MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Wasserman, Anita of Jesus, Sr., O.C.D., 1932-2015
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1953-2003, bulk 1953-1967
Volume: 39 item(s); 70 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Wasserman, Anita of Jesus, Sr., O.C.D.".
Biography
Sr. Anita (Ann) Wasserman was a nun from the Carmelite Convent of Cleveland, Ohio. She had written to Merton before entering the Carmelites in 1952. She died in April of 2015 at 82. Her brother, Edmund, had entered Gethsemani Abbey and was a good friend of Merton's. His name in religion was Fr. John of the Cross, whom Merton referred to by the nicknames "Cap" or "Cappy". The Wasserman family met with Merton when coming to Gethsemani, "adopting" him into the family. (Source: Witness to Freedom, p. 177.)
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
See also the "Patricia of Jesus", "Wasserman, Edmund" and "Vera Marie of Christ the High Priest" files; and see also published letters from Merton to Wasserman in Witness to Freedom, pp. 177-193. One letter is published under "Sister A." in The School of Charity, pp. 60-62.
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 |
| | 1952/05/03 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Many thanks for your letter. I was glad you wrote. The element of attraction is not the most | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1952/11/21 (#01) | TALS[x] | from Merton | If Cleveland is as cold and gray today as Kentucky is, I will take that to be a good sign, because | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2 / letter from Ed "Cappy" (Fr. John of the Cross) Wasserman to his sister Ann (Anita) written on the same letter- with a note on the photocopy by Anita Wasserman] |
| | 1952/11/21 (#02) | TALS[x] | from Wasserman, Edward | If Cleveland is as cold and gray today as Kentucky is, I will take that to be a good sign, because | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2 / letter from Merton to Ann (Anita) written on the same letter- with a note on the photocopy by Anita Wasserman] |
| | 1953/02/02 | HLS | to Merton | There's no time like the Purification to write you a Christmas letter but here it is. I hope you | |
| [dated the Feast of the Purification (currently the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord), which was, before the liturgical reforms of 1969, the end of the Christmas season] |
| | 1953/02/15 | HLS | to Merton | Received "The Sign of Jonas" from Fr. Louis, my director and author of the book. I like it very | |
| |
| | 1953/02/25 (#01) | TLS[x] | from Merton | I swear your name is spelled with one "n." It is a Spanish name, and in Spanish Ann is Ana | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1953/02/25 (#02) | HNS | by Wasserman, Anita | That was it - my way of saying thanks but in view of the fact that neither he nor Cap had heard | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1953/04/26 | HLS | to Merton | Surprised? So am I. That's the way this Carmel is - chuck full with surprises, each one waiting | |
| |
| | 1953/05/10 | HLS | to Merton | Yesterday I sat for an hour and a half writing to you father and your see what I wrote. | |
| |
| | 1953/05/21 (#01) | TAL[c] | from Merton | The invitation was not steamed open and there was no evidence of ink-eradicator so I presume you | Yes |
| |
| | 1953/05/21 (#02) | TALS[x] | from Merton | The invitation was not steamed open and there was no evidence of ink-eradicator so I presume you | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1953/10/04 | HLS | to Merton | It's been a long time since your feast day but I want you to know I thought of and prayed for you | |
| |
| | 1953/11/06 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Since I have been adopted by the family, your letters rate as family mail and the last one was held | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1954/02/14 | HLS | to Merton | It's been a long, long time. That's part of a song. I usually sing them to Jesus but this one's | |
| |
| | 1954/05/08 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I was happy to hear that your profession is to be on Ascension day. You are giving yourself | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1955/01/22 | HLS | to Merton | Jesus be in your heart! May the new year have an abundance of peace and joy in store for you. | |
| |
| | 1955/02/08 | HLS[x] | from Merton | Before Lent comes, I want to write you at least a few words to let you know that I am still praying | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1955/06/10 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I will try to give you a little news of the ordination although I believe you will be hearing | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1957/04/30 | transcript | from Merton | I was very glad to hear about your profession coming up on May 27th. How time flies. It seems like | Yes |
| [transcript from published letters] |
| | 1958/07/18 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Yesterday, on our heterodox feast of Our Lady of Carmel, I had the pleasure of offering Mass | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1959/04/09 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Thank you for your letter--and all the letters I have not answered, because I have been very remiss, | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1959/11/19 | transcript | from Merton | Many thanks for your good letter. Now is the time when I really need your prayers because at this | Yes |
| [transcript from published letters] |
| | 1960/02/29 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Last chance to answer your good letter--probably you haven't heard from Cap either. | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1962/01/01 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I shared your emotions at the death of Sister Florence [who had entered Carmel with Ann]. | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1962/02/02 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Father Abbot has read your letter about Bro Xavier and the enclosure, and he feels that he cannot | |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1962/09/04 | transcript | from Merton | It took a little time for the news of Ed's death to get to me as I am in the hospital for a check-up | Yes |
| [transcript from published letters] |
| | 1963/09/no | HLS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for your letter. It reached me in the hospital in Louisville, where I have a cervical disk, | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1964/09/23 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. I am sure everything is right with Cappy. He does not write to me | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1965/03/14? | TALS | to Merton | This is just a P.S. on Sr. Vera's letter. Our Mother is going to give a talk on "The Value | |
| [see letter from Sr. Vera Marie of Christ the High Priest from 1965/03/14] |
| | 1965/05/03 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Rapid fire answer as I must make sure you don't send quotations with the typing errors of our | Yes |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1966/08/01 | transcript | from Merton | Thanks for your letter of Trinity Sunday. I have been slow in answering letters this summer because | Yes |
| [transcript from published letters] |
| | 1967/08/no? | HLS | to Merton | Jesus be in your heart! Noticed your feast is coming up so I thought I might wish you a happy one. | |
| |
| | 1967/12/10 | TAL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your letter: I am so sorry I didn't answer the one you mentioned. | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/04/23 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Terrible of me to wait so long to thank you for these memo papers. Very useful indeed. | |
| [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2 - contains note on letter in pencil to Br. Patrick Hart regarding letter to Merton] |
| | 2002/12/25 | HLS | to Center from Wasserman, Anita | Peace be with you! but don't keep it to yourself. It's very much needed in our world today. | |
| |
| | 2003/01/15 | TL | from Center to Wasserman, Anita | Last week Bob Toth mentioned to me that you would be interested in received copies of your | |
| |
| | 2003/08/05 | TL | from Center to Wasserman, Anita | My name is Mark Meade, and I am | |
| |
| | 2003/no/no | HCS | to Center from Wasserman, Anita | You have no idea what a fun surprise it was for me to come back from our hermitage and find the pkg. | |
| |
| | undated/no/no | TLS | to Merton | Jesus be in your heart! Happy Eastertide! Our Mother is in the midst of preparing her talk which | |
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