| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| 1 | 1960/09/16 | TLS[x] | from Merton | It is about time I wrote you a few lines to congratulate you on your new solitude and leisure. | Yes |
| [photocopy of full letter added July 2016 from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files - earlier copy in files was missing final page] |
| 1 | 1962/02/no | transcript | from Merton | The issue about Civil Defense concerns not only you but the whole community and since my opinion has | Yes |
| Cold War Letters #42 |
| 1 | 1964/12/26 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | You can guess why I have been so long answering your letter and commenting on the "documents". | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1964/12/26 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | You can guess why I have been so long answering your letter and commenting on the "documents". I | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1965/04/01 | TALS | to Merton | In spite of the above date, this is no "April Fool's" joke! … The past several weeks have been very | |
| |
| 1 | 1965/04/03 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Well, anyway, congratulations on the new post! I am sure it is in some way or other providential. | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1965/04/03 (#02) | TALS | from Merton | Well, anyway, congratulations on the new post! I am sure it is in some way or other providential. | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1965/06/24 | TLS | to Merton | Where have you been? …. Thought you were coming to Louisville the middle of May???? … Did you | |
| |
| 1 | 1965/06/27 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. I was really wondering what was going to become of you. I am so glad | |
| |
| 1 | 1965/06/27 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. I was really wondering what was going to become of you. I am so glad | |
| |
| 1 | 1966/03/16 | TL[c] | from Merton | As you supposed, your first letter never reached me. the second onl[y] got to me after considerable | |
| |
| 1 | 1966/04/03 | HLS | from Merton | I am writing this in the hospital where I have had an operation on my back. It was quite | |
| [dated "Palm Sunday 1966" (which was April 3) and postmarked April 4, 1966] |
| 1 | 1966/11/14 | TALS | to Merton | How wonderful it was to have your good letter! …. the letter of last "Palm Sunday!" … really, I | |
| |
| 1 | 1966/12/01 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter: it is indeed ages since I have heard from you. But I know how | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1966/12/01 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter: it is indeed ages since I have heard from you. But I know how | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1966/12/15 | TLS | to Merton | This is in haste … but when in Baltimore, I met a darling little ole Nun … Sister Genevieve … up in | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/06/14 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | I hope by now you have the tape I made, I asked the nuns of Loretto to make a copy and send it on to | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/06/14 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | I hope by now you have the tape I made, I asked the nuns of Loretto to make a copy and send it on to | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/09/04 | TALS | to Merton | Gosh! I never knew you would be so mean …. so terribly mean as to do what <u>you</u> did! I don't | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/09/18 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | I have at least a partial alibi about that tape. When you sent me the tape to fill I did not have a | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/09/18 (#02) | TALS | from Merton | I have at least a partial alibi about that tape. When you sent me the tape to fill I did not have a | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/09/21 | TALS | to Merton | …. and thank you <u>SO</u> much for <u>everything</u>! You are "an angel" really …. it was | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/10/06 | TALS | to Merton | I am sending this Special Delivery because it is important and I do hope you will be able to respond | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/10/09 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Here is a quick reply to your question about the Little Hours. Certainly you are right about the | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/10/09 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | Here is a quick reply to your question about the Little Hours. Certainly you are right about the | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/10/18 | TALS | to Merton | I owe you many thanks for many things … most of all, for your letter which came last week regarding | |
