Defiant nuns flee care home for their abandoned convent in the Alps

Well that's what the explanation I read said, but it seems to me the Nuns in this story were acting more like Sisters.

Or is the difference pupils coming to a convent to be educated, as opposed to a Sister going out to teach at a local school?

Historically nuns belong to contemplative orders and sisters to active ones.

In reading up on this I have just learnt that there is a difference between Sisters and Nuns.

Who knew?

But not sure if this is true between the various Christians groupings, eg Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and ..... ?

I found a statement by the relevant church higher-ups. There they address these rules that this specific group of nuns is connected to; that they cannot elect a new "Oberin" when there are fewer than five people and someone from another order takes over responsibility - but after discussions, not unilaterally.
It is explained that the care home is from the same spiritual order, so that they receive "spiritual" care, too. So both topics - practical and spiritual - would be addressed. But of course we don't know who speaks the truth, and how much is lost in the media.
I suspect behind the story which would make a movie is the typical conflict between "I am independent and way to young for a care home, plus I have my rights from the contract which says I can stay here" and "the independence is scaffolded by a lot of help and the building and medical situation is fragile".
I can understand both sides but for people who are mentally still very sharp, a care home must be excruciating.

I wish there were better options instead.

Would be interesting to know what they planned to do with the nun's quarters; someone who seemed to know the local situation said that most of the building is taken up by the school and boarding school quarters, which makes it unlikely someone will convert the whole thing into a spa or whatever.

German original:
https://www.ordensgemeinschaften.at/9586/stellungnahmen-zur-berichterstattung-ueber-die-goldensteiner-schwestern&ts=1757949325237

Automated translatation:
https://www-ordensgemeinschaften-at.translate.goog/9586/stellungnahmen-zur-berichterstattung-ueber-die-goldensteiner-schwestern&ts=1757949325237?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

This is not going to end well. If they actually do need proper care. The adaptations they had previously have all been removed.
surprised that they weren’t moved to other convents rather than a care home, as people be usual practice in a situation where a convent closes, that bit makes no sense.

This is not going to end well. If they actually do need proper care. The adaptations they had previously have all been removed.
surprised that they weren’t moved to other convents rather than a care home, as people be usual practice in a situation where a convent closes, that bit makes no sense.

Actually I might sub out Judi Dench for Stephanie Cole who played Diana in Waiting for God, she was a battleaxe.

cant wait for the Netflix documentary 😂

Yup ... I hold my hand up to that. A convent round here has built itself a huge posh building with fabulous views in lovely grounds and the nuns do nothing for the community ... just live off the vast riches of the catholic church. Nice work if you can get it .....

There’s always one.

Actually I might sub out Judi Dench for Stephanie Cole who played Diana in Waiting for God, she was a battleaxe.

Well who is paying their electricity bill or their food bill? Anywhere else old women would be paying for their care and day to day expenses. I have no patience with nuns - they are just spongers.

Austrian media has more information:
https://salzburg.orf.at/stories/3321288/

Main points:
They were in a catholic care home in a nearby town:
Seniorenresidenz Schloss Kahlsperg in Oberalm (Tennengau)

Now they have medical care through a GP who has her surgery at the same castle (I assume there are several buildings etc)
Food: deliveries through helpers, evening meal cooked by themselves, they used to have a kitchen which was removed in the meantime and which they want back

One nun needs oxygen, another is diabetic

Also removed since they moved out were additional toilets / shower rooms (why?), which they demand back, too.

They had 4 stairlifts in the buildings, which were all removed, and they demand them back, too.

I don't understand why you'd remove parts of rooms when the next use for the building isn't clear yet

There is a dispute about whether you can adapt their building or not; the bishop etc say you can't; but they insist you can and that they didn't refuse adaptation for their needs 3 years ago

Now the church higher-ups say they wouldn't invest any funds for adaptation anymore, all their needs would be taken care of at the care home.

When they moved, the monastery was transferred to an augustinian foundation, and the connected school to the arch diocese of Salzburg.

The previous agreement states that the nuns were allowed to stay as long as it was "justifiable" regarding their health situation. Two of the three were hospitalized before the care home, and then someone (?) made the decision that they couldn't stay there anymore. Possibly they moved everyone so that they could stay together, and realistically one person shouldn't live alone there.

They have a teacher's pension but currently can't access it.

It's a great story, and it is likely that the new owners have financial interests and don't want them living there anymore. If someone lived somewhere 60+ years, it surely is difficult to let that go. There is a danger of de-skilling in care homes, too, when they could do cooking and other tasks by themselves.

On the other hand, when their health varies and one will become more ill, then you will end up with the situation that only 1-2 persons might be left, while the other has to move back to the care home. This will break up their group, too. And the longer they wait with the move, the harder it will be to get used to the new surroundings.

Another aspect which might be important to to them being nuns, is that they are used to a much much calmer environment than a care home is, and that it just drives them crazy, and I can understand that as well.

They look weird - most nuns haven't worn those old-style habits for decades, these days they tend to wear sensible skirts and cardis, and no veil.
Maybe these ones have broken out the old habits to look more photogenic...

It's interest to read posters saying they'd like to join them in their convent - becoming a nun was the only way out of compulsory marriage and annual childbirths for girls in Ireland in the past, and also the only way to get teacher training or a university education, which most families couldn't afford.

Obviously there were pretty serious downsides - chastity probably wasn't the worst of them for some nuns, given the alternatives on offer - but it was a choice which gave women a degree of protection, independence from men on a day-to-day basis, educational opportunities and a job.

In the fields of education and nursing, a lot of them did a good job. Obviously nuns are a mixed bunch, and there are negative stories, but many of us convent girls can remember teaching nuns who encouraged and inspired us.

As a previous poster said: underestimate nuns at your peril!

It's interesting that religious orders putting old nuns in retirement homes is unpopular here in Ireland for a different reason - the feeling is that the orders should be paying reparation to the residents of institutions instead of providing comfy homes for old nuns...

Yup ... I hold my hand up to that. A convent round here has built itself a huge posh building with fabulous views in lovely grounds and the nuns do nothing for the community ... just live off the vast riches of the catholic church. Nice work if you can get it .....