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I Saw A Nun Walking Down The Street

 

I've been doing a lot of thinking. I live in New York, and everything is shut down because of the Pandemic. Last night, I remembered something that happened to me when I was really young. Probably about 6 or 7 years old.

I was watching the Memorial Day parade that my town puts on every year. I remember looking around, I had lost track of my Mom and was trying to find them. They ended up being a short distance behind me. Satisfied, I turned back to watch the parade. Only to notice something odd out of the corner of my eye.

There was a Nun walking down the sidewalk, holding the lower corners of her apron. It was clear she was carrying something in her apron. I remember calling out to her, and her walking over to me. I said hi, and asked what she was carrying. She lowered the edge of my apron so I could look.

There laying in her apron, was a tiny baby boy. He looked like he was no more then a day or two old. And he was completely naked. No diaper, nothing.

I asked what his name was, and the nun said that he didn't have one; the Nun smiled at me before walking away.

It's important to note, that my town is nowhere near any sort of orphanage or Nunnery.

It's also important to note, that my town sits on a ton history. But to my knowledge, there has never been a Nunnery, Catholic Church, or Orphanage anywhere near my town.

I never saw anyone or anything like her outside of TV again.

I'm not sure if this was a ghost, or what. But I most certainly can NOT explain it.

Any ideas concerning what I might have experienced would be welcome.

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Cole_Harris, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Cole_Harris (11 stories) (29 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-08-07)
Sorry it took me so long to respond. My parents actually grew up in a town several hours from where we currently live. And we don't really know anything about ancestors. All that we know is that they came from Scotland, Ireland, and France. Also, the only David in my family (to my knowledge), was alive at the time. And a year or two older then me.
Triskaideka (2 stories) (388 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-06-08)
Is your family from the same general area? Got any Davids in your family? It crossed my mind this was someone showing you an ancestor. Not very likely at all - mostly just a fun thought. 🙂
LuciaJacinta (8 stories) (291 posts)
+9
4 years ago (2020-06-07)
This is a weird one for sure. I read it two weeks ago but keep thinking of it so, I'll leave a comment. I think it was real. The nun just probably went unnoticed, it could have been a situation where the baby was being given up for adoption and maybe an unsavory situation that produced the child with someone acting quickly to keep things hush hush. She could have come from a distance to go to a home to pick up a newborn in a private adoption.
Caz (342 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-05-30)
Hi Cole,
I know this is probably unlikely, but it did cross my mind that this Nun could've been a spirit collecting the spirit of a dead baby to take it 'home'!
Cole_Harris (11 stories) (29 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-05-29)
Silthane61 I don't think that could be unfortunately. Due to certain medical issues, it would be life threatening for me to have children.
silverthane61 (4 stories) (344 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
Cole, do you think it may be possible that you were shown an image of a baby that you may have in your future? Wouldn't that be wild and exciting?
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+7
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
Cole_Harris.

Thanks for the additional information. After visiting your profile we can tell that you witnessed this event during the early 2000's.

A quick google search reveals an extensive history of orphanages run by the church within the New York area though, to be honest, since I didn't read all of the articles, I can't say if any of those orphanages was still running during the early 2000's, hence this is not enough evidence to decide if the nun was a live person or not.

The following link talks about a church run orphanage still functioning during the 1960's and briefly narrates some events that happened there.

Https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2012/history-of-n-y-catholic-orphanages-also-tells-moving-personal-story-cns-1201189.cfm

Either a living person or a ghost, I think this woman's identity might be registered somewhere in the annals of the history of New York state and she's there waiting for somebody willing to do the detective work necessary to find her.

May I ask to describe to more detail the way she was carrying the child?
I have a very active imagination that tends to feed my mind's eye with rather comical images, and when I read the part where "There was a Nun walking down the sidewalk, holding the lower corners of her apron", what I picture is a nun holding her apron in the same way Cinderella's stepsisters hold their petticoats while the baby's weight makes a dangling ball that swings between the nun's legs at every step. Perhaps what you mean is she was holding the baby on her arms and using her lifted apron as a blanket to cover him?

Https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/331929435017373103/

Regardless is your encounter was paranormal or not, it must have been an interesting thing to see for you at that age.

Once again, thanks for sharing.
Cole_Harris (11 stories) (29 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
I just realized that I left something out of the update I posted in the comments.

I've been thinking about this experience for the past few days. And I think (I'm not sure this actually happened), that I may have suggested that the baby be named David. I think it was after this comment, that she smiled at me and walked away.
Cole_Harris (11 stories) (29 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
Hey there folks! Thanks for all the comments! Just thought I'd clear things up. The one detail I find the strangest is that I was the only one who noticed her. She walked away, but she moved around others instead of others making space for her.

When it comes to her abbot, the closest comparison I can think of is that of a Benedictine Nun.

I don't really speak of paranormal experiences because they seem to be determined to remain skeptics and will dismiss anything I try and say on the matter as soon as I bring it up.

From I can remember my Mother didn't really do anything. I'm not sure if she had lost track of me, like I had hurt and she thought I was still in front of her watching the parade; or if she was so distracted she didn't see what was happening.

