Three Nuns in Austria Break Into Their Old Convent

But first, they had to escape their retirement home. Supporters celebrate them, their superior is horrified.

Credit: @nonnen_goldenstein

This is the story so far: Three elderly nuns leave a retirement home unexpectedly. Their destination: the former Goldenstein convent near Salzburg. It was their home for decades and they want to return there. But their superior, the provost of Reichersberg, is not amused. It may sound like a fictional Netflix movie, but it isn't.

The main characters in this fabulously unusual drama set in Austria are Sister Bernadette (88), Sister Regina (86) and Sister Rita (81). They belong to the community of Augustinian nuns who ran a Catholic school in Goldenstein Castle for many years and influenced generations of schoolgirls there. However, the convent community dwindled and was officially dissolved at the beginning of 2024.

The remaining nuns were guaranteed a lifelong right of residence, but with the addition: "as long as health and spiritual reasons allow". However, after being hospitalised and as per the rules, the nuns were moved - against their wishes - to a retirement home. "We could no longer return to our rooms, the locks were changed and we no longer had access to our belongings," recalls Sister Bernadette of the involuntary move.

A few days ago, as for as the intrepid trio of nuns were concerned, things took a surprising turn for the better: With the help of a locksmith, the nuns regained access to their beloved old convent. "We don't feel like squatters or burglars," they told the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, explaining their occupation of the convent, which was now an empty building with no electricity or running water. Initially, they had to make do with water canisters and power generators. Happily, electricity and water connections have been partially restored, food has been brought in by supporters and a doctor has already visited them at the convent.

While supporters celebrated the nuns' move as courageous, Provost Markus Grasl, who is responsible for the women, reacted with irritation. "It is completely incomprehensible to me why the sisters have left the church-run retirement home," he said.

Recently, interested parties have even been able to follow the daily lives of the three nuns live: The elderly nuns are now also active on Instagram. The first videos show them eating together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and climbing stairs without a lift. "Grias Gott, now we're back", says the first clip. The sisters receive a lot of encouragement in the comments. Their fighting spirit seems to be awakened: In a short video, Sister Rita challenges anyone who doubts her mobility to a race. It looks as if the cinematic Goldenstein monastery dispute could gain real momentum.

Source