Overview

• Sisters Rita, 81, Regina, 86, and Bernadette, 88, are back at the Goldenstein convent in Elsbethen near Salzburg after departing a nearby Catholic retirement facility.
• Supporters numbering roughly 150 helped them re-enter with a locksmith, and volunteers restored water and electricity to rooms they found emptied.
• The order’s superior, Provost Markus Grasl of the Abbey of Reichersberg, accuses the women of violating obedience and betraying vows.
• The sisters say they were not consulted about the move and were described as suffering from severe dementia to justify their placement.
• Former pupils now supply meals, fundraising is underway, and social media posts show the nuns’ daily life, including a recent community prayer and lunch at the convent.