MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Sweeney, Francis W., Fr., S.J., 1916-2002
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1946-1968
Volume: 30 item(s); 48 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Sweeney, Francis W., Fr., S.J.".
Biography
Fr. Francis W. Sweeney was a Jesuit priest who was a writing and literature professor at Boston College from 1951-1998. Merton first came into contact with him after Sweeney sent him some poems during his seminary years at Weston College in the late 1940's. Sweeney later headed Boston College's Humanities Lecture Series. Merton and Sweeney corresponded intermittently throughout the rest of Merton's life.
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Originals of Merton's correspondence with Fr. Sweeney are held primarily at the John J. Burns Library at Boston College.
Related Information and Links
See also the "Connolly, Brendan" file.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1946/12/03 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for the pleasure of reading your poems which I really enjoyed. I don't know how much | |
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| | 1947/05/24 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I had not seen the poem because we do not get any magazines: so thank you for sending it and above | |
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| | 1948/06/17 | TLS[x] | from Merton | By the time you get this you will be that. I shall have offered what prayers I can and received | |
| [the antecedent of Merton's "that" in the first sentence seems to be from his address of Sweeney as "Dear Father in Christ", Sweeney having been ordained on June 19, 1948] |
| | 1948/11/24 (#01) | TLS[x] | from Laughlin, James | Thank you ever so much for your kind letter of the 19th, and the excellent group of poems. | |
| religious anthology of poetry compiled by Merton |
| | 1948/11/24? (#02) | other[x] | | Comments -2- This is a book that has real poems in it. The poet has a penetrating and wise eye, | |
| Merton's comments on a book of poems, seemingly those of Fr. Francis Sweeney, S.J. / religious anthology of poetry compiled by Merton |
| | 1948/11/27 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Many thanks for your letter. I have been owing you one for a long time but have been so | |
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| | 1948/12/16 | TALS[x] | from Connolly, Terence | The manuscript of <u>SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN</u> has just come to me through your kindness | |
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| | 1949/01/19 | TLS[x] | to Laughlin, James | You may recall that in November last I sent you several poems for possible inclusion | |
| religious anthology of poetry compiled by Merton |
| | 1949/05/02 | TLS[x] | from Connolly, Terence | This is a brief and rather hurried answer to your letter just received. To put you at rest | |
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| | 1949/06/17 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for your kind letter-- and I take this opportunity to acknowledge Don Kenney's at the same | |
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| | 1950/02/04 | HNS[x] | from Merton | Sorry I have been so awfully bad about writing. An simply swamped. Anytime you come down is ok, | |
| [verso: woodblock of St. Joseph] |
| | 1950/10/09 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I have been praying hard for the success of your dangerous operation if that be God's will. | |
| [verso: woodcut of a tree with an excerpt from <i>Mystère des Saints Innocents</i> by Charles Péguy] |
| | 1953/10/28 | TLS[x] | from Merton | St Jude, the patron of hopeless cases, has finally taken my letterwriting in hand. I am in general | |
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| | 1961/05/04 | HLS[x] | from Merton | It was good to hear from you after so long a time. I am glad you have run into Mark and Bob - | |
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| | 1962/10/08 | TL[x] | to Merton | This is just a letter of inquiry about a matter which I may not be able to manage. Father Hans Kung | |
| theologian Fr. Hans Küng's visit to the United States and a possible visit to Gethsemani Abbey to meet with Merton (which did not materialize) |
| | 1962/10/13 | TALS[x] | from Merton | (I hope the right abbreviation). Thanks for your wonderful news. I immediately got in touch | |
| ["right abbreviation" might refer to addressing Sweeney as "Frank" for the first time, instead of "Father in Christ"] |
| | 1962/10/17 | TL[x] | to Merton | Thank you for your kind letter of October fifteenth, regarding the possible visit of Hans Kung | |
| theologian Fr. Hans Küng's visit to the United States and a possible visit to Gethsemani Abbey to meet with Merton (which did not materialize) |
| | 1962/11/15 | TL[x] | to Merton | The copies of the introduction to Father Delp's letters and the other material you sent me have | |
| Fr. Alfred Delp / theologian Fr. Hans Küng's visit to the United States and a possible visit to Gethsemani Abbey to meet with Merton (which did not materialize) |
| | 1962/11/20 | HLS[x] | from Merton | It will be fine to have Hans Küng here for Holy Week though it might be more crowded for us, | |
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| | 1963/02/14 | TL[x] | to Merton | After much conning of schedules, it now seems that Father Küng will not be able to visit Gethsemani | |
| reporting that Hans Küng would not be able to come to Gethsemani / lecture by Mark Van Doren at Boston College on the topic of Robert Frost |
| | 1963/11/24 | TL[x] | to Merton | Thanks for your letter of Nov 20. I have just heard from Father Kung in Rome and have his approval | |
| new proposal to have Hans Küng visit Gethsemani in April of 1964 / Fr. Vincent A. Yzermans |
| | 1967/08/09 | TLS | to Merton | Some time ago an ex-novice of yours, named, I believe, Zoller, who is now in the Navy, told me that | |
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| | 1967/08/13 | TL[c] | from Merton | It was good to hear from you again, and your conference on Vatican Peace Diplomacy sounds | |
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| | 1967/08/16 (#01) | TL[x] | to Merton | Thank you very much for your kind letter. I appreciate the time you took to write me since I know | |
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| | 1967/08/16? (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | Recently I heard of the following strange event. Frank Sheed, in London, was awakened at four | |
| [circular letter written by Merton, mimeographed and sent to friends - undated but other places labeled "MIDSUMMER 67"] |
| | 1968/02/08 | TLS | to Merton | This letter will bring you some news about a Conference on "The Vatican and Peace," about which | |
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| | 1968/02/10 | TL[c] | from Merton | I am glad to hear the Conference on the Vatican and Peace is shaping up well. Did I answer your | |
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| | 1969/06/20 | TL[x] | to Alexander, M. H., Mrs. | Thank you for your kind letter of April 22. I regret that I am so long in answering it; I wanted | |
| regarding Merton's death, Merton scholarship and the collection of Merton's papers at Boston College |
| | 2004/12/no | other[x] | | Restoring Sweeney: The Acquisition and Processing of the Francis W. Sweeney Manuscript Collections | |
| [article regarding the life of Francis W. Sweeney and the donation of his papers to Boston College] |
| | undated/03/24 | other[x] | | Boston College Library [-] <i>Opening of an Exhibition</i> [-] <i>Of The Work Of</i> [-] THOMAS | |
| [Daniel Walsh to speak at Boston College on Merton and on "The Impact of Catholic Thought on Modern Life and Letters" - presumably some time after Merton's death in 1968, Walsh died in 1975] |
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