MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Portz, Alexius, Fr., O.S.B.
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1956-1960
Volume: 25 item(s); 32 pg(s)
Scope and Content
Fr. Portz discusses seminars on pastoral psychology held at St. John's in Collegeville with Dom James Fox, Gethsemani's abbot during the time of correspondence, and with Fr. John Eudes Bamberger and Thomas Merton.
Biography
Fr. Alexius T. Portz was the founding director of the St. John's University Institude for Mental Health in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Letters written by Fr. Portz require permission for use by the St. John's University Archives.
Related Information and Links
See also the "Fox, James" file, Series 29, for letters between Dom James Fox and Dom Baldwin Dworschak, O.S.B., Abbot of St. John's Abbey at the time of correspondence in regards to the initial invitations to come to Collegeville for the psychiatric seminars.
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 |
| | 1956/01/18 | TN[x] | to Dworschak, Baldwin, Dom, O.S.B. | Dr. Zilboorg has written that he will be in the Bahamas January 20-29 and would like to be | |
| background and professional profile of Dr. Gregory Zilboorg for Bishop Leonard |
| | 1956/05/16 | TALS[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | This is a confidential letter with a petition for some help. I hate to bother you at this time | |
| plans to invite Thomas Merton to the institute on pastoral psychology at Collegeville - questions about whether Dom James Fox would approve / Bishop Leonard |
| | 1956/05/25 | TL[x] | to Zilboorg, Gregory | Father Abbot was happy to write to Abbot James Fox of Gethsemani inviting him to send Father Louis | |
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| | 1956/06/13 | TLS[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | Your letter with the copy of your invitation to Father Illych is here. Thank you so much. | |
| Fr. Ivan Illich / Merton's fame and the request of Dom James Fox to keep his invitation silent to avoid too much notoriety |
| | 1956/06/26 | TLS[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | This is my last week in New York before moving to Cape Cod for a rest, before I proceed to St. | |
| regarding Merton - "horribile dictu he just freely expect to spend with me one hour a day which is a tough assignment" |
| | 1956/07/10 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | With the beginning of the Pastoral Psychology program less than two weeks away, I would like | |
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| | 1956/07/17 | TLS[x] | from Fox, James | We received your kind letter of July 10. On Sunday, July 22, Father Louis and Father John Eudes, who | |
| Merton and Bamberger arriving July 22 and Fox arriving July 29 |
| | 1956/07/19 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | We will make arrangements to meet Fathers Louis and John at the Minneapolis airport this coming | |
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| | 1956/09/25 | TL[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | Dom James, the Abbot of Gethsemani is coming to see me this afternoon. A letter from Father Louis | |
| possibliity of not being able to attend the summer institute at Collegeville in 1957 or in future years due to other commitments / "The Trappists are now settled more or less. Deo gratias." |
| | 1956/11/24 | TLS[x] | from Fox, James | We received your kind letter of July 10. On Sunday, July 22, Father Louis and Father John Eudes, who | |
| Merton's suggested topics as novice master for seminar on pastoral psychology in the summer of 1957: perfectionism, inferiority complex, psycho-somatic illness, emotional immaturity, and narcissism |
| | 1956/12/04 | TL[x] | to Zilboorg, Gregory | Thanks very much for arranging your schedule to be with us next summer. I think we will have a very | |
| plans to schedule Zilboorg with Paul Meehl for 1957 summer sessions / Hamm Foundation not interested in funding Trappists to attend institute |
| | 1957/01/08 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Last summer I had the privilege of attending the workshop in Pastoral Care and Psychotherapy, | |
| worried that last summer "the Trappists caused themselves to be remembered by their loquacity and perhaps their tendency to speak heatedly off the point. Among those who did this I was perhaps one of the worst offenders." / asking about the possibility of returning for another summer workshop while Dr. Zilboorg is in attendance |
| | 1957/02/28 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | This is a very belated thanks for the letters and questionnaires which you and Fathers Louis | |
| currently situation of not being able to host religious superiors, teachers, or former recipients because funding comes from the Hamm Foundation whose board was interested in funding only clergy who interact with the public as chaplains or pastors |
| | 1957/04/11 (#01) | TL[x] | to Merton | Answering your January 8th letter is very difficult because, at least for the present, I must defer | |
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| | 1957/04/11 (#02) | TL[x] | to Bamberger, John Eudes | When the enclosed form letter was ready, I sent it to Father Abbot James, with the letter saying | |
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| | 1957/09/24 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | We have received a grant for next summer which will include a workshop week for "religious superiors | |
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| | 1957/09/28 | TL[x] | to Mailloux, Noel | Thank you for your September 24 letter which I am happy about, not because of the position you take | |
| Portz states his belief that Zilboorg was the cause of the tension evident between himself and Paul Meehl / lists other issues with Zilboorg: "subtle rudeness to Protestant ministers", too much deference given to abbots and others in authority, requires too much personal attention, attendees afraid to bring up certain topics, and the distorted view Zilboorg showed of the client-centered therapy expressed in a position on Carl Rogers |
| | 1957/10/10 | TL[x] | to Mailloux, Noel | Last time I wrote to you as a friend, a priest of God, and an angel of peace. Your reply shows you | |
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| | 1957/10/29 | TLS[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | Your letter of October 25th just arrived and I am deeply grateful to you for having written me so | |
| Zilboorg refutes accusations that he had attacked or was unfair or uncoorperative with Paul Meehl |
| | 1958/02/06 | TLS[x] | from Zilboorg, Gregory | Your last letter (of November fourteenth) has been on my desk all this time. I had hoped that I | |
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| | 1958/03/13 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | Last September I wrote you about the special workshop session for religious superiors which were | |
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| | 1958/07/25 | TLS[x] | from Fox, James | Here it is almost the middle of the summer and your workshops are beginning already. | |
| sending regrets about not coming to the summer workshops |
| | 1959/03/10 | TL[x] | to Fox, James | We are offering a second workshop this summer for major superiors and Protestant executives | |
| workshop for religius superiors sponsored by Peter W. Bartholome, Bishop of St. Cloud / |
| | 1959/04/20 | TLS[x] | from Fox, James | My, my, here before me is your letter of March 10 still unanswered! Well, you've heard the axiom | |
| sending regrets about not coming to the summer workshops |
| | 1960/04/30 | TLS[x] | from Fox, James | We are very grateful for your kindness in extending an invitation to good Faters Louis, John Eudes | |
| sending regrets about not coming to the summer workshops |
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