The Plot to Free the Nuns

In Austria, three elderly nuns, Sisters Bernadette, Regina, and Rita, have drawn worldwide attention after making a dramatic return to their old abbey.

For nearly 70 years, the women lived and taught at Goldenstein Castle, a centuries-old abbey outside Salzburg. Over the years, their community shrank from dozens of Canonesses of St. Augustine to only the three of them. In 2022, church leaders said their order no longer met the requirement of six members and moved them into a retirement home nearby.

The change was difficult. The nuns disliked the small rooms, missed their garden, and for the first time in decades had to eat meals with men. Sister Rita cried when she arrived. Sister Regina stayed in bed and seemed to lose interest in life. Sister Bernadette said she always wanted to go back to the abbey.

At a class reunion, some of their former students decided to help. On September 4, a small group of cars and a moving truck took the sisters back to Goldenstein Castle. A locksmith opened the doors, and the nuns walked up four flights of stairs to their old rooms. Police were called, but one of the officers was a former student. She hugged the nuns and left.

Since then, supporters have organized help. About 200 people joined a WhatsApp group to bring food, clean, and make repairs. The power and water were turned back on, new appliances were delivered, and security cameras were set up. Social media accounts sharing the story now have tens of thousands of followers.

Church officials say the retirement home was safe and comfortable, while the abbey is old and possibly unsafe. The sisters say they are finally at peace. They have returned to setting tables together and hope to bring the garden back to life.

For more information see Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley, “The Plot to Free the Nuns,” The New York Times, September 19, 2025.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.