Austrian nuns on the run

Three Austrian nuns in their 80s have broken out of their retirement home and headed back to their convent at Schloss Goldenstein, outside Salzburg.

Sister Bernadette: "We are finally back home and in the convent."

When Sister Bernadette, 88, made her getaway, Sister Regina, 86, and Sister Rita, 82, didn't think twice about accompanying her. The kindly nuns had all been teachers at the Catholic school housed within the castle. There was no question where the loyalty of their former students lay, according to Martina Krispler.

Martina Krispler: "There are between 100 and 150 of us who currently support the nuns. We do this because the nuns were always warm, loving, and caring toward us during our school days, and we simply disagree with how the Church is treating them."

In 2022, the convent had been taken over by the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the nearby monastery, Rachesberg Abbey. The remaining nuns were granted the right of residence, providing that they were physically and mentally healthy. Following this, their new superior at the abbey, Provost Grasl, concluded that the three elderly nuns ought to be transferred to a Catholic care home. In 2024, the convent was officially closed.

However, the nuns found life in the care home intolerable and so packed up their modest belongings and left. Sister Bernadette's clear that they were fully within their rights to do so.

Sister Bernadette: "In his eyes, we have broken it (our vows), but not in our eyes, because the contract states that we are allowed to return or have the right to stay here until we die. And we have exercised this right."

On their return, the nuns discovered their apartment locks had been changed, but their students brought in a locksmith to gain entry. They've quickly settled back in, despite a lack of water and electricity initially.

Martina Krispler: "They blossomed from the very first day they were back. Sister Regina was in such bad shape in Karlsberg that she was even given astronaut food to eat. And when I came last week, Sister Regina ate three plates of goulash. So that's a sign that they're doing well and that they're just happy to be back home."

The nuns' experience has opened a wider debate regarding the duties of the Catholic Church to care for its most elderly members. View Less