Three Nuns Stand Their Ground in Alpine Convent

In a small town near Salzburg, three elderly nuns are making headlines. Sisters Bernadette, Regina, and Rita, all in their 80s, have been living in their old convent since September. They left a care home where they were placed last December. Church leaders are not happy about this. They want the nuns to return to the care home. But the nuns refuse to go back. The nuns have been posting videos online. These videos show their daily lives, like praying, eating, and even Sister Rita doing exercise. Sister Rita even got a pair of boxing gloves! Their social media pages have gained a lot of followers. Almost 100, 000 on Instagram and several thousand on Facebook. But there is a catch. Church officials say the nuns can stay, but only if they stop using social media. They also want to limit access to the convent. The nuns have not agreed to these conditions yet. The decision is now up to them. The nuns have lived most of their lives at the convent. It has been a school since 1877. The sisters taught there for many years. Sister Regina was even the headmistress. But the number of nuns decreased over time. In 2022, the church took over the building. The nuns were told to move to a care home in December 2023. The nuns' story has caught the attention of many people. Supporters have been helping them with food, electricity, and other needs. The nuns say they would rather stay in their convent than go back to the care home. Sister Bernadette said, "Before I die in that old people's home, I would rather go to a meadow and enter eternity that way. "