| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1950/04/10 | TALS | to Merton | May Our Lord and Our Lady bless you for cooperating so generously and earnestly in the good that | |
| article for <u>Commonweal</u> on contemplation / Fr. M. Raymond, article "Mystical Life - Mystical Prayer" / suggests Merton write on Dom Odo Casel and Maria-Laach |
| | 1950/12/04 | TLS | to Merton | I am very grateful for the copy of <u>Monastic Orientation</u> which you kindly sent me. I have | |
| need for knowledge / Pope Pius XI's <u>Unigenitus Dei Filius</u> / Osee / M.E. Boismard / Louis Chardon / notes from non-Catholic authors on the Prophets sent to Merton |
| | 1950/12/19 (#01) | TALS | to Merton | It will be a pleasure and privilege to lend any help I can; so never hesitate to ask. The good Lord | |
| criticism and commentary of Merton's books / sends "exposé on the Scriptural senses" / advice on carefully checking French reviews |
| | 1950/12/19 (#02) | other[x] | to Merton | Senses of Scripture in <u>Divino Afflante Spiritu</u> 1. Background of Encyclical: Shortly before | |
| [notes by Ahern] |
| | 1951/02/27 | TLS | to Merton | Under separate cover I am sending the notes which I promised for the end of January! The first half | |
| 1 page of letter and 5 of notes, mainly Old Testament / St. Nicholas of Flue, St. Anna Maria of Jesus, and Lebanese hermit, Fr. Charbel (Sharbel) / ends with discussion of the Holy Father's warnings against the misuse/misinterpretation of Scripture |
| | 1951/03/26 | TALS | to Merton | I was very happy to hear that you are launching out into your Scripture course. <u>Faber fit</u> | |
| gives extensive advice on the structure of his courses and how Merton should treat Old and New Testaments, what books to read, etc. / bio. of Fr. Charbel (Sharbel) / discussion of solitude and being a "'hermit' among the Trappists" |
| | 1951/06/02 | TALS | to Merton | Sincere congratulations on your appointment as Master of Students; your new task will mean so much | |
| Benedictines and Cistercians as sources for instruction / St. John's <i>Ascent</i> / Henri Daniel-Rops / other recommendations for authors and texts to teach students |
| | 1952/08/19 | TLS | to Merton | No, your ms. is not lost. It arrived here yesterday, forwarded from Glockner. I have already begun | |
| review of manuscript / Merton's Journal / proposes question: "What must one do practically when he has come to distrust his human concepts of the realities of the Faith?" |
| | 1952/08/25 | TALS | to Merton | I hope sincerely that St. Louis' day has brought many graces. I offered Holy Mass for you this | |
| [see "Censors Reports" file for original letter] censor's criticism on <i>The Sign of Jonas</i> from Fr. Barnabas Ahern, C.P., of the Passionist Fathers of Chicago - 2 pages of typed letter and handwritten note verso with seven pages of "doctrinal suggestions" and five pages of "typographical corrections" |
| | 1952/09/04 | TLS | to Merton | Under separate cover I am returning the ms. All typographical errors are checked and circled to | |
| St. Augustine on the liturgy / Bouyer's <i>Pascal Mystery</i> / criticizes the "looseness" and poor sentence structure in Merton's writing |
| | 1952/11/16 | TLS | to Merton | This is just a note to thank you for the copy of Monastic Orientation which you were so kind to send | |
| suggests introducing students to the "De Virtutibus in the Secunda Secundae" and recommends L. Bouyer's <i>La Bible et L'Evangile</i> |
| | 1952/12/30 | TLS | to Merton | Though I did not write for Christmas, I did not forget; for I offered Holy Mass for you and your | |
| new Passionist foundation in Japan with Father Matthew chosen as Superior / Ahern suggests that Merton meet Fr. Matthew / Merton's notes on Cistercian Theology / St. Paul of the Cross (founder of Passionists) / emphasis on the Resurrection in Acts |
| | 1953/01/14 | TALS | to Merton | This is a shot in the dark - probably completely unwarranted. But I know you understand, and will | |
| sees hints that Merton has an idea of leaving Gethsemani and argues extensively that it will undermine his previous work and cause critics to write him off |
| | 1953/01/22 | TL[c] | from Merton | Many thanks for your kind and solicitous letter. If a cryptic sentence of mine led you to believe | Yes |
| clarification that Merton does not plan to leave Gethsemani / discussed ill match for Trappist lifestyle and his desire to live as a hermit at Gethsemani |
| | 1953/01/29 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you for your letter of clarification; for, yes, I was concerned. Your confidence is | |
