Marine Corps Commandant Gen. John Amos, a distinguished and successful man, visited Cleveland, my home town, the other day and spoke about his education.

He said he’d gotten in trouble in the second grade at the Catholic school he’d attended and the nuns “beat the poop out of me.”

I attended Catholic schools, too, and while the sisters, Daughters of the Divine Redeemer, didn’t “beat the poop out of me”, they did rap my knuckles, smack me on the head, and pull my ears and hair.  One of them, Sister Rose, even threatened to hit me with a pop bottle, (but didn’t).

On this Father’s Day, I want to thank all those sisters who taught me at St. Emeric’s School, because they ultimately had as much to do with raising me as did my parents.

I resented the way the sisters treated me at the time, but as the years have passed, as I’ve become a father and grandfather, I’ve understood the wisdom of what they did and the values they taught me.

I wasn’t a saintly kid (as I’m not a saintly man), and the sisters knew very well that they were dealing with a kid who got in trouble and could get into much more serious trouble.

It sure wasn’t easy, but they finally — finally — got my attention. Sister Rose told the class once: “Joe’s either going to go to jail or he’ll be famous.”  So far…I’ve managed to stay out of jail.

I go out of my way to thank the sisters who rapped my knuckles and pulled my hair because it seems to me that the Vatican, for mysterious reasons of its own, has initiated a campaign of vilifying nuns — especially American nuns.  I think it’s important for Catholics, especially devout Catholics, those who believe in the Church, to speak up in the sisters’ defense.

I’ve also had recent experience with a nun, a Notre Dame sister, Sister Grace, who has forever changed my son Nick’s life, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to her.

Nick is now 16 years old and a junior in high school.  He met Sister Grace in the 7th grade.  He was then a C and D student.  Sister Grace is in her 70’s, birdlike and frail, and she simply couldn’t and didn’t accept that Nick was a C and D student.

She was all over him, challenging him, telling him off, calling us at home to support her.  Sister Grace went on a full-scale commando-like campaign.  No knuckle rapping or hair pulling, of course, the world has changed.  But lots of effort, energy and commitment.

Sister Grace got Nick’s attention the way Sister Rose had gotten mine so many years ago.  She taught Nick focus and discipline.  She taught him a work ethic.  He is now an A and B student who works on his homework sometimes until the early hours of the morning.

And Sister Grace taught him one other thing, a deep faith (although Naomi and I had something to do with that, too).

So I want to thank Sister Grace and Sister Rose and Sister Clementine and Sister Pearl, the Daughters of the Divine Redeemer and the Sisters of Notre Dame…for changing my life and my son Nick’s life.  Thank you for caring so deeply.  Thank you for putting your wondrous hearts into it.

And now I want to tell the Pope that there is still a 2,000-pound dead elephant stinking up the room — pedophilia.  Please, Holy Father — Big Papa! — focus on getting rid of the smell in the room…and leave the Sister Graces of the world alone so they can continue their grace-filled magic of transforming lives.

As far as my hair-pulling goes, I thank Sister Clementine for pulling mine and for pulling it so often.  Even at my advanced age, my hair grows long and thick (to Mel Gibson’s envy and chagrin) and I’m sure…God is good!…that it’s thanks to Sister Clementine’s dedicated and labored efforts.