The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Rambusch, Robert E., d. 2017

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1957-1967

Volume: 21 item(s); 22 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Robert E. Rambusch and Merton discuss sacred art and liturgy.

Biography

Robert Rambusch was a Liturgical Design Consultant, who having trained with Frank Kacmarcik, later consulted for numerous cathedral designs and renovations. In his younger life, after the Second World War, Rambusch got involved in Catholic Action groups. He later studied liturgy and attended the Center for Sacred Art in Paris. Rambusch and his friend Frank Kacmarcik and his friend visit Gethsemani in October of 1960. Merton notes in his personal journal of being "a little suspicious of the intense activation and restlessness of some of these liturgical enthusiasts", although noting he has "[n]othing against liturgy" (personal journals, 1960/10/16).

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See also the "Kacmarcik, Frank" and "Hovda, Robert" files.

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

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1957/11/01 TLSto MertonMay I thank you, Father Hilary, and Brother Giles for a most pleasant visit to Gethsemani. I did   
 1958/04/24 TLSto MertonI come to you to ask for a great favor. Sheed and Ward has asked Walter Kerr (drama critic of New   
 1959/02/16 TLSto MertonDuring my last visit you mentioned that JUBILEE does not always get to you. Since this issue   
 1959/no/no HPCSto MertonThe beauty and peace of Maria Laach are an inspiration! Saw a wonderful IKON of Elias  [verso: black and white photograph of the exterior of Maria Laach Abbey in Germany]
 1960/01/15 TLSto MertonI am enclosing a copy of a talk Nancy gave on the spiritual formation of children. I thought its   
 1960/04/14 TLSto MertonThis letter has been a long time in coming in answer to your letter written on Shrove Tuesday.   
 1960/07/18 TLSto MertonI am enclosing a copy of the last Fine Arts Section Newsletter that has been sent to different   
 1960/08/12 TLSto MertonMany thanks for your kind letter, which I have delayed in answering. I am so pleased to read   
 1960/09/06 TLSto MertonIt would be difficult to describe the Fine Arts Section meeting at St. John's except to say that   
 1960/09/30 TLSto MertonFrank Kacmarcik and I are going to be visiting St. Bede's Abbey in Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday,   
 1960/10/10 TPCSto MertonWe look forward to seeing you on our visit to the Abbey. Brother Giles was here in New York  [verso: black and white reproduction of painting by Ugolino Lorenzetti, "The Nativity", at the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University]
 1961/04/02? TPCSto MertonA very Joyous and Holy Easter! I am amazed at the absolute poverty of good Easter cards, not even  [verso: color reproduction of a Byzantine painting of the anastasis]
 1962/12/23 HPCSto MertonSee what 5 <u>GOOD</u> Cistercian architects could do in 1152 without interference of committees  [verso: black and white photograph of the nave of a monastery in Portugal]
 1963/08/11? HLSto MertonA postcard is not sufficient - so this letter is to fill in much more details. I manage to buy 2   
 1963/11/no? HPCSto MertonMosaic in the apse conch in the monastery of St Luke the Hermit (11 century) of the Theatakos - 1963  [verso: black and white photograph of a mosaic from a church on Mt. Athos in Greece]
 1963/12/no? HPCSto MertonOur Christmas travels end here in Paris - and how wonderful to see our favorite "Pieta".  [verso: color reproduction of a Pieta from the "École de Provence" in the Louvre - Paris, France]
 1964/09/21 HPCSto MertonThis Goya is at the Spanish Pavilion of the Word's Fair - your Holy Founder, my namesake-  [verso: color reproduction of Goya painting of St. Bernard and St. Robert - exhibited at the 1964 New York World's Fair]
 1965/01/25 HPCSto MertonWill be in Louisville on a panel with James Baldwin on "Why the artist has lost contact with  [verso: color photograph of St. Catherine Abbey in the Sinai]
 1967/09/18 TLSto MertonThis is an old copy of <u>Connaissance</u> magazine that I found in browsing through a book store.   
 1967/09/20 TL[c]from MertonIt was good to hear from you and this time I am going to make sure I get your address into my   
 undated/no/no HCSto MertonO God, Thou art the Sower of good seed, [-] and the Cultivator of Chosen branches;   
        

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