Merton's Correspondence with:

Dame Marcella van Bruyn; van Bruyn, Marcella, Dame; Bruyn, Marcella van, Dame

Bruyn, Marcella van, Dame, O.S.B.


Photograph sent to Merton of Dame Marcella van Bruyn at Stanbrook Abbey. (Copyright Thomas Merton Legacy Trust.)

Descriptive Summary

Record Group:	Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials:	1963-1967
Volume:	25 item(s); 47 pg(s)

Dame Marcella first contacted Merton through the encouragement of Jacques Maritain. Stanbrook Press published poems of Raïssa Maritain as well as some of Merton's works, including his translations of a prayer of Cassiodorus and a letter by Guigo the Carthusian.

Biography

Dame Marcella van Bruyn was a Benedictine nun of Stanbrook Abbey in England. Entering the community in her forties, she spent twenty-three years in community before leaving to pursue a life of solitude. (Source: The School of Charity, p. 160.)

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Series List

This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.

Container List

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.	1960/05/31	HLS to Merton	Thank you for your letter and for the articles - I was most interested, especially in that one		«detailed view»
2.	1963/02/15	TLS to Merton	M. Jacques Maritain has told me that you are translating his wife's poems, and that you know I have		«detailed view»
3.	1963/02/23	TL[c] from Merton	Since Jacques Maritain told me of your project, I have been expecting your letter. Actually I think	✓	«detailed view»
4.	1963/07/18	TALS to Merton	I am writing by return, because you are anxious about Jacques Maritain, and so hasten to tell you		«detailed view»
5.	1963/09/08	TALS to Merton	Thank you very much for all those mimeographed things - I simply cannot tell you how grateful I am		«detailed view»
6.	1963/10/15	TAL[c] from Merton	The Feast of St Theresa is as good a day as any for a letter to Stanbrook, and I must confess	✓	«detailed view»
7.	1963/11/04	TALS to Merton	Raissa's anniversary, and the 8th will be my father's, when I hope you will say a prayer for him -		«detailed view»
8.	1964/01/02	TAL[c] from Merton	I see some time has gone by since your letter of November 4th and we are all now persuaded that we	✓	«detailed view»
9.	1964/01/25	TALS to Merton	I have a great deal to thank you for besides your letter - the mimeographed things, and the magazine		«detailed view»
10.	1964/02/24 (#01)	TL[c] from Merton	This is chiefly to wish you many blessings and graces on March 12th and to say how much I liked	✓	«detailed view»
11.	1964/02/24 (#02)	TALS[x] from Merton	This is chiefly to wish you many blessings and graces on March 12th and to say how much I liked	✓	[copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files - some pen/pencil marks] «detailed view»
12.	1964/08/25	TALS to Merton	This was meant to arrive in time for your feast, but even if it took off instantly, by jet plane	✉	[Feast of St. Louis] «detailed view»
13.	1964/09/14	other to Merton	I thought this would interest you, if you do not already know the book, which is one of the most		[handwritten and signed note from van Bruyn - typed selections from Venture to the Interior by Laurens van der Post] «detailed view»
14.	1964/10/29	TAL[c] from Merton	How many letters do I owe you? I blush to think of it. Please forgive me. (I have just been	✓	«detailed view»
15.	1965/02/12	TALS to Merton	I did not get round to writing to you for your fiftieth birthday, but I remembered it all right,		«detailed view»
16.	1965/03/28	TL[c] from Merton	Many thanks for your letter. I want to say that I said Mass for you and Stanbrook on the 12th	✓	«detailed view»
17.	1965/06/16	TL[c] from Merton	First, since you mention the prospectus at the top of your letter, I will say "yes" to the offer now	✓	«detailed view»
18.	1966/01/25	TALS to Merton	I have thought about you a great deal, but refrained from writing until your birthday, as I feel you		«detailed view»
19.	1966/02/01	TL[c] from Merton	Certainly I do not regard monastic letters as a distraction and I was glad to hear from you.	✓	«detailed view»
20.	1966/04/17	HLS[x] from Merton	At least I have the joy of reading your fine translations of Raissa, and the book itself is	✓	[copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files] «detailed view»
21.	1966/06/08	TALS to Merton	At the risk of appearing again too soon, I write to know how you are. I was horrified to hear		[sends photo of her in habit standing outside of Stanbrook Abbey] «detailed view»
22.	1966/08/no?	TLS[x] from Merton	[..] way. The hunters around here are wild shots. Lightning strikes trees all around the hermitage.	✓	[copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files] «detailed view»
23.	1966/09/03	TALS to Merton	Thank you for welcome and cheering letter, also for interesting autobiographical bit, though how you		«detailed view»
24.	1967/01/25	TALS to Merton	A very happy birthday to you - don't forget it is also my feast, and pray for me too. First of all,		«detailed view»
25.	undated/no/no	other[x]	He abideth patiently He forgiveth easily He understandeth mercifully He forgetteth utterly		[Merton provided this text to Stanbrook Abbey Press and cited it was "From a fourteenth century manuscript" / Sr. Margaret Truran of Stanbrook notes, "The text is hand-set by the Stanbrook Abbey Press in Jan van Krimpen’s font 'Romulus Cancelleresca Bastarda', a trademark of the Press. The calligraphic capitals H and E are done by Margaret Adams."] «detailed view»

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