It will be a priority for me, in cooperation with the families of the deceased, to seek to obtain a dignified re-interment of the remains of the children in consecrated ground in Tuam.
May the Lord’s infinite mercy console all who have suffered and bring healing to their loved ones.
ENDS
Archbishop Michael Neary is Archbishop of Tuam"
www.catholicbishops.ie/…/archbishop-near…
"I was greatly shocked, as we all were, to learn of the magnitude of the numbers of children buried in the graveyard in Tuam. I was made aware of the extent of the situation by media reporting and historical research. I am horrified and saddened to hear of the large number of deceased children involved and this points to a time of great suffering and pain for the little ones and their mothers.
I can only begin to imagine the huge emotional wrench which the mothers suffered in giving up their babies for adoption or by witnessing their death. Many of these young vulnerable women would already have been rejected by their families. The pain and brokenness which they endured is beyond our capacity to understand. It is simply too difficult to comprehend their helplessness and suffering as they watched their beloved child die.
Regardless of the time lapse involved this is a matter of great public concern which ought to be acted upon urgently. As the diocese did not have any involvement in the running of the home in Tuam, we do not have any material relating to it in our archives. I understand that the material which the Bon Secours Sisters held, as managers of the Mother and Baby Home, was handed over to Galway County Council and the health authorities in 1961.
I welcome the announcement today by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Charlie Flanagan TD, to establish a cross-departmental examination of the burial arrangements for children in Mother and Baby Homes. This will have the legal authority to examine the situation and to determine the truth. While the Archdiocese of Tuam will cooperate fully nonetheless there exists a clear moral imperative on the Bon Secours Sisters in this case to act upon their responsibilities in the interest of the common good.
The Diocese will continue to work with the Sisters and the local community to provide a suitable commemorative prayer based memorial service, and plaque, and to ensure that the deceased and their families will never be forgotten.
It will be a priority for me, in cooperation with the families of the deceased, to seek to obtain a dignified re-interment of the remains of the children in consecrated ground in Tuam.
May the Lord’s infinite mercy console all who have suffered and bring healing to their loved ones.
ENDS
Archbishop Michael Neary is Archbishop of Tuam"
www.catholicbishops.ie/…/archbishop-near…