Sister Benedicta (37) decided years ago to live in a convent. She found shelter in the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, the oldest convent in Europe, where an order is continuously active. Now the Upper Austrian is being ordained as a nun and eternal virgin.
When Sister Benedicta tells her story, she goes into great detail: she comes from a religious family in Linz, studied music in high school and then worked in a pharmacy. But she was already a seeker, says Doris Gruber, as she used to be called. She came into contact with the Order of the Sisters of the Cross: “I saw then that there was something different than the classic path with marriage and family.” She joined the order and worked in nursing.
But Sister Benedicta wasn’t quite there yet: “I had a professional experience before the monastic life. It pulled the rug out from under me,” she says.
Today she lives in Nonnberg Abbey, high above Salzburg’s old town. Newcomers like her are lowering the average lifespan in monasteries. Nonnberg is home to 14 Benedictine nuns, the oldest of whom is almost 90 years old.
The monastery gates usually remain closed. “We are connected to the world in prayer.” There are seven prayer times a day. In between, there is work. “I am responsible for the laundry,” she says. The sisters rarely leave the monastery. An exception is visits to the doctor. Isn’t that also limiting? “I felt a strong inner peace after I first lived here.” The hustle and bustle of the city is now too loud. She prefers to enjoy the peace in the monastery garden.
New house in the oldest monastery in Europe
Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest nunnery in Europe with a continuously active religious community. It also became famous through the world-famous film “The Sound of Music” about the singing Trapp family. Benedicta and her fellow sisters have already gotten used to the tourists in front of the collegiate church. “Sometimes nice conversations arise.” But she does not see herself as a ‘sound of music sister’. It also happens that fellow sisters do not even know the film. “Then we have a film evening,” laughs Sister Benedicta, who would also like to work as an organist.
All eyes will be on them on Saturday. During the festive week in honor of 400 years of patron saint Erentrudis, she will join the order and celebrate her marriage to Jesus as a virgin. Everything is prepared, the church is being carpeted and decorated. “A dream,” she says.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
