Sir - I have were recently caught up with the debate following disclosures of ill treatment and abuse in an orphanage run by the Sisters of Mercy.
The question has been raised as to whether or not the nuns can reestablish their position of good standing and reputation in the community. I hope they can.
The stories now coming to light are indeed tragic and it must be such a trial for the families to come to terms with this information. However, this must not be allowed to destroy all the good that the Sisters have done through the years, especially in education.
In the days before free education, I would not have been able to attend secondary school without the generous gesture on the part of the Mercy nuns (in Longford) to provide my education free. I received an excellent all round education in a disciplined manner yet always in a positive and forward looking environment. The nuns whom I knew were devoted to their vocation as educators and took a concerned and individual interest in their pupils.
Consequently, although I have an interesting career with an EU institution in Brussels, I also feel motivated to help others in less, privileged situations. In recent years, I have been involved with an organisation in Luxembourg which has created a village for 600 local inhabitants of a poor area in Romania. This comprises housing, schools, workshops, dispensary, and will have its official inauguration at the end of May. I mention this as an example of how the early influence of educators, in this case the Sisters of Mercy, can have long lasting effect. In my experience, their influence has only ever been beneficial. - Yours, etc
Brussels