Hi
Just found your website and how excited I was. My sister Joanne and I were at Monte Pio from, I think, the end of ’67 or possibly ’68. Don’t know how long we were there. I was 5 or 6 at the time; Jo was a year older than me.
Our life was quite in turmoil at that time with our mother dying and our family being torn apart. There were twelve children in our family, some grown up some not. Some of my brothers were sent to Boys Town in Sydney. Jo and I were taken by our Great Aunt who was a very sick lady and put us in the home not long after she took us. We went home on some weekends and holidays I think.
My memories of Monte Pio are good ones. Sister David was the nun in charge of us; she is the only one I remember. She treated us very well. I guess we probably got punished for being naughty but I don’t remember any of that only the good things. We all had our jobs to do, that depended on how old we were, but at my age I could sweep and clean toilets, set the tables (that was one of the better jobs). At the time Johnny Farnham was made King of Pop and we would watch Countdown on TV downstairs on Saturday mornings.
I remember that we got lollies on Saturday nights. I remember that when it was anyone’s birthday we would give whatever we had. I ended up with things tied up all over my bed, mostly junk but I loved it because they were presents for me. I made my first holy communion there.
I remember I had a very good friend her name was Vicki, she was a doll. I was quite an ugly child and Vicki was a cutie and I loved her because she was so cute. She came home with us one time for the weekend and I have a photo of us. I’ll have to dig it out and when I do I will send it. I do hope we can find each other again as I said I have fond memories of Monte Pio.
I would love to go to the next reunion.
Well that’s it from me for the moment. Look forward to hearing from someone, any info on Sister David would be great too!