Vladimir Vyhlidka made contacts with ambassadors from the United States to obtain some of Merton's books. He sends praise of Merton's books and postcards from many churches in Czechoslovakia and in Rome. He discussed with Merton some of the political and religious divides occurring between the people in western Europe and those of Communist eastern Europe. He translated The Seven Storey Mountain into Czech under the pseudonymn "Josef Maria" because of the poliical danger of promoting Christianity in Communist Czechoslovakia. He managed to leave his homeland and study for the priesthood in Rome, later to return.
Vladimír Vyhlídka was was from Czechoslovakia. He studied for the priesthood in Rome, returned to Czechoslovakia, and later was made a monsignor. He died in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2011.
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. |
1960/01/18 |
transcript from Merton |
Bart Murphy sent me a copy of your letter, which after so many months finally reached me. |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 1 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1960/02/22 |
HPCS to Merton |
Thanks for your words of understanding in your letter I got last week. Thanks for your book |
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«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1960/03/20 |
TLS to Merton |
I don't know to whom or to what I'm to be indebted more for your letter and for your book |
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«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1960/05/20 |
transcript from Merton |
yes, I received your letter and a view from Svatá Hora (the Holy Mountain) in my inbox, and I hope |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 2 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1960/09/21 |
TALS to Merton |
I need your words and for this reason I'm taking the liberty of writing you again. I thank you very |
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«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1960/12/14 |
transcript from Merton |
I was horrified when I found out that your last letter was from September. I hope you forgive me |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 3 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1961/01/16 (#01) |
TLS to Merton |
Many thanks for your letter which was the best gift I could have received this Christmas-tide. |
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«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1961/01/16 (#02) |
HLS to Merton |
At the occasion of the forthcoming 45th anniversary of your birthday I would like to wish you |
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«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1961/02/24 |
transcript from Merton |
thank you for your very interesting letter. I really regret that I have never been to Czechoslovakia |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 4 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1962/01/15 |
transcript from Merton |
I received two postcards and an airmail letter from you in the last months of 1961. |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 5 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1962/10/16? |
transcript from Merton |
How are you? I am sending you several envelopes with printed matter than might interest you, |
✓ |
[approximate date from postmark, noted as handwritten original - transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 6 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1963/07/07 |
HPCS to Merton |
I am here, in the place, where the gospel was preached by our patron saints Cyril and Methodius |
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«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1963/08/28 |
HPCS to Merton |
I'm just getting in the reading room of the US consulate at Zagreb and reading your "The Sign of |
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«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1963/11/29 |
transcript from Merton |
I think of you often. May God give you all grace and light in this Advent season. |
✓ |
[transcript (original not extant letters from Merton likely in English, existing translation in Czech, and rough re-translation into English here), see undated item #3, letter 7 of 7]
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1963/12/05 |
TLS to Merton |
Your letter found me in bed, with influenza for several days. Thanks for your assurance that you |
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«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1964/05/10 |
HPCS to Merton |
The presence at this place which is so dear to the Czech Catholics, given me the opportunity |
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«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1964/07/15 |
HLS to Merton |
I am with my good friends in a lovely region of my country |
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«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1965/04/09 |
HPCS to Merton |
I am sending you my best Easter-wishes and greetings. |
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«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1967/12/03 |
TLS to Merton |
The Christmas-season is approaching us slowly what means for me also to have a good occasion |
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«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1968/04/07 |
HPCS to Merton |
Thanks for your prayers for my country (Czechoslovakia) which seems to find |
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«detailed view» |
| 21. |
undated/no/no (#01) |
TL |
Hora sedmi stupňů (Seven Storey Mountain) Přílohy (Appendixes [sic]) The next page (in Czech: |
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[found in Merton Center copy of an early Czech translation of The Seven Storey Mountain, Hora sedmi stupňů - labelled page 2, but no other pages exist - describes the appendices added by Vyhlídka, his note, and some of the contents of the letters - the author of this note did not know Vyhlídka's name and only mentions: "there is no name of the translator of the book, only the cipher 'Josef Maria' 9it is no name, but only two Christian names), clearly because of the political situation."]
«detailed view» |
| 22. |
undated/no/no (#02) |
other[x] |
Milý přítel, Bart Murphy mi poslal opis vašeho dopisu, který tak po tolika |
✓ |
[photocopy of pages 699-713 of a Czech translation of The Seven Storey Mountain, Hora sedmi stupňů, with transcripts of seven of Merton's letters to Vyhlídka, translated into Czech, between 1960 and 1963 - see also original book in the Merton Center Family Room (O'Callaghan Room)]
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
undated/no/no (#03) |
other |
APPENDICES The writings of Thomas Merton, published in many languages, are not his only literary |
✓ |
[rough translation generated by Google Translate of seven letters from Merton to Vyhlídka published in Hora sedmi stupňů, see undated item #2]
«detailed view» |
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