MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Dardenne, Myriam, Mother, O.C.S.O., 1920-2002
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1965, 1968
Volume: 34 item(s); 42 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Dardenne, Myriam, Mother, O.C.S.O.".
Biography
Mother Myriam Dardenne founded Redwoods Abbey, a Trappist community of women, in White Thorn, California. Merton met her on her way to found it in 1962. Later, he visited Redwoods before continuing his trip to Asia. They discuss Merton's travel plans and arrangements for a meeting of contemplative religious at Redwoods Monastery.
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
Three letters from Dardenne can be found in the "Webster, Portia" file. See also "Brennan, Benedicta" and "Breitenbeck, Joseph Matthew" for more information about reform in the lives of women religious; see also published letters from Merton to Mother Myriam in The School of Charity, pp. 158-159, 267-268, 370, 378-379, 386-387, 389-391, 393, 395-397, 408-409. Both sides of the correspondence and previously unpublished letters by Merton are published in Thomas Merton in Californiapp. 385-415.
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
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1962/12/12 | TLS[x] | from Merton | I hope you are by now well settle in your new home. I have not heard any news from your or about | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1963/01/02 (#01) | TLS[x] | from Merton | Merci de votre bonne lettre. Vous avez sans doute reçu trois boites de livres que je vous ai envoyés | Yes |
| |
| | 1963/01/02 (#02) | transcript | from Merton | Thank you for your good letter. You have undoubtedly received three boxes of books which I sent you | Yes |
| [French translation of Merton's letter in French by Michele Lamarche] |
| | 1965/03/06 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | I received your letter the other day, and certainly there is nothing I would like better than to | Yes |
| |
| | 1965/03/06 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | I received your letter the other day, and certainly there is nothing I would like better than | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/03/12 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | I am happy to say that with the improved situation here I have been able to obtain permission | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/03/12 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | I am happy to say that with the improved situation here I have been able to obtain permission | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/03/19 | TLS[x] | to Merton | Thank you for coming! The onlu [sic] problem is the question of dates. The reunion of abbesses ocso. | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/03/22 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Many thanks for your letter which came today. Strangely enough I as still not able to fit a full | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/03/22 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | Many thanks for your letter which came today. Strangely enough I as still not able to fit a full | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/03/29 | TLS | from Sr. Cecilia to Merton | Mother Myriam asked me to look into the flight possibilities for your Westbound trip, and here is | Yes |
| [Sr. Cecilia was Mother Myriam's secretary] |
| | 1968/04/20 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | At last I think I am able to make more or less definite plans for the rest of my trip. I shall be | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/04/20 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | At last I think I am able to make more or less definite plans for the rest of my trip. I shall be | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/04/28 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | In just a week I hope to be with you. So now I am beginning to think a bit about what we might do. | Yes |
| [2 copies] |
| | 1968/04/28 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | In just a week I hope to be with you. So now I am beginning to think a bit about what we might do. | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/05/20 | HLS[x] | from Merton to the Sisters [at Redwoods Abbey] | I am just leaving here to take the plane for Kentucky. This is a very isolated place | Yes |
| [Merton writes from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, in Abiquiu, New Mexico] |
| | 1968/06/29 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | Are you back alive? Prison? Bread and water? I have often thought much about you and prayed | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/06/29 (#02) | TALS[x] | from Merton | Are you back alive? Prison? Bread and water? I have often thought much about you and prayed | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/07/08 | TLS | to Merton | Thank you for your letters and your suggestions. You have been much with me both in thoughts | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/07/11 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | The best way to reply to your letter is to enclose the letter I received from Sr. Benedicta. | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/07/11 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | The best way to reply to your letter is to enclose the letter I received from Sr. Benedicta. | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2 - contains photocopy of photo that Merton sent of his hermitage and notes "This is my place in winter"] |
| | 1968/07/16 | TLS | to Merton | The last Saturday evening " happening" was a meeting with a group of 30 hippies-gypsies type people. | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/07/20 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | It does not surprise me that Jones seems about to sell his land on the shore. I got that impression | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/07/20 (#02) | TLS[x] | from Merton | It does not surprise me that Jones seems about to sell his land on the shore. I got that impression | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/07/22 | TLS[x] | from Merton | This is just to say that my constantly changing plans have changed again. I have another important | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/08/01 | HLS | to Merton | To receive God through "meditation," silent expectation and "kenosis," don't we have this in common | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/08/05 | TL[c] | from Merton | Wishing you all luck at Monroe-- whenever it is. Will you tell Sr. Benedicta that if she wants | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/08/28 | TALS | to Merton | Last Sunday, Mike the guitarist-- do you remember the tape we listened to last May--, played in the | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/09/07 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Since Dom Leclercq was coming here this weekend, I waited to answer your letter. I asked him where | Yes |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/09/20 | HLS[x] | from Merton | Guess where I am now. Alaska! I am doing a little work which - I hope - will earn me some | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/10/14 | HLS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for the lovely and fruitful days at Redwoods. We arrived here safely and I am planning | Yes |
| |
| | 1968/10/29 | transcript | from Merton | India has been so far a most rewarding experience -- and disconcerting also. Great poverty | Yes |
| [from New Delhi - copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1968/11/07 | HLS[x] | from Merton | I am finishing what is more or less a week's retreat in the Himalayas -- in a cottage down | Yes |
| [from Dharamsala] |
| | undated/no/no | HNS[x] | from Merton | When you have finished with this carbon copy please send it and the original to Bro Patrick to be | |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
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