Fr. Ronald Roloff and Merton engage in a lively debate about the nature and future of the monastic life and monastic renewal, or aggiornamento. In the end, Merton thought their ideas were becoming too divergent and were "moving toward a dual monologue rather than a dialogue" (Merton's letter to Roloff of 1964/03/21).
Fr. Ronald Roloff was, at the time of correspondence with Merton, a Benedictine priest at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota.
See also the "Barry, Colman" file; and see also published letters from Merton to Roloff in The School of Charity, pp. 146-156, 198-203, 210, and 266-267.
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.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
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. |
1956/08/06 |
TALS[x] from Merton |
As I settle down once again to the normal work of a Cistercian Master of Novices, I wish to assure |
|
thanking Roloff for hospitality of hosting and joining the community of St. John's Abbey during the conference that Merton and John Eudes Bamberger attended in July of 1956 (another week attended by Dom James Fox) on the use of psychiatric techniques in a monastic and religious setting (screening of novices, etc.)
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1962/09/21 |
TLS to Merton |
Father Colman passed your manuscript along to me--as I think he will have told you himself--because |
|
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1962/09/26 |
TAL[c] from Merton |
I am returning the article with some emendations, which agree in principle with all your suggestions |
✓ |
[3 carbon copies of first page (1 with Merton's handwritten note stating Roloff's full name) and 2 carbon copies of the last 2 pages - all seem identical - included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1962/09/29 |
transcript to Merton |
I cannot tell you how delighted I was with your letter. It says so many things that I feel |
|
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1962/10/21 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Thanks for your very fine letter. It really threw a great deal of light on the situation, |
✓ |
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1962/10/21 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
Thanks for your very fine letter. It really threw a great deal of light on the situation, |
✓ |
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1962/11/02 |
transcript to Merton |
Your letter was very refreshing and encouraging, and I do not think I have seen (or heard) a better |
|
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1962/11/13 (#02) |
TALS[x] from Merton |
It is really interesting that you bring up the point about monastic priesthood in your letter |
✓ |
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2] contains a handwritten postscript by Merton not included in transcript which qualifies statements about times the office is prayed
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1962/11/13 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
It is really interesting that you bring up the point about monastic priesthood in your letter |
✓ |
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1962/12/01 |
transcript to Merton |
Your letter was very welcome and most enlightening, and I sorry I have not been able to respond |
|
[included in the mimeograph "An Exchange of Letters on Monastic Questions," see mimeographs in Sub-Section D.2]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1964/02/14 |
TL[c] from Merton |
That was a good, hard-hitting letter and it moved me deeply. I agree with you that there is a need |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1964/02/18 |
TL[x] to Merton |
In my own thinking about it, I use the terms agricultural and urban. The Rule was written for |
|
[first page not extant, numbered pages 2-5]
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1964/03/17 |
TL[x] to Merton |
I have meant to write to you ever since I received the copies of "The monk in the diaspora," |
|
Roloff's reactions to the advance copy of "The Monk in the Diaspora": "I feel so much in disagreement" - feels Merton is too negative about society / Karl Rahner / Romano Guardini's The End of the Modern World / Teilhard de Chardin
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1964/03/20 (#01) |
TAL[d] from Merton |
Letter to a Priest [-] You tell me that my article on 'The Monk in the Diaspora' strikes you |
|
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1964/03/20 (#02) |
TAL[d] from Merton |
I received your letter about 'The Monk in the Diaspora' this morning and I want to answer it at once |
|
[labeled "1" at the top]
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1964/03/20 (#03) |
TAL[d] from Merton |
Your letter came in this morning and I had better answer it immediately, otherwise I will hardly |
|
[labeled "not sent" at the top - clean carbon copy of the same letter as 1964/03/20[4] without handwritten corrections]
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1964/03/20 (#04) |
TAL[d] from Merton |
Your letter came in this morning and I had better answer it immediately, otherwise I will hardly |
|
[labeled "1a" at the top - same as 1964/03/20[3] with extensive handwritten corrections - no final draft of this letter was sent, see 1964/03/21 for a completely rewritten, brief letter]
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1964/03/21 |
TAL[c] from Merton |
The Feast of St Benedict is an appropriate day on which to try to reply to your two long letters, |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1965/02/27 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Thanks for your good letter back in December. I want to get it answered before Lent, and am |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
|