30 nuns and a priest were stuck in the Austrian town of St. Veit im Pongau at an altitude of 1300 meters. The guests were picked up by mountain rescue – the spiritual remained.
Interview of Regina Steffens
30 nuns and a priest in the monastery, in the snow. So the jokes begin, but in the Austrian town of St. Veit in Pongau, this is exactly what happened. For ten days, the nuns and the priest were stuck on an altitude of 1300 meters, snowed in on the so-called children ALM, the mountain monastery of the contemplative order of the “monastic family of Bethlehem, of the assumption of Mary into heaven and the Holy Bruno”, the world’s more than 600 nuns and 70 monks belong to. The French prioress sister, Laure-Marie, 52, was with them.
SZ: sister Laure-Marie, you were able to neither to the valley nor in front of the door, the danger from falling trees was too great. What you have just done ten days?
sister Laure-Marie: We have here, as in an Igloo and lived a little more praying than usual. For example, for the people lost in the snow their lives, and for the use of force. We live here, Yes, very isolated. Silence and solitude are familiar to us.
nobody else?
But. Every day people come to worship. In addition, we have guest rooms and a small monastery. There we will sell, for example, candles, ceramics and “herbs of gold”, our monastery of syrup. The Store was closed the last ten days.
you are 30 sisters in your community and had a priest to visit. Forgive the question: How was it for him?
That was a young priest from Austria. For him, this was a whole new experience. But he didn’t say much. He wanted to pray with us, Yes, and in silence of life, since one does not talk much. But we have here a pastor to be a guest, this is not uncommon. When it started two weeks ago with the snow, we had seven guests in the monastery, which had to be picked up by mountain rescue. But the priest remained. The had no fear.
And the sisters were afraid?
no. We have not seen this as a Event or so. Also not a disaster. There are, however, very different in the world. No, we religious sisters have lived as communion.
What were you restricted?
Actually, we even have sledges and snow shoes. With the sled here we are, at 1300 meters of altitude, often on-the-go. Which are important also for the Transport. But this time, it was just too much snow.
Why it is called “children ALM”?
The building formerly belonged to a tuberculosis sanatorium for children. The monastery was built in the 1980s and has, fortunately, a warm heating. Also the phone has always worked – despite the snow. And the mayor of St. Veit below in the valley has daily called us. We would also be able to come in, but then has seemed to the sun.
you Have the Internet?
Yes. So that we can have informed us about the weather. But actually, we would rather trust God than the weather report.
Sounds very relaxed.
Yes, very, very relaxed. The sisters of our community are between 26 to 86 years old. The are all full of strength and can adapt well. We lead a simple life, and the people have given us a lot of food at Christmas, so we had plenty of supplies. So, we know that God gives what is needed.
