On the Hill

Name: Br. Colm Joynt Porter, OSB

Hometown: San Diego, CA

What first attracted you to monastic life? Who or what most influenced your decision to enter the monastery?

What first attracted me to monastic life was the stability and communal aspect of monastic life—the comfort of knowing where one will live and who one will live with for the rest of one’s life. No one particularly inspired me to enter monastic life. Although, having a great love of family history and patrimony, I will say that I am not the first one in my family to profess religious vows.

What were you doing before entering the monastery?

Before I entered the monastery, I was a social worker. I worked in a range of social work from homeless outreach to senior living and even a bit of caregiving.

What has been the most surprising part of monastic life so far?

What has surprised me the most about monastic life is the range of interests and skill sets of my fellow monks.

What aspect of monastic life has been most life-giving for you?

I would say the Divine Office and other community functions, like meals and recreation, are most life-giving for me. It is very life-giving for the community to listen together to the same reading at table for dinner. This is especially the case when there is a collective chuckle or laugh from the entire community at something funny.

What aspect has been most challenging?

I would say being away from family and friends is the most challenging.

Can you tell us a little about your monastic name?

Colm is the Irish derivative of the Latin Columba, which means dove. Columba was an Irish monk who settled in Scotland on the Isle of Iona.

Favorite saint or monastic figure, and why?

Besides my patron, I would say that Blessed Karl of Austria is one of my favorite religious figures. He was a man of great faith and was sincerely devoted to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart. He was known for his humility and love for the poor, despite his rank as an emperor, and was a devoted husband and father. He also happens to be the man after whom Pope Saint John Paul II was named for.

Favorite Scripture passage or line from The Rule, and why?

One of my favorite chapters from The Holy Rule of St. Benedict is maybe a seemingly unimportant chapter: Chapter 41, “The Time When the Brothers Are to Take Their Meals.” However, there is an admonition from St. Benedict to the abbot that I have always found to be very moving.

“Let him temper and arrange all things in such a way that souls may be saved.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to read in my spare time—history, fiction, and biographies. I enjoy watching movies, and I’m an avid pub trivia player. I am also a very enthusiastic walker.