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Austrian nuns in 80s win right to stay in convent-on one condition
Three elderly nuns who defied Church orders by returning to their former convent in Austria have been granted permission to stay-provided they abandon their burgeoning social media presence, officials announced this week.
Sisters Bernadette (88), Regina (86), and Rita (82), the last remaining residents of Kloster Goldenstein convent near Salzburg, had been forcibly relocated to a care home in December 2023. In September, with the help of former students and a locksmith, they reoccupied the convent, sparking a months-long standoff with Church authorities.
Church offers compromise after global attention
A spokesman for Provost Markus Grasl of Reichersberg Abbey, Harald Schiffl, told the Austrian Press Agency (APA) that the nuns could remain at Kloster Goldenstein "until further notice"-but under strict conditions. The sisters must cease all social media activity and restrict access to the convent's enclosed areas to order members only. In exchange, they will receive medical care and spiritual support from a priest.
"Now it's up to the sisters," Schiffl said, noting their formal response is still pending. The BBC has reached out to the nuns for comment.
From classroom to viral fame
The trio's online presence-featuring prayer sessions, communal meals, and Sister Rita's exercise routines (including a recent gift of boxing gloves)-has drawn nearly 100,000 Instagram followers and thousands more on Facebook. Supporters have provided food, electricity, and logistical aid, amplifying their story globally.
Kloster Goldenstein, a castle-turned-convent and school since 1877, holds deep personal ties for the nuns. Sister Bernadette arrived as a student in 1948, sharing classrooms with actress Romy Schneider. Sisters Regina (1958) and Rita (1962) later joined as teachers, with Regina serving as headmistress. The school, now coeducational, remains operational.
Dwindling community, contested autonomy
By 2022, the convent's dwindling numbers led the Archdiocese of Salzburg and Reichersberg Abbey to assume control. Though granted lifelong residency rights, the nuns were deemed unfit to live independently due to health concerns. Their December 2023 transfer to a care home prompted their dramatic return.
"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 in September.
Provost Grasl had previously called their return "completely incomprehensible." The latest compromise follows weeks of negotiations, though the nuns' final decision remains uncertain.
