I do the very same to this day,not out of fear but out of genuine reverence.I went to Catholic schools,including a Catholic boarding school when my mother was very sick,and the nuns were certainly strict (some more than others) but I was never "abused"...physically,psychologically or sexually.Yes,I suppose I feared some of them to a degree but *today* the only thing I fear is God's judgment.That's the main reason I try (with only partial success) to live a good,decent life.
But keep in mind, the building and the seating aren’t what matters. That could all go away and it’s the people under their God, with God moving in them (if He truly does) that matters. I gladly admit my very Protestant bias as a fightin’ fundie, but still... some things need to go into perspective.