From what I can remember the baby was fussing slightly, but wasn't crying outright. You know that stage infants get where they're upset or uncomfortable and are about start screaming.

Sadly that is the extent of my memory, everything else about this incident is blurry. However, I know that there has to be more to this story. My town sits on too much history for this not to be at least slightly paranormal. (If you want to know said history, you can visit my profile page).

Best of luck to all of you in this topsy turvy world! 😁 😘
silverthane61 (4 stories) (344 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
I do think this was strange - if not paranormal - simply because in a crowd full of adults, not one person seemed to do anything about it. If there were no Catholic institutions nearby, then the sight of a Nun - with or without a baby - would have certainly attracted many eyes. I suspect you saw something that only you were meant to see. There are plenty of stories involving angels who have appeared to take little babies who have died at, before, or soon after birth. In conservative Catholic literature (I am Catholic), angels that appear as people (and not as rays of light or light entities) appear solid and in the flesh.
VeronicaMarie (5 stories) (106 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2020-05-28)
Cole, is there any remote chance that she might have been carrying around a very lifelike baby doll? Since you were at a very young age, and likely only got a fleeting glance, just wondered if that could be a possibility. Because the way you describe how the nun was acting, it sounds like she quite possibly wasn't mentally all there. Whatever was actually going on, it strikes me as really sad for some reason.
Alina5 (3 stories) (136 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-05-27)
Lady-glow,

I agree with your point. However, if the any couple had given up their child for some reason or the other. It is still strange as to why she was carrying the kid in her apron which is probably the most vulnerable form of carrier for the kid. It's like endangering the kid's life knowingly. What if he somehow slipped from her lower gown?

Apart from that the O/P hasn't mentioned anything regarding the boy being alive or dead. How can a new born baby not cry in such an atmosphere? (noise of parade and stuffs). Since infants are more sensitive to noises than adults. It further enhances the mystery surrounding the lady.

Hopefully, the O/P clarifies the doubts.

Peace
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-05-27)
Lady-glow,

That's a good point. It is human nature to try to hide crimes while they are being committed. It doesn't make sense for a person to kidnap a baby and NOT go straight into hiding. The behavior of this nun was strange but she wasn't trying to hide anything.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-05-27)
Alina5.

That is an interesting point though, in my opinion, it would make no sense for a kidnapper to expose themselves to any witness, much less to walk through a parade and to show their victim to some one, not even to a little kid. A witness is a witness regardless of their age.

Another possibility would be the nun taking away a baby borned out of wedlock, either because the mother couldn't rise her child or to spare a family the "shame" and "dishonour" that a fatherless child would bring upon them.

A kidnapped baby would have made it to the local news, probably even to national news. Depending on the OP's age at the time of the events, it's possible that an Amber Alert would have been issued. On the other hand, a baby given away for whatever reason wouldn't have stir any of these.

Cole_Harris.

Do you remember the nun's habit? Knowing details like it's colour and style could shed some light to the order this nun belonged and the closest place where she could have lived; from there it would be easy to determine if this place operated like an orphanage.

Something else missing from your narrative is if you saw the nun walking away, though I imagine she did, otherwise you would have said she vanished.

I thank beforehand your feedback.
Alina5 (3 stories) (136 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-05-27)
Hello Cole_Harris,

I do agree with the other posters there is not enough evidence to claim this experience as a staunch paranormal one.

But the thing which I'm internally scared of is

Is it possible you witnessed a forewarned crime?

Aside from unusual it is absurd to carry a baby in the lower gown of apron or any such vulnerable carriers which is only of 2 days. An infant after birth needs utmost care since the organs of the baby are still sensitive to the surroundings. And taking it out in a noisy atmosphere and naked prone to pollution and dust is a threat to its life. It's absolute LUNACY.

I suspect the lady of kidnapping. And worse if she's an infant predator who turns out to be a psychopath. Her behaviour is absolutely abnormal in this case.

Did nobody else witnessed it?

Hopefully, the child is safe and secure to have a bright childhood.

Peace
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+7
4 years ago (2020-05-26)
What an uncomfortable and unusual way for carrying a baby.

Even if there were not churches, orphanages or nunneries in the town, the nun could have arrived riding some sort of transportation.

In my opinion, there's a key part of information missing in your narrative, this would be your mother's reaction to the nun.
As a mother, if my child began talking to a stranger on the street I would have approached them in case my child was being pesky or would have ask them who were they talking to if I had seen no one around.
Have you asked your mother if she saw the nun?

It's hard to say if the nun was a person or a spirit.

Thanks for sharing.
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-05-26)
Hi Cole_Harris,

The nun doesn't seem strange to me but I guess the new born baby does. I don't feel like this is a supernatural event; but, I think I would still remember this event now, if it had happened to me!

Was there anything unsettling about the nun, other than the baby in her apron?

The more I think about it, the more unusual it is that she would be conveying a new born baby in her apron - through a noisy street filled with parade spectators (not to mention the noisy parade itself).

Well, I don't know if this was paranormal; but it sure is curious! Thank you for sharing this experience - though, I feel more confused than I was when I got here.

- Maria

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