The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Dijk, Willibrord Chr. van, Dom, O.C.S.O., 1903-1989

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1964-1968, 1973

Volume: 9 item(s); 13 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Dijk, Willibrord Chr. van, Dom, O.C.S.O.".

Biography

Dom Willibrord-Christian van Dijk was abbot of the Trappist Abbey of Tilburg in the Netherlands from 1945-1966, during which time he founded the monastery at Rawa Seneng in Indonesia, first visiting in 1952. He returned to Indonesia as superior from 1966-1968, when he had to resign due to an eye disease. He later moved to the Maria Frieden Abbey to live with the Trappistine sisters there in Germany. He regretted having to leave for Germany before Merton could have made it to see him in Asia.

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See one published letter from Merton to Dom Willibrord van Dijk in The School of Charity, pp. 367-368; see also "Leclercq, Jean, Abbot, O.S.B." 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

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1964/10/27 TALSto MertonAt the request of the Fathers Norbert and George of Dival I send you herewith a report made   
 1964/11/15 (#01)TLSfrom MertonIt was a great pleasure to receive your letter, as also the report and the notes of Fr Schillebeeckx  [xerox also filed in "Fox, James" Series 29]
 1964/11/15 (#02)TL[c]from MertonIt was a great pleasure to receive your letter, as also the report and the notes of Fr Schillebeeckx  [moved from "Trappist-Cistercian Abbot" file March 2018]
 1967/02/04 TLSto MertonMany thanks for "les quelques pages" that you sent to me. They are very interesting, and in making   
 1968/02/24 TL[c]from MertonSeveral months ago I received a warm and excellent letter from you, and ever since then I have beenYes  
 1968/07/09 TL[c]from MertonI have been meaning for a long time to write to you and tell you how distressed I was to hear   
 1968/07/09 TL[x] from Merton to Abbot of RawasenengIn my last letter to you, accepting your invitation to come to Rawa Seneng to give the retreat this  [likely addressed to Dom Willibrord van Dijk, but answered by Hardjawijata - see "Hardjawijata, Franciscus" file for Merton's carbon copy]
 1968/08/12 TLSto MertonYour kind letter of July 7 was forwarded to Maria Frieder, where I live for the time being.   
 1973/07/28 TLSto Center from Dijk, Willibrord vanOn August 7, 1972, you wrote to me for the second time, hoping to receive some letters of the late   
        

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