NORTHERN IRELAND
Irish Times
Statement from Diocese of Down and Connor
“It is always a matter of deep sadness when a baby or child dies. The sense of loss to a family and often a wider community is deeply felt. When we hear of the number of deaths of children and babies in 1942, at this distance in time, our hearts go out to those who endured and carried the trauma of the loss of their babies and children. All life is a gift and during a time of war, when so many lost their lives, the deaths of these children can so easily be forgotten. We acknowledge the loss and express our deep sadness for the sorrow that these deaths caused at the time and in the years that followed.
In 1884 the Sisters of Nazareth opened ‘Nazareth House’ on the Ormeau Road in Belfast to care for girls placed into adoption. A few years later, in 1900, ‘Nazareth Lodge’, Belfast, was opened for boys by the Sisters of Nazareth as a separate community, and was registered as an industrial school in 1902 where it served as an industrial school for boys until 1951.
The homes originally provided only for older children but there was a need to also provide a home for babies and younger children. The first baby was admitted to Nazareth Lodge on 16 October 1934, when the home took on the role of providing a diocesan service for babies. A purpose-built nursery named ‘Bethlehem’ was later established within the precincts of Nazareth Lodge with places for up to 90 babies. This was a Diocesan babies’ home staffed by the Sisters of Nazareth. These homes relied very heavily on charitable donations and the voluntary care provided by the Sisters.
It is a matter of deep regret that the homes were unable to provide the requisite care for the children and the recent HIAI Report noted that as state funding and training improved the facilities and care also improved.
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