This group of letters documents an important connection Merton had with someone deeply involved in the peace movement, non-violent resistance to the Vietnam War, and in counseling conscientious objectors. Included are original letters from Cornell to Merton and carbon copies of letters from Merton to Cornell.
Tom Cornell was active in the Catholic Worker Movement since Merton's contact with him in the 1960's and for many years lived on a Catholic Worker farm. He was a founding member of the Catholic Peace Fellowship (CPF). He was a friend and associate of Dorothy Day and Jim Forest.
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.
31931
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. |
1962/11/02 |
TLS to Merton |
Jim Forest showed me the letters concerning PEACE IN THE POST-CHRISTIAN ERA. I knew that |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1962/12/11 |
TLS to Merton |
Thank you for the PPCE. Please send us ten copies, so that poeple [sic] who should know |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1965/08/03 |
HLS[x] from Merton |
Your letter reached me in the hospital, delayed. Only a couple days left and I don't think I can |
|
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1965/11/22 |
TLS to Merton |
Thanks for the letter, addressed to Jim, that arrived in today's mail. I have been trying to get |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1965/11/no |
other |
PEACE AND PROTEST |
|
statement by Merton's of his thoughts on pacifism
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1965/12/05 (#01) |
TAL[x] from Merton |
I appreciated your letter very much. I thought it was very clear and as far as I am concerned you |
|
[see Section E.1 of the classification (Manuscript Essays) under the title "Concerning the Catholic Peace Fellowship" - annotated carbon copy of this letter is included in file for this unpublished essay - there are also letters (from December 3 and 4 from Merton to Jim Forest and John Heidbrink (respectively)]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1965/12/05 (#02) |
TALS[x] from Merton |
I appreciated your letter very much. I thought it was very clear and as far as I am concerned you |
|
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1966/01/17 |
TLS to Merton |
Jim is in California for two weeks on a field trip for the FOR. Pity California! Jim has a lot |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1966/02/01 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
I have been having a lot of trouble with this typewriter so I hope I get through this letter without |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1966/02/01 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
I have been having a lot of trouble with this typewriter so I hope I get through this letter without |
|
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1966/08/no |
HNS[x] from Merton |
Here are a few copies of the article. I will certainly keep you in mind on the Feast of St Francis - |
|
[handwritten note from Merton to Cornell on the title page of Merton's essay "Camus and the Catholic Church" - the note is not dated but the essay was written August 1966]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1966/09/17 |
TLS to Merton |
Dorothy just read me your note over the phone. She is thrilled and delighted with the article |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1966/10/17 |
TLS to Merton |
Just a note to ask you to pray for the soul of Donald Day, Dorothy's brother in Finland, who was |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1966/11/11 |
TLS to Merton |
Are you well? I think of you often. You look at me from two angles on the wall. Quite literally |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1966/11/16 |
TL[c] from Merton to Jim Forest and Tom Cornell |
I have letters from both of you and both are important so I want to make sure I get answers out |
✓ |
[published with the James Forest letters]
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1966/12/21 |
TLS to Merton |
Well, it looks as if they have done it. Reports are that this is the second day of bombing of Hanoi |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1966/12/29 |
TLS to Merton |
Christmas is drawing nigh: And Christmas shopping is still not accomplished. It has been |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1967/01/07 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Just wrote to Local Board 18, Newark, about John Wu Jr. Hope I am not too late. Your letter was |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1967/01/07 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Just wrote to Local Board 18, Newark, about John Wu Jr. Hope I am not too late. Your letter was |
|
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1967/02/21 |
TLS to Merton |
Thank you for writing for John Wu. You will be pleased to know that he got his 1-O Classification |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 21. |
1967/02/28 |
HLS[x] from Merton |
Thanks for your letter. Just getting out of hospital today. Have some money left over which |
|
«detailed view» |
| 22. |
1967/03/08 |
TLS to Merton |
Things have been so rushed here since A. J.'s death that I hardly know what the state |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
1967/03/14 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
By all means go ahead and use the Camus article in the CW Reader. Glad to hear that the book |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 24. |
1967/03/14 (#02) |
TALS[x] from Merton |
By all means go ahead and use the Camus article in the CW Reader. Glad to hear that the book |
|
[contains handwritten note not on carbon]
«detailed view» |
| 25. |
1967/05/02 |
TLS to Merton |
Just left Dan Berrigan. He has been encountering quite a bit of flak from the SJs on his proposed |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 26. |
1967/12/07 |
TLS to Merton |
Just a short one. The Macmillan Company wants permission to publish your letter to Jim Forest |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 27. |
1967/12/10 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Perfectly okay to use the letter of Feb. 1962 though I can't remember what kind of point it had. |
✉ |
«detailed view» |
| 28. |
1972/09/14 |
TLS to Center from Cornell, Tom |
In response to your letter to Alfred Hassler of August 7, our correspondence with Thomas Merton has |
|
[see "Hassler, Alfred" file for original of this letter]
«detailed view» |
|