Nuns Escape Nursing Home To Return To Alpine Convent

Three elderly Austrian nuns—Sister Bernadette (88), Sister Regina (86), and Sister Rita (82)—have taken a bold step by returning to their old convent near Salzburg after being moved into a nursing home in December 2023, a move they say was forced and wrong. 

They went back to Kloster Goldenstein in Elsbethen, which had previously been their home for many years. Since the convent’s locks had been changed, they enlisted the help of a locksmith and a number of their former pupils to regain entry to their former living spaces. 

For them, being back is emotional. Sister Rita said she “was always homesick” at the care home and is “so happy and thankful to be back.” Sister Bernadette said they were never asked whether they wanted to move, and that their right to remain at the convent until death had been violated. She added that obedience had been her way of life, but that this situation exceeded what she felt was fair. 

On the other side, church authorities—specifically the Archdiocese of Salzburg in conjunction with Reichersberg Abbey, now over the convent—argue that the convent building is no longer suitable for their care needs. They say the sisters were moved to ensure they got “essential, professional, and good medical care” which the old building could no longer provide. 

Some important background: the convent has functioned for decades not only as a home for the nuns, but also as a private school (originally for girls; it began admitting boys in 2017). The three sisters have been connected to it for most of their adult lives—teaching, leading, being part of the school community. 

After their return, the building lacked basic services—water, electricity—and even their stairlift had been removed. But many supporters (former students, locals) are helping, supplies are coming in, some utilities have been partially restored, and medical checkups are taking place.

The nuns seem resolute: they say they are far happier serving tea and plum dumplings in their old rooms than being confined in a care home. Sister Bernadette was quoted as saying that rather than die in a nursing home, she would prefer to pass away more freely, even in a meadow.

Source: Premier CHRISTIAN NEWS