This file contains letters to or from unknown priests and monks. Merton may have used the salutation, "Dear Father", "Dear Reverend Father", etc. For those listed with a first name, i.e. Fr. Joseph, see "Unidentified First Names". The letters are arranged chronologically.
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. |
1952/03/13 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for the beautiful numbers of Incunable many of the pages of which will be, I hope |
|
[filed as a letter to Concha Lagos but address "My Dear Father in Christ"]
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1957/03/15 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Editor of Studi Cattolici / to Merton |
ho l'onore di chiederLe di voler aderire al Comitato dei Collaboratori della nuova Rivista fondata |
|
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1957/03/15 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Editor of Studi Cattolici / to Merton |
la Casa Editirce ARES, nel desiderio di venire incontro alle esignenze del pubblico cattolico colto, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1964/04/20 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Monsieur l'Abbe" |
Voici le texte que j'ai écrit pour Albert Schweitzer, et j'espère que ces pages ne vous décevront |
|
article by Merton on Albert Schweitzer
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1964/05/26 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Mon Pere" |
Je ne sais pas exactement lesquels de mes livres ont été traduits en allemand. Pour la Vie |
|
correspondent's interest in translating some of Merton's books into German - recommends contacting his agent in Germany, Dagmar Henne
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1964/08/28 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Vous vous demandez peut être si votre Couturière mystique se sera perdue dans ce pays qui est |
|
Claudine Moihe / M. Eugene Exman / Raissa Maritain / mysticism
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1965/04/25 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Mon bien cher Père" |
Merci de votre bonne lettre d'il y a deux mois. Comme vous, je tache de m'appliquer a mon "job" |
|
book on Heraclitus (Herakleitos the Ephesian) / Tertullian De Resurrectione / Nishida Kitaro, Zen philosopher of Japan / Karl Rahner and Han Kung / De Lubac on medieval exegesis / T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets / Buddhism / Vietnam / American technology
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1965/11/09 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Mon bien cher Père" |
L'an dernier j'aurais été tout à fait d'accord avec vous sur la question de la petite colonie |
|
Merton on becoming a hermit - how he does it at Gethsemani Abbey / colonies of hermits elsewhere
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1966/08/31 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Dear Brother" |
I have your good letter andhave [sic] considered your problem. Frankly I must say that I am not in |
|
[Patrick Hart added initial “D” and crosses out Merton’s date of “August 31, 1966” and replaces with “Sept. 30 / 65”] on whether a monk should leave the monastery / changes in monastic life - many leaving but do not get caught in "chain reaction" but make personal choice / on a person the monk wants to leave and marry - difficulties in married life as well / burdens in both the religious life and life outside the monastery
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1967/04/20 |
HPCS from German Priest to Merton |
|
|
[verso: black and white photograph of Lourdes, France]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1967/05/20 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Dear Father" |
Sorry to have let your poignant letter go without answer for so long. I should have got right down |
✓ |
[WTF, p. 333] sickness in religious institutions - "Submission is canonized and all opposition is suspect." / avoid direct confrontation - keep silent - "do what you have to do without asking" / problems resolved through patience - censors / seek like minded people / frank in your opinion but accept obedience when imposed
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1968/04/26 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Dear Father" |
I am ashamed at the length of time that has gone by since your letter. Impossible to do it justice. |
|
Vietnam War and the priest's desires to go to Vietnam to help suffering people - Merton recommends against it - more important to pressure leaders "for the damned war to stop / Thich Nhat Hanh - Nhat Hanh's monastery destroyed and spiritual master killed in Tet offensive - Benedictine monastery in Hue destroyed
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1968/07/14 |
TL[c] from Merton to "Dear Father" |
I am sorry you thought I might have had some special motive for bypassing Vina when I was |
|
[priest and monk of New Clairvaux monastery in Vina, California]
«detailed view» |
|