The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Circular Letters to Friends (for mimeographing)

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1962-1968, 1981

Volume: 39 item(s); 73 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This section includes letters typed, mimeographed and shared with a number of friends. He would send a seasonal letter on or near a feast day, holiday, natural season, or liturgical season, e.g., Christmas, Easter, Lent, Pentecost, mid-summer, New Year, etc.

Biography

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See also Section D.2 in the Classification, and published versions in The Road to Joy, pp. 88-121.

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
 1962/05/11 otherfrom Merton<u>Memorandum</u>: Summary of my position regarding nuclear war and peace. 1. I am not  not a new theory, not pure pacifism, not unilateral disarmament, but a "massive, all out, annihilatory war with nuclear or any other weapons... is contrary to Christian ethical standards" - includes obliteration bombing and unconditional surrender / Edward Teller - nuclear first strike immoral and bad tactic / limited war
 1963/no/no? otherfrom MertonForgive me for answering you with a form letter, but I get so many requests like yoursYes mimeographed form letter about Merton
 1965/02/28 TLS[x]from MertonPlease excuse my attempt to answer you with a form letter. As this Lent approaches, I am  form letter dated "Quinquagesima Sunday 1965" / handwritten note on letter "We are praying for you Joseph. Have Courage" (signed) Br Dunston
 1965/12/25? (#01)TL[c]from MertonI hate to resort to mimeographed letters but it has become completely impossible for me to answerYes [labeled "A CHRISTMAS LETTER 1965"]
 1965/12/25? (#02)TLS[x]from MertonI hate to resort to mimeographed letters, but it has now become completely impossible forYes longer version of "A CHRISTMAS LETTER 1965 ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI KY"
 1966/12/25 (#01)TALS[x]from MertonSorry, I have just had to give up any hope of answering most of my Christmas mail personally.Yes [labeled "Christmas Morning 1966" - photocopy from "Cargas, Harry" file]
 1966/12/25 (#02)TALS[x]from MertonEven with the aid of mimeograph it is not possible to adequately take care of everybody, acknowledge  [labeled "CHRISTMAS - NEW YEAR LETTER 1966 - 1967" - see "Herscher, Irenaeus" file for hard copy]
 1966/no/no? (#01)transcriptfrom MertonFor many years idle rumors have claimed that I had left the monastery of Gethsemani where I madeYes [labeled "Statement to Friends 66" from published letters - see also copies in the "Forest, James" and "Douglass, James" files]
 1966/no/no? (#02)other[x]from MertonFor many years idle rumors have claimed that I had left the monastery of Gethsemani where I made  [labeled "Statement to Friends 66" - see also Sub-Section E.1, "Statement for Catholic Peace Fellowship (CPF)" - this copy signed and corrected - see also copies in the "Forest, James" and "Douglass, James" files]
 1966/no/no? (#03)other[x]from MertonFor many years idle rumors have claimed that I had left the monastery of Gethsemani where I made  [labeled "Statement" - copied from Sub-Section E.1, "Statement for Catholic Peace Fellowship (CPF)"]
 1967/01/22 TLS[x]from MertonSeveral wrote that they liked my mimeographed Christmas letter and urged me to go on mimeographingYes [labeled "Septuagesima Sunday 1967" - photocopy from "Cargas, Harry" file]
 1967/02/no? (#01)TL[c]from MertonThe last mimeographed letter is running out and there are still more than four weeks to go beforeYes [labeled "Lent 67"]
 1967/02/no? (#02)TALSfrom MertonThe last mimeographed letter is running out and there are still more than four weeks to go beforeYes [labeled "Lent 67"]
 1967/02/no? (#03)TLS[x]from MertonThe last mimeographed letter is running out and there are still more than four weeks to go beforeYes [labeled "Lent 67"]
 1967/03/26 (#01)TLS[x]from MertonIt has been a beautiful warm Easter here, though the most recent news from the East Coast complainsYes [labeled "Easter 67" - longer than the carbon (next record)]
 1967/03/26 (#02)TL[c]from MertonIt has been a beautiful warm Easter here, though the most recent news from the East Coast complainsYes [labeled "Easter 67"]
 1967/05/14 (#01)TLS[x]from MertonThe main piece of news at this season is the ordination to the priesthood of my old friendYes [labeled "PENTECOST 1967" - slightly shorter can original carbon (see next record)]