| two envelopes marked "Personal" and "Strictly Conscience Matter" |
| 1 | 1967/11/17 | TALS | to Merton | This won't be "long" … but I do want to let you know that Sister Joseph <u>has</u> decided to ask | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/02 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | This morning I said Mass for you and the Savannah Carmel in the hermitage. I wanted to write before | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/02 (#02) | TALS | from Merton | This morning I said Mass for you and the Savannah Carmel in the hermitage. I wanted to write before | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/05 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | I was just about to mail the enclosed when I got your special delivery letter. What a shame there | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/05 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | I was just about to mail the enclosed when I got your special delivery letter. What a shame there | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/10 | TALS | to Merton | Yesterday turned out to be "Gaudete Saturday!" …. thank you ever, ever so much for the exquisite joy | |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/26 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | This is not an adequate answer, just the essentials. What I have been thinking of planning is a | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/26 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | This is not an adequate answer, just the essentials. What I have been thinking of planning is a | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1967/12/26? (#03) | other | by Merton | MY CAMPAIGN PLATFORM for non-Abbot and permanent keeper of present doghouse. | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/02 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | By now you probably have my answer to the practical details of your letter. I just sent off a | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/02 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | By now you probably have my answer to the practical details of your letter. I just sent off a | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/02 (#03) | TL[x] | from Merton | By now you probably have my answer to the practical details of your letter. I just sent off a | |
| [Collins comments on Merton's handwritten note "Confidential" - she writes "I personally don't know why this was marked 'confidential' except possibly for reference to Dom James!- I have no objection to its being published.."] |
| 1 | 1968/01/02? (#04) | other | by Merton | MY CAMPAIGN PLATFORM for non-Abbot and permanent keeper of present doghouse. | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/03 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | My letter went out just when yours came in. Making this one necessary-- and making me realize I | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/03 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | My letter went out just when yours came in. Making this one necessary-- and making me realize I | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/22 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | My Mass on Sunday the 14th was for your meeting. I hope it went well. I more than prayed for you | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/01/22 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | My Mass on Sunday the 14th was for your meeting. I hope it went well. I more than prayed for you | Yes |
| |
| 1 | 1968/02/06 | HLS | to Merton | As you see I am still here in the hospital - I have really been quite sick - with <u>pneumonia</u> | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/02/10 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Just a quick note. Glad you are getting better. I was worried about you. Take care of yourself. | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/02/10 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | Just a quick note. Glad you are getting better. I was worried about you. Take care of yourself. | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/02/26 | TL[c] | from Breitenbeck, Joseph | I wish to thank you for your letter of February 18, 1968 and the information you gave me relative to | |
| [enclosed with Collins letter to Merton of 1968-03-03 - from the Most Rev. Joseph M. Breitenbeck, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit to Collins] |
