Hello fellow sisters, I grew up in Monte Pio from the early 50's to 1962.

First I wish to congratulate the organizers and dedicated volunteers who have made this page possible, the pictures are terrific, thank you.

I've been living in the United States for 37 years, and am now relocating back to Oz May 2008. I've been back to visit with Sister Regina, Sister Malachy and Sister Jude.

Meeting with Sister Regina was an important event in my life, considering the deep memories I had of her disciplines. However it took me years to face the truths and to forgive my past as well as myself.

"Monte Pio - Memories of Daily Life in a Maitland Orphanage". I was upset when I read this thesis. It does not speak for me or my sister. We were placed in Monte Pio because of a broken home in the 1950s and our brother went to Mayfield with the Sisters of Charity for a short time. My sister and I spent quite a few years with the Sisters at Monte Pio. They did so much for us and helped us cope with life the best they could. Our father had two jobs to pay our way at Monte. He visited us once a month on visiting day and always came with a cake-box of lollies which Sister St Anne shared with all the girls. Sister St Anne was in charge of us and did a great job of it. We were not ill-treated.

The Senate Inquiry into Children in Institutions has handed down its report.

The Inquiry website address is: aph.gov.au/senate/committee/clac_ctte/inst_care/index.htm

For further information contact the committee secretary on (02) 6277-3515.

Email: community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au or visit: aph.gov.au/Senate/index.htm

OR

Try CLAN-Care Leavers of Australia Network website. The website address is: clan.org.au/

I had the opportunity to read Sonia Hornery's Thesis, "Monte Pio - Memories of daily life in a Maitland Orphanage" in which she acknowledges 'that memory is selective and can be contested as to its legitimacy'. Having read through the information obtained through interviews, I found myself agreeing with Sonia's sentiments about memory being selective at times, and would like to correct at least one of the misconceptions.

[Two Quotes] "High school education was not available to the Monte Pio girls even into the early 60's" and "High school was virtually non-existent and study not encouraged...."