Three elderly Augustinian nuns escaped a senior home in December 2023 and reclaimed their former convent at Kloster Goldenstein, Austria, defying church orders to relocate. The sisters rejected Provost Markus Grasl’s compromise requiring them to accept an outside priest and 24-hour medical care, with Sister Bernadette citing a broken promise to remain at the convent until death. Supporters have rallied behind the nuns, organizing care and helping them become social media influencers, while the Vatican now weighs the final decision on their fate.
Three elderly nuns in Austria have turned their quiet convent into an unexpected battleground, refusing to return to the nursing home where church authorities relocated them nearly two years ago. Their situation has drawn attention amid broader debates over Old Testament passages that influence Church policies.
Sister Bernadette, 88, Sister Regina, 86, and Sister Rita are the last surviving members of an Augustinian order at Kloster Goldenstein near Elsbethen, Austria. The convent once housed 30 sisters at its peak but was dissolved in 2024 under Vatican regulations governing shrinking congregations.
Church officials cited the building’s deteriorating condition and the nuns’ advanced age as reasons for moving them to Kahlsperg Castle senior home in December 2023.
The sisters saw things differently. On September 4, 2025, they escaped the nursing home with help from former students, a local locksmith, and approximately 200 supporters.
They broke into their shuttered convent and reclaimed their former quarters, drawing international coverage from BBC and CNN.
Provost Markus Grasl of Reichersberg Abbey, located 62 miles north and serving as their ecclesiastical superior, called their return “completely incomprehensible” and accused them of breaking their vows.
He offered a compromise allowing them to stay if they restored the cloister, accepted a priest from his abbey, arranged 24-hour medical care, and registered on a nearby nursing home waiting list.
The nuns rejected the agreement. Sister Rita explicitly refused the terms, while Sister Bernadette cited a broken promise that they could remain at the convent until death.
They particularly opposed restrictions on their social media presence and the assignment of a priest from Reichersberg Abbey, preferring their current confessor.
The dispute has now escalated to Vatican authorities in Rome for final resolution. Grasl’s conditions also required the sisters to cease legal actions against church authorities.
In October 2025, the sisters submitted a statement to the Salzburg prosecutor’s office calling for an investigation into six matters, particularly targeting Grasl’s responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the nuns have become unlikely social media influencers in their eighties, posting updates despite church demands to stop.
Supporters have organized 24-hour care beginning next week, and the local community continues rallying behind them.
For these three sisters, the convent represents more than shelter—it is home, and they insist on staying.