| 1 | 1968/03/03 | TALS | to Merton | Today I am celebrating the anniversary (liturgically) of my Solemn Profession … it took place on | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/03/10 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your letter of last Sunday. I am willing to have Fr Kilduff come if you like. I met him | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/03/10 (#02) | TALS | from Merton | Thanks for your letter of last Sunday. I am willing to have Fr Kilduff come if you like. I met him | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/04/09 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | As soon as I got your telegram last week I offered Mass for you. I hope the operation went well | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/04/09 (#02) | TLS | from Merton | As soon as I got your telegram last week I offered Mass for you. I hope the operation went well | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/05/22 | HLS | from Benedict, Fr., O.C.D. | My sincere thanks for your letter, the valuable information it contained and your trust in me | |
| [to Collins from Fr. Benedict (last name Bishop?), who was, as a note by Collins states, former provincial of the Discalced Carmelite Fathers, Holy Hill, Hubertus, Wisconsin] upcoming retreat with Merton on the future of contemplative monasticism |
| 1 | 1968/06/07 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | It is hard to realize that a week has gone by since you were all here. Things continue quite busy | |
| [encloses letter to Pope Paul VI] |
| 1 | 1968/06/07 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton to Pope Paul VI | It is hard to realize that a week has gone by since you were all here. Things continue quite busy | |
| [letter to Pope Paul VI dated June 4, 1968 and enclosed with June 7 letter - marked "good copy" but text is the same as item 3, "rough copy," different paper] |
| 1 | 1968/06/07 (#03) | TL[c] | from Merton to Pope Paul VI | It is hard to realize that a week has gone by since you were all here. Things continue quite busy | |
| [letter to Pope Paul VI dated June 4, 1968 and enclosed with June 7 letter - marked "rough copy" but text is the same as item 2, "good copy," different paper] |
| 1 | 1968/06/29 | TALS | to Merton | Guess what? I almost got arrested and put in jail and fined because of the little "gift" I told you | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/07/02 | HLS | from Merton | Thanks for your letter - I am afraid it would be useless to plan on my giving a talk | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/09/24? | HPCS | from Merton | Your letter reached me in Alaska. I won't be able to come to Savannah- I'm on my wat to <u>India</u> | |
| [no date, but postmarked September 24, 1968 - verso of postcard: "Winter in Alaska"] |
| 1 | 1968/09/no? | TLS[x] | from Merton to Friends | As you know, I have been cutting down more and more on letters and now my contacts will be almost | |
| [a circular letter copied for friends, labeled "FALL 1968" - Merton's handwritten annotation on another copy, in "Circular Letters" states, "Please do not give this to printers before Sept 12th!!" (the day after his flight out of Kentucky for his travels to the American West and Asia)] |
| 1 | 1968/11/09 | other | from Merton to Friends | This newsletter is not a reply to mail because I have not been getting mail on this Asian trip | |
| [mimeographed circular letter to friends, "Asian Letter 1"] |
| 1 | 1968/12/19 (#01) | TL[x] | from Monks of Gethsemani | We are deeply moved by the countless expressions of sympathy which we have been receiving | |
| |
| 1 | 1968/12/19 (#02) | TL[x] | from Trappists in Bangkok / to Flavian Burns | The news of the sudden and unexpected death of your beloved son, Father Louis, has already been | |
| [from six Trappist delegates at the conference in Bangkok to Dom Flavian Burns, Abbot of Gethsemani, in response to Merton's death - copies sent to Merton's friends and enclosed with letter of December 19, 1968] |
| 1 | undated/no/no | other | by Merton | FOUR FREEDOM SONGS Comissioned by Robert L. Williams (Words by T. Merton [-] Music by A. Peloquin) | |
| [typed text of the Merton's "Four Freedom Songs"] |
| 2 | 1970/07/01 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | As you may know, I am preparing the authorized biography of Thomas Merton. I have found found [sic] | |
| |
| 2 | 1970/07/20 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you for your wonderful letter of July 18th. I will look forward with relish to your | |
| |
| 2 | 1970/10/27 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you with all my heart for your wonderful letter and your prayers. They had to put the surgery | |
| |
| 2 | 1970/11/13 (#01) | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | A week here in Tom's hermitage, working on the book before I have to return to enter the hospital | |
| |
| 2 | 1970/11/13 (#02) | other | by Merton | July 2 (1965) Visitation [-] This morning I had a long morning up at the hermitage. The main event | |
| Griffin had first access to Merton's journals as the original authorized biographer and sends, for personal use, an entry where Merton references watching for Mother Angela's airplane as it flies from Louisville to Georgia |
