"They'll Only Take me Out of Here in a Coffin"

Without any substantial motivation the German boulevard paper is helping the Carmelites of Zweifal with a shot of media fame: "He didn't even congratulate us on our fifty year Cloister Jubilee."

(kreuz.net) "I'm leaving this Cloister only when I'm dead" -- said Sister Regina (60) for the German website 'bild.de' today regarding the officially disbanded Carmel in Zweifal.

Zweifal is the most southerly part of the North Rhein-Westfalian city of Stolberg in the vicinity of Aachen.

The sisters there have been resisting the decision of the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Aachen to close the Cloister for six years.

Six Years on Death Row

The Diocese of Aachen

The Carmelite Cloister Maria Königin was founded in 1955 besides Sister Regina, there are still Schwester Katharina (40) and Schwester Maria (28).

The Cloister occupies 4,000 cubic meters of living space and the estate is on a hill that's about as tall as two football fields.

For six years the Bishop Heinrich Mussinghof of Aachen has wanted to close the community due to a lack of growth.

In the best days the Cloister held twenty Carmelites.

Actually, the Carmelites of Zeifal oppose the Bishop with deathly courage.

"I have lived her for thirty years. I won't go freely. That is God's will", explained Sister Regina for 'bild.de'.

And: "I will leave this Cloister only when I'm dead, the only way they'll get me out of here is in a coffin."

"We're not indulging ourselves in anything else"

Sister Maria is presently "on a trip".

Sister Katharina commented in an explanation: "Earlier there was nothing. But we have established ourselves. Otherwise we're really not indulging ourselves."

The Sisters live by their host backery -- which produces 80.000 hosts a week.

The customers are about 200 parishes and cloisters in the Diocese of Aachen and Cologne.

Vegetables and grapes come right out of their own greenhouse.

Fight to the end

The Diocese wants to continue to bar the Cloister. It doesn't want any force used against the Sisters.

"We have a good legal case and are turning if need be to the courts" -- said Sister Regina combatively.

"The Diocese  can't really dissolve us."

That's something only the Sisters' mother house can do:  "Otherwise we have the village behind us."

What if the Bishop calls?  "Then we'll invite him for Coffee", said the Abbess -- and continued to attack:

"But he didn't even congratulate us on your fifty year Jubilee."

Link to kreuz.net...