German archdiocese plans new residents for old abbey: Refugees

Apr 2, 2015

The last nuns of Beuerberg Abbey have left. The monastery, founded in 1121, today stands empty in the snowy landscape of the Alpine foothills. "Oh, this is not the end! On the contrary," said Sr. Maria Lioba Zezulka, prioress of the Visitandine order, flashing a smile. "This is a new beginning on several wonderful levels! And not just for the refugees who may soon have a home within these walls." Zezulka and the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising have worked a deal to house refugees in the abbey. They hope that, within a few months, families from Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan and other conflict zones can find a home here.