In a monastery, the porter is the monk (or portress for a nun) appointed to be the one who interacts with the public.
The Rule of Saint Benedict, in chapter 66, gives specific advice as to the qualifications of the person chosen to serve in this post.At the door of the monastery, place a sensible old man who knows how to take a message and deliver a reply, and whose age keeps him from roaming about.
Since they have no natural prestige and are often devoid of polish and manners, the temptation is to handle them roughly.
"Visitors are Christ-bearers – we must hurry to them.” In keeping with this advice, the porter is usually given private quarters right at the entrance to the monastery, which can lie some distance from the cloister, thus the need for a very responsible person to fill this position.
There is also an American candidate for canonization, Solanus Casey, who was a Catholic priest, but, due to the limitations of his academic capabilities, served as a porter in both Detroit and New York City for over 30 years.