Three elderly Austrian nuns in their eighties have secured a temporary victory in their extraordinary standoff with Church authorities, winning permission to remain in their beloved convent despite previously being relocated to a care home against their will.
Sisters Bernadette (88), Regina (86), and Rita (82) – the last remaining residents of Kloster Goldenstein convent near Salzburg – have been granted conditional residence following weeks of tension. The breakthrough came after Church representatives offered a compromise: the nuns may stay indefinitely provided they cease all social media activities that have garnered international attention.
Their controversial return to the historic convent in September 2023, facilitated by former students and a locksmith after eight months in Church-mandated care, sparked both global support and institutional disapproval. The nuns’ social media presence, managed by supporters, has attracted nearly 100,000 Instagram followers through candid glimpses of their daily routines – from prayer sessions to Sister Rita’s recently viral boxing workouts.
Harald Schiffl, spokesman for Provost Markus Grasl of Reichersberg Abbey, confirmed to Austrian Press Agency that the Church’s conditions include maintaining the convent’s enclosed areas as restricted spaces and accepting regular medical and spiritual oversight. In exchange, the nuns would receive official permission to remain with necessary support services.
The trio’s deep roots at Schloss Goldenstein span decades: Sister Bernadette arrived as a student in 1948 (sharing classrooms with actress Romy Schneider), followed by Sister Regina in 1958 and Sister Rita in 1962. All taught at the convent’s school, with Sister Regina serving as headmistress before declining numbers led to the community’s dissolution in early 2024.
The nuns have yet to respond to the Church’s conditions, leaving their future uncertain despite the temporary reprieve.