Maria Rast monastery closes after 115 years in Gratkorn

The Maria Rast monastery in Gratkorn will close after 115 years, ORF reported. The six sisters who still live there will move to Graz on Monday.

At its peak, more than 100 sisters lived at Maria Rast. In recent years, however, the monastery had grown increasingly quiet.

The community held one final joint prayer and shared one last lunch before beginning the farewell. For some of the sisters, the monastery had been their home for decades.

“The mind says it is a reality that a large house cannot continue in this form,” Sister Roswitha Bauer said. “And the heart says: It is painful that we are leaving here.”

Maria Rast was primarily a home for elderly and sick members of the religious order, the Sisters of Mercy of St Vincent de Paul. The monastery was also open to people from outside. Serving the poor and accompanying people were central to the order’s mission, one sister said.

Even when many sisters could no longer go out themselves, maintaining contact with the public remained important. This was why people were able to come to the monastery.

The future use of the building remains undecided. A flea market is planned for mid-September, before the doors close permanently. Until then, the sisters will focus on practical matters, including packing their bags and saying goodbye.