Three elderly Austrian nuns have defied their diocese and abandoned their nursing home to return to the convent where they spent most of their lives. The dramatic move has reignited a dispute with church authorities in Salzburg, Austria, over their living arrangements and care.
On September 4, Sister Regina, 86, Sister Rita, 81, and Sister Bernadette, 88, left their nursing facility and made their way back to Schloss Goldenstein, a centuries-old convent and former girls’ school nestled in the Alps. The women had lived and worked there for decades before being relocated to a nursing home in late 2023,something they insist happened against their will.
Upon their return, the sisters discovered that the monastery no longer had electricity or running water. Supporters quickly stepped in, supplying emergency generators, water, and other necessities, local broadcaster ORF reported. Their former students have also rallied around them, helping organize daily routines and ensuring medical support through a family doctor.
Despite their advanced age, the nuns have taken to social media to document their unconventional stand. Within a week of returning, they amassed more than 10,000 followers on Instagram, where they share glimpses of their daily lives. Posts show them praying, cooking, and attending mass, as well as navigating the dilapidated building. In one clip, 88-year-old Sister Bernadette is seen unclogging a sink, while others highlight their challenges in climbing the monastery’s stairs without a stairlift.
The standoff stems from a longstanding conflict with their superior, Provost Markus Grasl, and the Archdiocese of Salzburg. The tension began when the women were removed from Goldenstein last year. Since then, the sisters have publicly accused Grasl and the church of mistreatment, allegations reported in the Austrian press.
Grasl, however, insists the nuns’ current actions are both risky and unreasonable. In a statement following their departure from the nursing home, he described the situation as “completely incomprehensible,” noting that the sisters had previously been in “intensive discussions” about their future. He argued that Goldenstein’s facilities no longer meet basic care standards.
“The rooms in the monastery are no longer usable and in no way meet the requirements for orderly care,” Grasl said. “It is clear that an independent life in Goldenstein Monastery is no longer possible, particularly given the precarious health situation of the sisters.”
On September 6, he issued another warning, expressing concern that the women were “overestimating themselves” and could face a medical emergency.
Reichersberg Abbey, which has overseen the convent since 2022, has also backed Grasl’s position. While the abbey initially promised the sisters they could remain at Goldenstein as long as their health permitted, it has now indicated that returning to the nursing home is “unavoidable.”
For their part, the nuns remain adamant that they will not go back. They argue that their convent is their true home, and they prefer to live,and die,there. “Before I die in that old people’s home, I would rather go to a meadow and enter eternity that way,” Sister Bernadette told the BBC.
Although their supporters have restored electricity and hot water to their rooms, questions remain about the long-term sustainability of their stay. For now, however, the three octogenarian sisters show no sign of backing down, determined to spend their remaining years within the walls of the convent they still call home.
