Merton's Correspondence with:

Dom Gregorio Lemercier, Dom; Dom Gregoire Lemercier, Gregoire, Dom Grégoire Lemercier, Grégoire, Dom

Lemercier, Gregorio, Dom, O.S.B.

Descriptive Summary

Record Group:	Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials:	1953-1959
Volume:	15 item(s); 37 pg(s)

This small but important correspondence file from the 1950's contains discussions about views on monasticism at a time when Merton was restless at Gethsemani, yearned for more solitude, and grieved changes brought about at Gethsemani due to mechanization of the farm. The collection includes original, signed handwritten and typed letters from Lemercier.

Biography

"Dom Gregorio Lemercier was Superior of an experimental Benedictine monastery at Cuernavaca in Mexico" at the time of these letters. (Source: The School of Charity, p. 68.)

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

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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

Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"

#	Date	From/To	First Lines	Pub ✓	Notes
	y/m/d	Merton		Scan ✉
1.	1953/10/16	HLS to Merton	I beg you to give some of your time to the following request-- Three years ago, under unusual		asks for advice about the ethics of mechanized labor in his monastery to be able to provide for his community «detailed view»
2.	1953/10/23	TL[c] from Merton	It was a pleasure to get your letter because it was a letter from a monk, for a change.	✓	Merton's response to monastic mechanization «detailed view»
3.	1954/09/26	HLS to Merton	Here I am again with another request-- and the hope that you will be able to		Lemercier is asking about when Merton thinks it is appropriate to wear a habit / should habits be worn for work? «detailed view»
4.	1955/02/11	HLS to Merton	I should have thanked you long ago for your letter of last October		book on St. Benedict / Fr. Engelbert in California / making a living in the monastery / list of sources of their income «detailed view»
5.	1956/02/21	HLS to Merton	Thank you very much for your letter, the book and the		Bread in the Wilderness / Fr. Engelbert «detailed view»
6.	1957/08/28 (#01)	TLS to Merton	Votre lettre du 7 août vient du m'arriver. Elle m'a fait bien grand plaisir et je vous remercie de		Contains photo, possibly of Lemercier's monastery and grounds / monastic lifestyle / Conception Abbey / Mont Cesar / Opus Dei / the Pope / Jose Torres Oceguera «detailed view»
7.	1957/08/28 (#02)	other	Le rapport de Maredsous a pris pour point de départ de l'étude de ce problème le fait de		an essay entitled "MONACHISME LAIC", possibly accompanied the 1957/08/28 letter «detailed view»
8.	1957/10/03	TL[c] from Merton	It was a joy to receive your long letter. I have read it many times and thought about its contents,		[transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files - no last name, "Dear Father Gregorio," seems to reply to Lemercier letter of August 28, 1957] the Divine Office in English - office as "ritualistic and theatrical" / relationship of monks and laity - monks and the question of true holiness / "Pachomian spirit" - monastery as "kolkhoz" / vacuum of postulants "incapacity to receive" / foundation in South America «detailed view»
9.	1959/05/30	HLS to Merton	Je suis bien rentré au monastère, mais à mon arrivée j'ai		«detailed view»
10.	1959/06/11	HLS[x] from Merton	Merci de votre bonne lettre. J'espère que vous vous portez mieux maintenant.		[photocopy found in Sub-Section H.7, "Hart Working Files" - status of original letter unknown] «detailed view»
11.	1959/10/01	HLS to Merton	Je crois que vous serez content l'avoir de mes nouvelles, ou plutôt les nouvelles du monastère		«detailed view»
12.	1959/12/17 (#01)	TL[c] from Merton	Le P. Prieur me permet d'ecrire cette lettre en l'absence de Dom James, qui revient demain.	✓	«detailed view»
13.	1959/12/17 (#02)	transcript from Merton	The Reverend Father Prior has allowed me to write this letter in the absence of Dom James, who	✓	copy from published book / negative answer from Rome about leaving Gethsemani signed by Cardinals Valeri and Larraona / Fr. [John] Eudes / psychiatrist Zilboorg / permission to live at a hermitage «detailed view»
14.	1960/08/12	TLS to Dr. [?]	Thank you for your letter dated August 8, which arrived before I received a letter from Mr. Herbert		[addressed "Dear Doctor" (Zilboorg?) and refers to Merton in the third person as "fr. L."] «detailed view»
15.	1960/09/10	TLS to Dr. [?]	J'ai bien reçu votre lettre, avec la lettre du P. Philippe. Comme je désire être trés bien compris,		[addressed "Mon cher Docteur" (Zilboorg?) and refers to Merton in the third person] «detailed view»

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