A Benedictine monk from a centuries-old monastery in Switzerland, Brother Martin Hieronymi recently traded the foothills of the Alps for the foothills of Mount Gabriel in Schull, where he travelled to improve his English at the Atlantic School of English and Active Leisure. Settling easily into village life, during his time in Schull the personable monk was often seen out and about, exploring the area by bicycle or on foot, climbing hills and even electricity poles, his sense of fun and enthusiasm for life making a lasting impression on those he met along the way.
Back home in Switzerland, Brother Martin lives at Disentis Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, which is over 1400-years-old, where daily life is rooted in prayer, community, and work.
In the spirit of quiet simplicity by which he lives, Brother Martin expresses his admiration for the late Pope Francis, in particular the way he lived his humility through powerful symbols, like choosing a simple Fiat over a limousine. He hopes that the Pontiff’s successor and all Christian communities “will find ever new ways to show that living the Gospel – to love God and neighbour with all our heart is the way”, bringing peace in an increasingly chaotic world.
Everyday life for Brother Martin in the monastery is shaped by a steady rhythm that begins well before dawn. “We rise at five,” Fr. Martin explains, “and at 5.30 we begin our morning prayers – nearly an hour of psalms, sung in a Gregorian style, in German but following the old four-line musical notation.” After this, there’s time for quiet breakfast, personal prayer, and reading before gathering again at 7.30am for the daily Mass, sung in Latin with traditional Gregorian chants. The monastic community at Disentis numbers seventeen monks, each contributing to the shared life of prayer, work, and hospitality.
Brother Martin gives guided tours of the abbey and works in the monastery shop. He also co-hosts daily and weekend events introducing visitors to Christian spirituality.
“I do a bit of everything,” he says, smiling. “And I teach too – our monastery has a school.” The school welcomes international students, from as far away as China, so as well as teaching religion, Brother Martin’s role includes serving as a boarding school prefect, communicating to parents in English, giving guided tours, and running summer programmes.
His time in West Cork may have brought a change of rhythm, but not of spirit. “I’m very happy here,” he says warmly, seated in one of the school’s sunny rooms. “It’s a peaceful place, but with great energy too.”
Brother Martin’s path to monastic life wasn’t a dramatic conversion, but a quiet, steady unfolding. “It wasn’t that I suddenly decided,” he says. “It was something growing inside me over time.” After studying theology, he trained as a teacher and worked as a lay theologian, but it was his time living with the Salesian and Jesuit communities in Bolivia, which inspired him to eventually join a Catholic order.
“There’s a calmness in the life,” he reflects. “A way of listening – to God, to others, to the world. That listening drew me in.”
His visit to Schull was made possible through a personal connection: his hostess Cornelia O’Keeffe of Rockhill House bed and breakfast, who has long-standing ties to the monastery and encouraged him to come to Ireland to brush up on his English.
During his stay, Brother Martin embraced West Cork life with open arms. He cycled to Goleen, visited Sailor’s Hill, and even braved the sea for a quick swim. “Only for a few seconds,” he laughs, “but I had to do it. It was fantastic.”
He speaks fondly of the views, the weather, and the people he has met, from fellow students at the language school to locals in town. “The conversations have been very interesting,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot from them – about the place, and about life.”
A keen amateur astronomer and photographer, he’s been capturing bits of Schull through his lens; its gardens, its coastline, its windy days. “It’s beautiful here,” he says simply. “Very alive.”
As for his English, he’s modest but quietly proud. “I feel more confident now,” he says. “It’s not perfect, but I can speak more freely. And that was my hope.”
Brother Martin finished his course with more than just a stronger grasp of the English language.“It’s been a real experience…of kindness, and quiet, and connection.”
And like many who come to Schull for a short while, he admits with a smile: “I think I’ll have to come back.”