| 2 | 1970/12/06 | TL | from Griffin, John Howard | I am just home from the hospita, and am dictating this but will not be able to sign it. I wanted you | |
| |
| 2 | 1970/12/25? | TCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you for your wonderful note and Christmas greetings. Yes, this will be our finest Christmas | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/02/24 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Your card came this morning just as we were headed for Mass and reception of ashes, so we promptly | |
| [dated "Ash Wednesday" - postmark was February 26, 1971 - Ash Wednesday February 24, 1971] |
| 2 | 1971/06/28 | TALS | from Griffin, John Howard | It is early (5:30 a.m.) here at the hermitage. I came in last evening for another work session here | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/07/07 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you for your marvelous letter and your prayers; what a joy to have such a letter in this | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/07/27 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | We celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel here with our old friend, Fr. J. Stan Murphy, | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/08/18 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you for your lovely letter. It is the purest kind of joy to hear from you. Now, I have | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/09/02 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | At the end of the longest and one of the tiredest days of my life, but I did want to thank you with | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/09/03 | TCS | from Griffin, John Howard | This hasty note to tell you that the tape arrived in perfect condition this noon. Thank you with all | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/09/05 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Here are the letters and thank you so much for them. They helped to clarify some of the things I had | |
| |
| 2 | 1971/09/09 | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Am returning your photos of TM, plus some prints in color I had made from them. A great thanks | |
| |
| 2 | 1972/11/27 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | How good to have your news. I, too, have thought of you so much in these past weeks and days. | |
| |
| 2 | 1973/04/17 | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Happy Easter to Mother Angela and the Sisters of the Savannah Carmel. John and all the family | |
| |
| 2 | 1973/04/17? | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Happy Easter to Mother Angela and the Sisters of the Savannah Carmel. John and all the family | |
| [includes a photograph of birds] |
| 2 | 1973/05/19 | TALS | from Griffin, John Howard | What a great joy to hear from you again, especially when I was regretting so deeply that I could not | |
| [sends photographs of his children and a reproduction of the cover of his book about Jacques Maritain] |
| 2 | 1973/06/29 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Thank you for your lovely letter. I was beginning to fear you might be ill. Thank God you aren't. | |
| |
| 2 | 1974/05/22 | TALS | from O'Callaghan, Tommie | Perhaps you remember me as a friend of Father Walsh's and Thomas Merton. I am writing in my capacity | |
| |
| 2 | 1974/08/25 | TLS | from Griffin, John Howard | Your blessed letter just came. I, too, have been thinking of you and promising myself the pleasure | |
| |
| 2 | 1977/09/21 | TLS | from Noonan, Joe | John Griffin asked me to tell you how much he appreciated the letter you sent to Father George. | |
| [Joe Noonan was staff cartoonist at this time for <u>The Way</u> in San Francisco and a good friend of John Howard Griffin] |
| 2 | 1977/12/27 | TLS | from Noonan, Joe | It did my soul good to get your Christmas note. I'd like to report that John is better, but I can | |
| [Joe Noonan was staff cartoonist at this time for <u>The Way</u> in San Francisco and a good friend of John Howard Griffin - includes hand drawn cartoon, "Every day is mother's day with me."] |
| 2 | 1978/12/20 | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Your prayers mean everything. The heart is almost not functioning. Surgery next month. Peace | |
| |
| 2 | 1979/12/25? | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | I think of you so often but am totally bedridden now and can scarcely write at all. When the pain is | |
| [Collins notes that he references the coming year, 1980 ("May 1980 be good for all of us") and that "he died Sept. 9th of this year. (1980.) |
| 2 | undated/12/25? | HCS | from Griffin, John Howard | Seasons Greetings to Sister Angela and all the Sisters of Savannah, from the John Howard Griffin | |
| [undated Christmas card with a photograph of a lamb on the front] |
