Austrian Nuns Flee Care Home to Return to Their Convent
In the Austrian town of Elsbethen, just outside Salzburg, three elderly Augustinian nuns have captured national attention after escaping a nursing home to return to the convent where they spent most of their lives.
Sisters Rita (82), Regina (86), and Bernadette (88) lived for decades at the convent of Schloss Goldenstein, serving the parish and an adjoining school. Two years ago, as the number of nuns dwindled, church authorities decided to close the cloister and move the remaining sisters to a nursing home. The three say the move was forced and deeply upsetting.
Sister Bernadette recalls being discharged from the hospital and expecting to go home to the convent. Instead, she says, she was taken to the nursing home still in her nightgown. The sisters say they repeatedly tried to reach their superior, Provost Markus Grasl, to express their unhappiness, but were unable to speak with him.
This summer, with the help of local parishioners, the sisters staged their return. Supporters rented a U-Haul, hired a locksmith, and helped the nuns reenter the convent. The trio jokingly refers to themselves as “rebellious sisters,” though their actions have strained their relationship with church leadership.
Provost Grasl, speaking through a public relations representative, insists the sisters were consulted about the move and says it was made for their own safety given their age. He argues that their return to the convent is unwise and that their growing media presence—especially an Instagram account that now has tens of thousands of followers—is inappropriate for their order.
But supporters say publicity is the only reason the sisters haven’t been removed again. Former students, volunteers, and neighbors now help provide daily care, determined to let the nuns “grow old on their own terms.” They have organized 24-hour assistance and remain close by if needed.
Canon law expert Wolfgang Rothe says the accusation that the sisters have broken their vows is misguided. Their vow of obedience, he explains, refers to mutual listening within the community—not blind submission to higher authorities. He believes media attention is crucial to protecting vulnerable people within the church.
Despite the controversy, the sisters say they are simply grateful to be home together. They spend their days praying, greeting visitors, and welcoming the curious who arrive after seeing their story. To them, returning was an act of faith, not defiance. As Sister Bernadette says, “Every sister can be herself. That is the beauty of our order.”