| criticizes Merton's idea of becoming a hermit / suggests a year-long sabbatical doing the work of a Trappist / recommends <i>Dialogues</i> of St. Catherine of Siena |
| | 1953/02/16 | transcript | to Merton | Before Ash Wednesday descends upon us I want to thank you for your last letter. | |
| [two carbon copy transcripts of the letter filed in Dom James Fox's file concerning Merton and the critical article of him by Dom Aelred Graham, "A Modern Man in Reverse" / see also "Graham, Aelred" correspondence file, Series 2 for this file] |
| | 1953/02/20 | transcript | to Fox, James | I am writing directly to you, for I feared a letter to Father M. Louis might not reach him during | |
| [carbon copy transcript of the letter filed in Dom James Fox's file concerning the Merton and the critical article of him by Dom Aelred Graham, "A Modern Man in Reverse" / see also "Graham, Aelred" correspondence file, Series 2 for this file] |
| | 1953/03/03 | TL[x] | from Fox, James | We received your charming letter of February 14. I am answering for good Father Louis. | |
| [copy of a letter filed in Dom James Fox's file concerning the Merton and the critical article of him by Dom Aelred Graham, "A Modern Man in Reverse" / see also "Graham, Aelred" correspondence file, Series 2] |
| | 1953/05/17 | TLS | to Merton | It is long since I have written; but be assured that I have been praying for you. And I know that | |
| true solitude / St. John of the Cross / "Robert's translation of Canticle in the Jerusalem Bible" / Wisdom of Solomon / Fr. Gabriel's <i>The Spiritual Director</i> |
| | 1953/11/10 | TALS | to Merton | It was ever so good to receive your letter of October 19th, and to learn that the struggle still | |
| addresses Merton's complaints of Gethsemani and its artificiality / authorship of Deutero-Isaiah / Jeremias / "parallels between the Bible and extra-biblical sources / suggestions for conference on saintly priest / Soloviev |
| | 1954/02/01 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you very much for the latest notes of Monastic Orientation which you were so good to send. I | |
| Dan Walsh / Mother Schroen / <i>A Great Mystic of the Eighteenth Century</i> by Fr. Favre, C.SS.R. |
| | 1954/05/12 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you ever so much -- first, for the fine letter of February 27, which I should have | |
| responds to Merton's criticism that Ahern's translation of the Epistles was too conservative / more bold approach of <i>Jerusalem Bible</i> / St. Paul and the Resurrection / solitude in Christ / Dom Odo Casel and Maria-Laach |
| | 1954/08/09 | TLS | to Merton | I returned just this morning from the summer schools in Detroit (to our own Fathers) and at | |
| praise for <i>Bread in the Wilderness</i> and <i>Seeds of Contemplation</i> / Mother Schroen / Dom Barron from Solesmes Abbey and chant |
| | 1955/07/24 (#01) | TALS | to Merton | The letter has been and will be my address from the beginning of June until the end of November. | |
| moved to New Jersey to work as chairman of the board of [Biblical] translators / working on Epistles / editorial policy / not like Knox's translation |
| | 1955/07/24 (#02) | other | to Merton | 1. The new translation must read smoothly and yet follow the text closely. It must be English | |
| Editorial Policy for the Biblical translation in which Ahern was involved / "must stand comparison with the Kleist-Lilly Bible" but more correct |
| | 1955/09/05 | TALS | to Merton | It was very good to hear from you, and to know that you will carry on with the Scripture work. | |
| translating Ephesians / Monastic Orientation notes / Mother Schroen, R.S.C.J. / <i>No Man Is an Island</i> / critical of Merton's desire to be hermit / Larry McCluskey |
| | 1956/04/08 | TALS | to Merton | I have thought of you many a time since my last letter - and always with a prayer. Please do | |
| American Passionists trip to Assisi / studying Ugaritic language / Dom Jean-Baptiste Porion [quoted in letter as "Jean Baptist Poirron"] / recommends Bl. Placid Riccordi for work as Master of Novices |
| | 1973/06/08 | TL[x] | from Center to Ahern, Barnabas | Greetings from Kentucky and all the O'Callaghans' [sic]! How are you? It has been so long since | |
| permissions request / confidentiality of some materials / Mother Sullivan |
| | 1973/07/22 | TLS[x] | to Center from Ahern, Barnabas | Thank you so very much for your kind letter of June 8. I myself was back in the USA during | |
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| | 1973/no/no? | HNS | from O'Callaghan, Tommie / to Charlaine Hays | Permission to see […] from Fr. Barnabas - last letter <u>qualified</u> - I have reg. myself Fr. Barn | |
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