Voices of the Past
Mallory: So while you were taking those steps throughout the four years was there anything that you wish you could have changed maybe that you thought would make it a better learning experience or were there things that you just really didn’t like to do? Even though you said you pretty much were really into it over all.
Elizabeth: There was nothing that really uh that I found uh oppressive or – there was one thing. Come to think of it there was. [Pause] And this is introduced to you after you become a Novice the first year is a Postulant, then you are a Novice for two years. So, just after you become a Novice and you have a new name and this new habit. The first time you’ve ever worn this habit with a white veil. The mother, she was called the Novice mistress. The Novice mistress takes you into her office to tell you the following: Every Friday night – [Pause] – she practically gives us- first of all let’s back up. You go into this office and she tells you this by giving you almost what you call a cat of nine tails. You know what I am talking about?
Mallory: No…
Elizabeth: It’s like a braided rope right here and it’s a handle and then there are 3 or 4 or 6 lighter weight braided ropes coming out with little knots in them.
Mallory: Oh okay, yeah.
Elizabeth: That’s a cat of nine tails; only this didn’t have nine tails.
Mallory: Okay.
Elizabeth: This is ridiculous- and every Friday night after supper, you would go up to your cell, you didn’t have a bedroom you, you slept in a dormitory, with curtains around it and in the day the curtains were pushed back. You could never go to your bedroom again during the day- unless you were dying.
Mallory: Okay.
Elizabeth: Once you left in the morning that was it. You didn’t go back till the end of the after night prayer. So you kept your stuff up there – but on Friday you could do this – you could go up to your cell and get this cat of nine tails - which really wasn’t nine tails.
Mallory: Hmm…
Elizabeth: Because then you would all go down to the cafeteria where all the windows have blinds on them and they turn out the lights –and – [laughs] this is all so ridiculous now. You have to raise up your umm tunic that was what the habit was called and flagellate, that was the word, hit your bottom with this cat of nine tails while everybody said the same prayer all together in total darkness. –Well I didn’t do it.
Mallory: What was– what was the point –
Elizabeth: the purpose is – well it’s Friday [laughs] – [Pause] It’s Friday, and that was the day that Jesus Christ died on the cross and we should all suffer and make up for our sins.
Mallory – [Laughs] – I’m sorry- it’s not- it’s kind of just – it’s kind of out there!
Elizabeth: It’s medieval! It’s medieval!
Mallory: Yeah!
Elizabeth: Well anyway it just so happened you had to go into the cafeteria, and everybody when you are a Novice, everybody had a job - everybody being a Novice. We kept that place clean – I’m telling you. My job was the cafeteria I had to keep it clean – so I knew every nook and corner of it and I knew there was this little cupboard section you could just back right in there and –
Mallory: [Laughs]
Elizabeth: nobody could see you or hear you or nada! [Laughs]
Mallory: [Laughs]
Elizabeth: So that’s where I went! [Laughs] I said ah- I didn’t swear but I said I’m not going to do this.
Mallory: [Laughs]
Elizabeth: [Laughs]
Mallory: [Laugh] so you had to do – so every Friday you had – you would go and hide in this closet [Laughs]
Elizabeth: And then when I went to Omaha well not Omaha – Omaha was the same but when I went to Detroit they had a really nice convent, this huge long hall, and you could go out in the hall and close all the doors and that is like blinded to the public, there are no ways- and that’s where they do the same thing there and there was no place to hide when I was in Detroit.
Mallory: Yeah…
Elizabeth: I just had to do it.
Mallory: So did anyone see that you were hiding in there even like –
Elizabeth: No one ever ever ever said a word. No one. And I was not far from the Novice Mistress.
Mallory: Wow.
Elizabeth: I couldn’t even look over there anyway, I didn’t want to look at anybody. I just went right, backed right into this little cupboard, like it was a big cupboard it wasn’t little, but it was a big cupboard. We kept all the towels and linens and salt shakers and stuff like that you know.
Mallory: Oh my gosh- yeah. That’s definitely just different –
Elizabeth: So that I did not like but because I found an out – I just blew it off.
Mallory: Right.
Elizabeth: Cause I didn’t have- I did not participate, I didn’t get into it, I didn’t think about it.
