In Switzerland and in France, religious communities are ageing. With the growing age infirmities, the customary support of the eldest nuns by younger sisters is therefore no longer feasible. This article is based on a sociological study that analyses the transformation of Catholic convents into nursing homes for the elderly in Switzerland and
France. The findings highlight the differences in how each country mediates between congregations and the state, as well as inequalities in the treatment of elderly nuns. Given the need for state recognition to benefit from state pensions and a marked preference for spending their last years at home, nuns are innovating in an attempt to re-appropriate their
future – for however long it may last.