A trio of elderly Catholic nuns have reclaimed their former convent in Austria, describing the moment as one of “immense joy” after leaving a retirement home where they had been placed against their wishes.
“I am so pleased to be home,” 82-year-old Sister Rita told the BBC, speaking from the Kloster Goldenstein convent in Elsbethen, just outside Salzburg. “I was always homesick at the care home. I am so happy and thankful to be back.”
Sisters Rita, Bernadette, 88, and Regina, 86, all former teachers, are the last remaining members of the convent, which has seen its population dwindle amid a broader decline in nunneries across the Roman Catholic Church, The New York Times reported.
A trio of elderly Catholic nuns have reclaimed their former convent in Austria, describing the moment as one of “immense joy” after leaving a retirement home where they had been placed against their wishes.
“I am so pleased to be home,” 82-year-old Sister Rita told the BBC, speaking from the Kloster Goldenstein convent in Elsbethen, just outside Salzburg. “I was always homesick at the care home. I am so happy and thankful to be back.”
Sisters Rita, Bernadette, 88, and Regina, 86, all former teachers, are the last remaining members of the convent, which has seen its population dwindle amid a broader decline in nunneries across the Roman Catholic Church, The New York Times reported.
Their displacement began in 2022, when Markus Grasl, an abbot, assumed management of the convent and informed the nuns that, under church rules requiring at least six members in an order, they would need to move out. In December 2023, the trio was reportedly relocated to a Catholic retirement home. While a spokesperson for Grasl claimed the nuns had agreed to the move, the sisters have strongly disputed that account.
On September 4, aided by former students, the three women left the retirement home and returned to the convent. A locksmith helped them gain entry, even though the building had no running water or electricity at the time.
“I have been obedient all my life, but it was too much,” Sister Bernadette told the BBC, explaining their decision to leave the care facility.
