The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Wright, John Joseph, Cardinal, 1909-1979

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1964-1965, 1972-1973

Volume: 9 item(s); 13 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Merton and Cardinal Wright exchange correspondence about the pastoral constitution at the Second Vatican Council entitled, "Gaudium et Spes" (On the Church in the Modern World). Wright passed along Merton's essays on peace and against nuclear war to periti (theological advisors) at the Council.

Biography

John Joseph Cardinal Wright was Bishop of Pittsburgh at the time of writing to Merton. During their correspondence in the mid-1960's, the Second Vatican Council was in session, Wright spent much time in Rome. Born in Boston, he became the first bishop of the Worcester diocese after it split from the Springfield, Massachusetts, diocese in 1950. After serving ten years in Pittsburgh, he was elevated to cardinal in 1969 and made the Prefect of Clergy for the Roman Curia.

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See also published letters from Merton to Wright in The Hidden Ground of Love, pp. 607-611.

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

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1964/01/10 TL[c]from MertonMy friend Father Reinhold tells me that he has given you my mimeograph on peace, and that youYes  
 1964/02/20 TL[c]from MertonThank you for your kind letter telling me you had given the Peace mimeograph to some of the peritiYes  
 1965/01/11 TLSto MertonI received the recent manuscripts which you sent me and I hasten to acknowledge them now lest I   
 1965/07/17 TL[c]from MertonI realize that it was perhaps presumptuous of me to draft the enclosed notes, which I have sentYes  
 1972/12/10 HLSto Center from Wright, CardinalAt this distance from my Worcester and Pittsburgh files, I cannot give to use any correspondence   
 1973/01/25 TL[c]from Center to Wright, CardinalThank you for your kind letter of December 10, 1972. Your instructions with regard to your   
 undated/no/no HPCSto MertonFr. Bruno James speaks with prayerful affection of you! I commend his wonderful work here to your  [verso: color photograph of Naples]
 undated/no/no other JOHN J. WRIGHT [-] Born in Boston, John J. Wright, was ordained to the priesthood in 1938.   
 undated/no/no HCSto MertonYou letter of Sept. 10 reached me here in Rome long before the debate on the subject close to your  [verso: color reproduction of Michelangelo's "Pietá"]
        

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