Anthology 2021 The St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry Writers’ Group

Writings from former children of St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington, Vermont shed new light on the horrific abuses they endured. Their stories reflect those of five million American children who have passed through the orphanage system in the 20th Century alone. Through personal narrative and poetry, these courageous individuals show their tremendous resilience and strength. Their artful renderings, in the form of poetry and non-fiction, demonstrate the way that creative writing can be a vehicle for the communication of important truths as well as an act of healing. Along with poetry and non-fiction developed over the course of a year-long writers’ workshop, the book offers a sampling of exercises for developing writing as well as illuminating conversations with the authors.

Carol Adinolfi has been a working writer and a teacher for over twenty-five years. She has always been dedicated to providing high quality arts education to underserved communities. As Writing Consultant for the Brooklyn Public Library Literacy and Prison Services Program, she led creative writing workshops at the Brooklyn House of Detention for Men. She has served as a consultant and staff developer for the Teachers’ College Reading and Writing Project. In that role she worked with faculty and administrators of New York’s inner-city public schools to make creative writing central to th Gene and his three siblings lived at St. Joseph’s Orphanage from 1964 through 1965. They were raised by a single mother. “She made sure we felt love and kindness. Once we were placed at the orphanage our whole lives changed. We went from a loving home to a place of shame, with sexual and physical abuse being part of our daily lives. After having survived St Joseph’s, I went on with my life, trying to fix all the damage that was done in that sinful place." Gene is a composer, and lives with his wife, Nancy, in Essex Junction, Vermont. They have five children and fourteen grandchildren. Debi’s love for writing and reading began early in life. In fifth grade, she started keeping a diary and has yet to stop. At the age of two, along with her sister and brother, Debi was placed at St. Joseph’s Orphanage. It would be ten years before Debi re-entered society. Today Debi lives on a 174-acre farm in Connecticut with her husband, Jim, and their two dogs. They enjoy spending time with their joined family of six children and five grandchildren. Michael entered St. Joseph’s in 1973, at the age of nine, and he would remain at the orphanage for seven years. When Michael got out of the orphanage, he joined the Navy. After the institutionalization of St. Joseph’s and the abusive behaviors of authority figures there, he found that the military was not a good fit. “My travels have brought me from coast to coast. I was a commercial fisherman in Alaska, sold flooring in Virginia, and I was a cross-country truck driver for many years. Wherever I was, you could always find me with a book in my hand. Michael lives with his wife in Buckingham, VA Katelin wrote her first poem as a child, during her time at the orphanage, and throughout her life she’s continued to write poetry. “I lived at the orphanage from 1970-72, and then at the Elizabeth Lund home for three years. I was able to leave when I graduated early from high school. I’ve spent most of my life in and out of psychiatric hospitals. I’ve never married and never had a real home. But I’ve had five fur-baby children” Katelin studied social work at the University of Vermont for three years. She finished her degree at Burlington College in psychology and human services. Sheila was born in Enosburg Falls, Vermont, the seventh of nine children. “My parents were poor and uneducated and went through many hardships. They were forced to place me and five of my siblings at St. Joseph’s in 1961. In 1968, at the age of 14, I left the orphanage and was placed in three foster homes over a period of several years. A year later, I met a social worker who told me I could do whatever I wanted and live anywhere I liked as long as I did well in school." Sheila lives in Utah with her husband. They have two children and four grandchildren. Sheila continues her work as a nurse.