| 2 | undated/no/no | transcript | | Excerpts taken from Father Louis' essay "Peace: Christian Duties and Perspectives." (I) The tragedy | |
| |
| 3 | 1968/05/no (#01) | other | | Organization - preforably not under Sacred Congreg. 5 points of critical needs of contemplation. | |
| [spiral notebook with handwritten notes from conferences with Merton on the contemplative life] |
| 3 | 1968/05/no (#02) | other | | Areas of concern to be presented to Bishop Breiterbeck:- 1. For contemplative life to survive | |
| [handwritten page of notes for a bishop written on Gethsemani letterhead] |
| 4 | 1968/12/11 (#01) | other | by Burns, Flavian | HOMILY AT THE MASS FOR FATHER M. LOUIS (THOMAS MERTON) by Father M. Flavian Burns, Abbot | |
| [homily for a Mass for Merton at Gethsemani the day after he died] |
| 4 | 1968/12/11 (#02) | other | by Loftus, John | Thomas Merton is dead. Let the world maintain his celebration. As few men did, Merton sought God as | |
| [poem written the day after Merton's death by Fr. John Loftus, Dean of Bellarmine College, and friend of Merton] |
| 4 | 1968/12/17 (#01) | other | | POEMS TO BE READ DURING THE THOMAS MERTON MEMORIAL SERVICE December 17, 1968 ST. AGNES CHURCH | |
| [homily for a Mass for Merton at Gethsemani the day after he died] |
| 4 | 1968/12/17 (#02) | other | | MERTON-BARTH CELEBRATION [-] A. Dick Sisto in Vibraphone Recital [-] B. Gathering in Sacristy - 6:30 | |
| |
| 4 | 1968/12/17 (#03) | other | | MASS FOR THOMAS MERTON [-] INT. "Enter Rejoice and come in" Enter, rejoice and come in, lift up your | |
| |
| 4 | 1968/12/17 (#04) | other | by Walsh, Daniel | HOMILY for The Funeral Mass of Father Louis Merton, o.c.s.o. [-] December 17, 1968 | |
| |
| 4 | 1968/12/17 (#05) | other[x] | | VESPERS FUNERAL MASS and BURIAL SERVICE for Our Brother among Those Who Sleep in Christ FATHER LOUIS | |
| [copy of the program with prayers and music used at the Burial Mass and Vespers for Merton at Gethsemani Abbey] |
| 4 | undated/no/no (#01) | other | | THOMAS MERTON (Curriculum Vitae) [-] 1915 Jan. 31. Born at Prades (Pyr. Or.) France, | |
| [includes death date - produced after December 10, 1968] |
| 4 | undated/no/no (#02) | other | | BOOKS BY AND ABOUT THOMAS MERTON [-] The following list of books by and about Thomas Merton contains | |
| [created by Paul Wilkes] |
| 5 | 1980/09/no? (#01) | HLS | from Gumula, Stanislaus | Here I am, as promised, in my little scrawl. I know it is not all that personal- makes it so hard to | |
| [dated "St. Polycarp, 1981" (old feast date in January and new feast in February) - from, at the time, Br. Stan Gumula, later a priest and Abbot of Mepkin Abbey, South Carolina, Dom Stanislaus Gumula - he was a novice under Merton] |
| 5 | 1980/09/no? (#02) | other[x] | by Gumula, Stanislaus | JUNIORATE PROGRAM --- ADVENT, 1980 Monday -- The Fathers with Br. Stanislaus * obligatory 2:15 p.m. | |
| [schedule / syllabus of Juniorate program at Mepkin Abbey] |
| 5 | 1984/11/19 | TLS | from Hart, Patrick | How good it was to hear from you after such a long silence. I'm becoming the world's worst | |
| [from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. of Gethsemani Abbey] publishing Merton's letters to Collins |
| 5 | 1986/02/15 | TLS | from Hart, Patrick | It has been a long time since I last wrote. As you might guess, I've been very busy with a number | |
| [from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. of Gethsemani Abbey] publishing Merton's letters to Collins |
| 5 | 1987/02/02 | TLS | from Hart, Patrick | Long time no hear-- are you well? I missed your usual Christmas greeting, and it made me wonder if | |
| [from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. of Gethsemani Abbey] publishing Merton's letters to Collins |
| 5 | 1987/03/04 | TLS | from Hart, Patrick | How good it was to hear from you with the NOTRE DAME stationary! You have been very much in my | |
| [from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. of Gethsemani Abbey] publishing Merton's letters to Collins |
| 5 | 1987/07/22 | TLS | from Hart, Patrick | Greetings from Gethsemani! And I rejoice in the new letterhead which will bring you glad tidings | |
| [from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. of Gethsemani Abbey] publishing Merton's letters to Collins / <i>Merton Annual</i> letterhead |
| 5 | 1994/12/05 (#01) | HLS | to Downey, Michael | As you see, I am enclosing travel directions to Savannah for you. I am presuming you will be driving | |
| |
| 5 | 1994/12/05 (#02) | other | | 1995 - 1915 would be:- 80 years old this Jan. 31st. 78 in 1995 - May 29th - 2 yrs. Difference. | |
| |
| 5 | undated/no/no | other[x] | | BIOGRAPHY Sister Angela Collins, ocd entered the Carmelite Monastery of Louisville, Kentucky | |
| [biography of Sr. Angela Collins sent for use by Br. Patrick Hart in his introduction to the letters of Merton to Collins] |
| | | | | | | | |