Berchtold Müller

Father, Kloster Engelberg

He was born on the 25th of December 1940 in Zurich and was christened Felix. After primary school, he was sent to the Engelberg Abbey boarding school where he graduated in 1962. It is obvious that he liked the boarding school and the Benedictine abbey. After the mandatory military service and the non commissioned officer training, he decided to pass through a one-year noviciate in the Engelberg Abbey. Afterwards he made his vow for three years and was sent to preparatory classes of theology at the faculty of the Einsiedeln Abbey together with two confreres. The preparatory classes raised his interest for theology and gave him an insight into the life in Benedictine society.

 He completed his further studies in Münster, Westfalia. At that time, professors such as the current Pope Benedict, the later Cardinal Walter Kasper and, a little later Karl Rahner, taught at the University of Münster. After his studies in theology, his solemn profession and the ordination of the priesthood, father Berchtold started to study pastoral theology and completed his studies with a dissertation.

In the year 1974, he returned to Engelberg where he started to teach several subjects such as religion, philosophy, ethics, psychology and economics. Soon after his return, father Berchtold was appointed to the abbey’s financial commission. He was involved in the abbey’s management and became novice master. After Abbot Leonhard Bösch’s retirement, he was elected the 58th abbot of the Engelberg Abbey on the 22nd of February 1988. By the end of 2010 he stepped back his duties and lives and works as Father in the abbey.