This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Burns, Ethel M.".
Ethel Burns was writing from New York and seemed to be familiar with some of Merton's Columbia University acquaintances, including Mark Van Doren, whom she mentions seeing on a TV interview in which he spoke of Merton.
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. |
1958/12/25? |
HCS from Merton |
This is a very late "Christmas" card to thank you for your kind letter and the Mass stipend which |
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["Christmas Card 1958" - verso: "From a woodcut by Gerhard Marcks for the hand-press edition of Thomas Merton's 'The Tower of Babel,' printed for New Directions by R. von Sichowsky in Hamburg, Germany."]
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1959/04/18 |
HNS from Merton |
My Masses today and tomorrow are for your intention. God bless you - I wish you many graces. |
|
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1961/06/17 |
TLS from Kelty, Matthew (for Merton) / to Ethel Burns |
A note of thanks from Father Louis for your letter and also for your Mass offering. If this answer |
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[from Fr. Matthew Kelty, sent on behalf of Merton to Ethel Burns]
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1963/02/13 |
TLS from from Basil, Br., O.C.S.O. / to Ethel Burns |
Thank you for your letter. Thank you also for your kind donation, which of course Father |
|
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1964/04/04 |
HNS from Merton |
Bless you and thanks for remembering me. I am better now - pretty busy too. May our bond give you |
|
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1965/01/03 |
TNS from Merton |
Thanks again and best wishes for the New Year. I hope all things go well with you. Do not worry |
|
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1966/02/07 |
HPCS from Merton |
Thanks for your kind remembrance, and I hope you will keep well. The weather is getting |
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[verso: Front Guest Garden at Gethsemani Abbey]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1966/08/22 |
HLS to Merton |
Your feast day will soon be here and I want to wish you a happy one. A little offering is enclosed, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1966/08/30 |
HNS from Merton |
Many thanks for your kind letter and gift. No, I did not know Mark Van Doren had mentioned me in |
|
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1967/08/18 (#01) |
TLS from Merton |
Thanks for your letter and for the stipend. I will gladly say that Mass for priests. I think very |
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«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1967/08/18 (#02) |
TAL[c] from Merton |
Thanks for your letter and for the stipend. I will gladly say that Mass for priests. I think very |
|
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1968/01/01 |
TALS[x] from Merton |
Christmas mail was an avalanche this year: it always is, but more so in 1967. News from friends |
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[Signature xeroxed or mimeographed, but there is an original handwritten note by Merton to Burns: "Ethel- I'll be saying Mass for priest and will remember you in it. Joy and peace in the Lord TM." Transferred from Sub-Section D.2 (Mimeographs) on 2009/July/28]
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1970/10/23 |
HLS to Center from Burns, Ethel |
Thank you for your letter regarding Fr Merton. Father, his correspondence with me was brief, some |
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«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1970/11/10 |
TL[x] from Center to Burns, Ethel |
Thank you for your letter of October 23. More and more people are replying to the form letter we |
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«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1970/11/21 |
HLS to Center from Burns, Ethel |
I hope these articles will be of some use to you - some of them are deteriorating and when I |
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«detailed view» |
| 16. |
undated/08/23 |
TLS from Merton |
Thanks for your remembrance and gift. I shall pray for you especially along with all my friends on |
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«detailed view» |
| 17. |
undated/12/25? |
HCS from Merton |
Thanks for the gift and clipping. I hope you are well these days. I have had a bad back but am |
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«detailed view» |
| 18. |
undated/no/no (#01) |
TNS from Merton |
I tried to reach you with this at 181st Street last June when you sent the Masses but there was |
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[verso: "Ars Liturgica . NR.7989 . Maria Laach . Germania"]
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| 19. |
undated/no/no (#02) |
HLS from Merton |
Let nothing disturb you! Trust and peace. God is always near. Thanks for remembering my birthday |
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[verso: "Statue of St. Benedict (by Peter Watts) Abbey of Gethsemani, Ky."]
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
undated/no/no (#03) |
HLS from Merton |
Thanks again for your kindness. I do keep you in my prayers. Life is not as easy and pleasant as |
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«detailed view» |
| 21. |
undated/no/no (#04) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
with gratitude and best wishes for the New Year. You will certainly be in my Masses all year. |
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[see Sub-Section D.9 for the original on the cover of an offprint of "The Pasternak Affair in Perspective," a reprint from Thought 34.135 (Winter 1959-1960)]
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| 22. |
undated/no/no (#05) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
Thanks for your very interesting letter and the offering! I bet Columbia is amazing now. This |
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[see Sub-Section D.9 for the original on the title page of a mimeograph of preface to the Japanese edition of The Seven Storey Mountain]
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
undated/no/no (#06) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
+ for Ethel Burns with prayers and good wishes in Xt [-] Thomas Merton |
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[see Sub-Section B.6 for the original signature and inscription in the book Life and Holiness]
«detailed view» |
| 24. |
undated/no/no (#07) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
+ to Ethel M. Burns - with all good wishes and prayers and with deep gratitude for your kindness. |
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[see Sub-Section B.6 for the original signature and inscription in the book Thoughts in Solitude]
«detailed view» |
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