Mass of Remembrance to Be Held for Missing Nun From Long Island

A mass of remembrance will be held in memory of Sister Eileen Christie who went missing while vacationing in Austria in July and has not yet been found.

The remembrance ceremony will be held Monday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church, located at 20 Cheshire Place in East Northport.

Authorities extensively searched for Christie around Hallstatt and in other areas of Upper Austria using search dogs, sonar, robotic submerging devices, mountain rescue teams and more.

The search dogs indicate that Christie’s body is in the lake, but authorities will not know for sure until the search resumes in the spring of 2017, according to an update from Sisters of St. Joseph.

Currently, the unseasonably cold temperatures make it impossible for divers to get to the bottom of Lake Hallstatt, an Alpine glacial, mountain lake that is extremely cold and deep.

Sister Eileen Christie, 72, was visiting the tourist village of Hallstatt when her nephew suddenly stopped receiving emails from her on July 6, according to The Local Austria.

Her nephew, Bill Freda, became concerned after not hearing from Christie and alerted the authorities about her possible disappearance.

Christie was a beloved teacher at St. Anthony’s High School who retired in 2015 after teaching theology for 25 years. She also taught at Sisters of St. Joseph Convent in Brentwood. She lives in a house with other convent members in East Northport.

The Local Austria reports police found Christie’s belongings, including her passport and wallet, at her Hallstatt hotel room and discovered that she did not check in at her next planned destination. Pictures found on her phone show Christie was taking photos and videos of the Alpine countryside before she went missing, according to the publication.

Many close to Christie were surprised to hear that she went missing. A Sisters of St. Joseph representative told Patch in July that Christie is an extremely experienced traveler and has visited Austria before. "We are very used to her traveling alone," the representative said.

If Christie’s body is not recovered in the spring, Sisters of St. Joseph said they will pursue a Certificate of Presumed Death from New York State.

Photo credit: Sisters of St. Joseph Brentwood