Nuns on the run — uprising in an Austrian convent
Three Augustinian nuns are refusing to return to the retirement home and are occupying their convent, which has been their home for decades. Despite the dissolution of the convent and church orders, they want to stay.
Home is where the heart is
Sisters Bernadette (center), Regina (left) and Rita are causing a stir with their unusual rebellion — and not just in Austria. The women, who are all over the age of 80, have moved out of their retirement home and gained access to their old convent in Goldenstein near Salzburg, where they lived until two years ago. Now they don't want to leave.
Defying the church
The three Augustinian choir women are defying the orders of the church by occupying the convent. The trio's superior, Provost Markus Grasl, head of the Reichersberg Abbey, has demanded their return to the nursing home — so far without success. The nuns are said to require care and the building is no longer suitable for them. The sisters, of course, see things differently.
Right of residence for life
The three women lived in the convent near the Bavarian border for decades and taught at the affiliated school. After the community dwindled, the convent was dissolved in 2024. It had already been transferred to the Archdiocese of Salzburg and Reichersberg Abbey in 2022. The sisters retained the right to live there, but only as long as it was "justifiable for health and spiritual reasons."
Involuntary move
After stays in hospital, the nuns were transferred to a Caritas home in December 2023. "We couldn't go back to our rooms; the locks had been changed, and we no longer had access to our belongings," recalled Sister Bernadette of the forced move. She herself was once a pupil at the school where she later taught.
Not 'squatters or burglars'
"We don't feel like squatters or burglars," Sister Bernadette told the Kronenzeitung newspaper, explaining that she does not want to live in the nursing home or die there. Their story has now made headlines around the world, and some of the nuns' supporters have even set up an Instagram account for the trio, which now has more than 40,000 followers.
Making headlines
Several people support the nuns in their daily lives and diligently produce social media content for them. Sister Rita is even learning English for her international followers. The account shows the elderly nuns praying, eating or cleaning. It's unclear how the case will proceed, as both sides remain entrenched.
What happens next?
Provost Grasl has not spoken directly with the nuns since they began the occupation. The three nuns, on the other hand, would like to have a constructive discussion. The president of the Federation of Augustinian Nuns, Sister Beate Brandt, told the church media platform katholisch.de: "I cannot tolerate this." The situation at Goldenstein Abbey remains tense.