 1967/05/14 (#02)TAL[c]from MertonThe main piece of news at this season is the ordination to the priesthood of my old friend Dan WalshYes [labeled "Pentecost 67"]
 1967/07/no? (#01)TLS[x]from MertonRecently I heard of the following strange event. Frank Sheed, in London, was awakened  [almost identical to carbon - without the label of MIDSUMMER 1967 (see next record)]
 1967/07/no? (#02)TL[c]from MertonRecently I heard of the following strange event. Frank Sheed, in London, was awakened at fourYes [labeled "MIDSUMMER 67"]
 1967/07/no? (#03)TLSfrom MertonRecently I heard of the following strange event. Frank Sheed, in London, was awakened at fourYes [mimeographed copy with mimeographed signature]
 1967/12/no? TLS[x]from MertonThis year has gone by fast, and not without sorrows. Besides the death of Victor Hammer last summerYes [labeled "ADVENT-CHRISTMAS LETTER 1967"]
 1968/01/01 (#01)TLSfrom MertonChristmas mail was an avalanche this year: it always is, but more so in 1967. News from friendsYes [labeled "NEW YEAR'S LETTER 1968"]
 1968/01/01 (#02)TLS[x]from MertonChristmas mail was an avalanche this year: it always is, but much more so in 1967. NewsYes [labeled -" NEW YEARS LETTER 1968"]
 1968/02/no? (#01)TALSfrom MertonThe approach of Lent once again makes me realize that the only way to handle the pile of lettersYes [labeled "PRE-LENT LETTER 1968" - Merton's annotation after the last line, "May you grow in love. May you have joy!" (repeated in another's handwriting)]
 1968/02/no? (#02)TL[c]from MertonThe approach of Lent once again makes me realize that the only way to handle the pile of lettersYes [labeled "PRE-LENT LETTER 1968"]
 1968/02/no? (#03)TALSfrom MertonThe approach of Lent once again makes me realize that the only way to handle the pile of letters  [labeled "PRE-LENT LETTER 1968" - Merton notes in pen a note speaking against cruelty to animals (animal experimentation), "I think you are right in being against vivisection. We must <u>respect life</u>. Best TM."]
 1968/04/no? (#01)TLSfrom MertonAs I write this there is snow on the ground from a blizzard we had the other day, but the sun isYes [labeled "EASTER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/04/no? (#02)TL[c]from MertonAs I write this there is snow on the ground from a blizzard we had the other day, but the sun isYes [partial copy - labeled "EASTER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/04/no? (#03)TLfrom MertonAs I write this there is snow on the ground from a blizzard we had the other day, but the sun isYes [labeled "EASTER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/04/no? (#04)TL[c]from MertonAs I write this there is snow on the ground from a blizzard we had the other day, but the sun isYes [labeled "EASTER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/05/no? (#01)TL[x]from MertonMy Easter letter was written a couple of weeks before Easter, and it is of course not much use myYes [labeled "PASCHAL TIME 1968"]
 1968/05/no? (#02)TL[c]from MertonMy Easter letter was written a couple of weeks before Easter, and it is of course not much use myYes [labeled "PASCHAL TIME 1968"]
 1968/07/no? (#01)TLS[x]from MertonFor various reasons I was quite busy during May and June, and so for July and part of August I amYes [labeled "MIDSUMMER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/07/no? (#02)TL[x]from MertonFor various reasons I was quite busy during May and June, and so for July and part of August I amYes [working copy (?) for form letter labeled "MIDSUMMER LETTER 1968"]
 1968/09/no? (#01)TLS[x]from MertonAs you know, I have been cutting down more and more on letters and now my contacts will be almostYes [labeled "FALL 1968"]
 1968/09/no? (#02)TALSfrom MertonAs you know, I have been cutting down more and more on letters and now my contacts will be almostYes [labeled "FALL 1968" - Merton's handwritten annotation, "Please do not give this to printers before Sept 12th!!" (the day after his flight out of Kentucky for his travels to the American West and Asia)]
 1968/11/09 TL[x]from MertonThis newsletter is not a reply to mail because I have not been getting mail on this Asian trip...Yes [labeled "Asian Letter 1" - written from New Delhi, India - photocopy from "Cargas, Harry" file - see also text of letter send to Br. Patrick Hart for distribution in the Hart correspondence file]
 1981/01/no? other Dear Friend, from letter because so many requests.  [working notes of William Shannon]
        

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