3 viral nuns can stay in their Alpine convent – but only if they quit Tiktok, social media

Three feisty Austrian nuns in their 80s, who made a daring escape from an old people's home, have been given the green light to stay in their beloved former convent "until further notice".

There's just one big catch: church bosses have told them they have to quit their viral social media antics.​

Sisters Bernadette (88), Regina (86), and Rita (82) are the last holdouts at Kloster Goldenstein, a picturesque convent just outside Salzburg.

They insist they were dragged out against their will back in December 2023 and shipped off to a care home, BBC reported.​

Come September, with a little help from ex-students and a locksmith, the trio busted back in – much to the fury of church officials.

Their superior, Provost Markus Grasl from Reichersberg Abbey, begged them to head back to the home, calling the whole stunt "completely incomprehensible".​

Their tale exploded online, pulling in fans worldwide who chipped in with food, bills, and social media savvy.

Cute clips show the sisters praying, chowing down at lunch, or Rita smashing workouts – she even scored a pair of boxing gloves lately.

They've racked up nearly 100,000 Instagram followers and thousands on Facebook.

After a tense three-month standoff, a spokesman for the provost, Harald Schiffl, broke the news to the Austrian Press Agency (APA): the nuns can hang on for now. It came after a key meeting this week floated a compromise.​

The deal?

They stay at Kloster Goldenstein, but no more TikToks or posts.

Church leaders also want the private cloister section locked tight to outsiders.

In exchange: full medical care and a priest for spiritual backup.​

The sisters haven't signed off yet.

"Now it's up to them," Schiffl told APA.

These elderly women have poured their lives into Schloss Goldenstein, a castle-turned-convent and girls' school since 1877 (it started taking boys in 2017 and it's still going strong).

Sister Bernadette was a pupil there herself, rocking up as a teen in 1948 – her classmate?

None other than movie icon Romy Schneider, 1960s-70s superstar.

​Sister Regina joined in 1958, Sister Rita in 1962. They all taught at the school for decades; Regina even ran the show as headmistress.

But nun numbers dwindled.

By 2022, Salzburg Archdiocese and Reichersberg Abbey (an Augustinian spot) took over.

The community got the boot at the start of 2024, though the last nuns got lifelong stay rights – as long as health held up.​

In December 2023, off they went to a Catholic care home, where they were miserable. Early September saw the breakout, backed by old students. The BBC caught up then – the nuns were adamant.

"Before I die in that old people's home, I'd rather head to a meadow and meet eternity that way," Sister Bernadette declared. ​