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

[IwantToRetire]

Three Austrian nuns in their 80s have run away from the retirement home where they were placed and gone back to their former convent.

Sister Bernadette, 88, Sister Regina, 86, and Sister Rita, 82, are the last three nuns at the Kloster Goldenstein convent in Elsbethen, just outside Salzburg.

They regained access with the help of former students and a locksmith.

Church authorities are not happy - but the nuns are.

"I am so pleased to be home," Sister Rita said. "I was always homesick at the care home. I am so happy and thankful to be back."

The trio say they were taken out of the convent against their will in December 2023.

continues at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y8r2gk0vyo

The Nun's Liberation Movement !!

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

It may be they chose the home because it was closer to where they were already living in the community. Or because the care required was likely to become more specialised.

It's a very fun story on the surface, but anyone who has had to deal with an elderly person who needs or will soon need specialised help, but isn't willing to go to where that is available, knows that it's not always as simple as "let them stay."

but anyone who has had to deal with an elderly person who needs or will soon need specialised help, but isn't willing to go to where that is available, knows that it's not always as simple as "let them stay."

But that reflects the other side of the "problem".

Those who say it is much more efficient to have an institution devoted to this, as opposed to those (who probably have memories of when this was common in communities and families) that older people with whatever level of need were able to rely on local and family support.

So on one level those who should be having a critical look at is those who helped them return to their home, and to find out how committed they are to provide the framework that allows them to continue to live there.

So the escape is a one off rewarding event. But will there still be the same number of people, in the middle of the winter months?

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've just had a look at these links and been reminded that Austria is a very Catholic country. For a country with a population not much over 9 million it has a LOT of monasteries and convents for both men and women and a good number of the communities concerned still wear the traditional habit, or close approximations of it. It means that the three escapee nuns are simply wearing what they have always worn since they entered their community so many years ago.

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

This. So the women in nursing and teaching orders are sisters, whereas Poor Clares are nuns.

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?

Well, they’re Augustinians. The Augustinians have teaching/nursing and contemplative foundations. I assume that if their convent was a former boarding school, they were teaching sisters, rather than contemplatives, and the media just didn’t grasp the difference.

Exactly.

That's my understanding. The school was a boarding school, so in many ways acted like an enclosed community. As far as I know, the few remaining Catholic schools attached to monastic communities in the UK are boarding schools, e.g Ampleforth.

The boarding school is still there. That's what they said in the statement by the church. They emphasize this as that's what apparently had been a strong wish of the sisters, their school being continued, and that they fulfilled this wish. Now the arch diocese of Salzburg is responsible for it.

Background of the building - only in German, just put it into a translator:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Goldenstein

The overarching congregation they belong to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonesses_of_Saint-Augustin_of_the_Notre-Dame_Congregation

The German wiki entry explains that the specific religious order the nuns belong to is very small, with the nearest other group being in the middle of Germany. The greater community is a bit larger, though.

Those who now administrate their order were chosen also by the nuns, years ago (from the church statement) and are a (spiritually) related group, together with the leader of the German "mother" order.
The connections between the orders seem a bit like branches from a tree, so that some sub-groups are now very small, as the women grow older.

As far as nuns vs sisters go, it is often the case that the media has a poor grasp of the differernce and uses the wrong terms.

I also am not sure if the same division of terms exists in German?

I think the Augustinians use both terms depending on the order and its work, it is one of the largest groups of monastics of all types.

Anglicans btw have the same distinction, but I don't think the Orthodox do in the same way.

Only in the last five years or so as the various orders have aged out and the Archdioceses have taken control. Some still continue their other work, such as overseas education, albeit largely with sisters from the countries they went to, particularly following Vatican II.

I nearly made a new thread about this it is so exciting.

Older women fight back and win.

Who cares about giving up social media.

All their new fans can post info!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0l9z176lnlo

(Have just seen they haven't agreed to the conditions!)

They took a vow of obedience though. So they really should comply!

Well yes, but ... they have shown by standing up to the patriarchal church they have had a victory.

So why not carry on the good fight?!

Many priests took a vow of chastity too, and look what that led to.

This is an amazing story, and how typical that male dominated decisions were taken on their behalf, because it's good for the church's coffers them.

This is great, the power of social media has saved them

Looks like they're not allowed any contact with the outside world either just a priest. I'd refuse.

If that’s what they want then all power to their be-habited elbows.

Amazing. Well done to them.

Absolutely, The moment they gave up their connection to the outside world, they'd be forcibly moved again with no way of seeking support.

Well done them! Hope they don’t agree to the conditions ascribed as I wouldn’t trust the church to renege once again!