A site interviewing high achievers talks to the first female member of the elite “Red Devils” freefall parachute team. She recalls her days in the ‘A’ stream at school:
I was too scared not to be a good student…I must admit to getting the cane on a few occasions but that was only because I told lies when they did the register on a Monday morning asking if I had been to Confession, Mass and Holy Communion.
I remember once saying I had been to Mass. Sister Mary Imelda asked me what time mass? I said 6pm. She must have known I was telling porkies as she wanted to know what colour vestments, and which priest took mass. I said Father Ryan and Green. Then she told me we were in Lent and it was purple. I said I wasn’t sure because I was stood behind Mr. Skillen and couldn’t see past him.
She didn’t believe me and I got the cane on both hands…I only went to church because of the fear of the cane on a Monday morning.
Interesting how fear temporal (the cane) outweighed fear spiritual (burning in hell for skipping services).
I had a pleasure of sitting on a welted bottom in church today. How did he put it? “The hard pews…” Gave both my husband and I lots of fun.