Runaway Nuns: The Austrian Sisters Who Escaped Back to Their Castle

COLOMBO / SALZBURG – If you thought only films have rebellious old ladies, Austria has just given us three real-life heroines: Sister Bernadette (88), Sister Regina (86) and Sister Rita (82).

All in their 80s, these three Catholic nuns shocked the Austrian Church by running away from their retirement home and sneaking back to their beloved convent — Schloss Goldenstein, a castle outside Salzburg.

The Backstory

For Sri Lankan readers: monasteries and convents in Europe are often centuries-old institutions. Goldenstein Convent has been around since 1877, running a private girls’ school that later admitted boys. Generations of students were taught by these nuns — even Austrian film star Romy Schneider once studied there.

But like in Sri Lanka, the number of new nuns declined. By 2022, only these three sisters were left. The Church authorities decided the convent was no longer “viable.” At the start of 2024, their small community was formally dissolved.

The women were promised lifelong residence “as long as their health allowed” — but in December 2023 they were moved, against their will, to a Catholic care home.

The Escape

For months they endured life there, but they hated it. “I was always homesick,” Sister Rita admitted. Finally, earlier this month, they packed their bags, called a locksmith, and returned to their castle.

When they got back, the electricity and water had been cut off, but loyal former students rushed to help — bringing food, fixing connections, even posting videos of the sisters praying, cooking, and climbing stairs on Instagram.

The Clash

Church authorities are furious. Provost Markus Grasl called the move “incomprehensible” and “an escalation,” insisting the rooms are unsafe and that the sisters need proper medical care.

But the gossip in Salzburg cafés is firmly on the nuns’ side. Former pupils insist:

“Goldenstein without the nuns is just not possible.”

And Sister Bernadette, once the obedient headmistress, has found a rebellious voice at 88:

“I have been obedient all my life, but this was too much. Before I die in that old people’s home, I would rather go to a meadow and enter eternity that way.”

Why It Matters

For Sri Lankans, this tale strikes a chord: elders resisting institutions, choosing dignity and memory over rules. These sisters didn’t just want comfort; they wanted to die at home, in the castle where they prayed, taught, and lived for decades.

The Church may argue safety, but the gossip around Salzburg says otherwise: three grandmothers of faith simply refused to be forgotten.

And so, the runaway nuns are back in their castle — living on groceries from students, laughter from visitors, and a touch of quiet defiance.