Jack O'Neill wrote an article critical of the monastic life as lived in the modern United States and about the ways it fails to live up to its ideals. The article was entitled, "A Memo from Monasticism's Separated Brethren." Merton wrote a preface and comments for it, called "Notes from an Ex Novice." It was not published.
Jack O'Neill was an ex-novice of Gethsemani Abbey.
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
See also an unpublished manuscript of "Notes from an Ex Novice" and "A Memo from Monasticism's Separated Brethren" in Section E.1 of the Merton Center Classification (both filed under "Notes from an Ex Novice").
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. |
1964/03/04 |
TAL[c] from Merton |
I have thought about your letter often since January, but unless you have received the gift |
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«detailed view» |
2. |
1964/09/22 (#01) |
TAL[c] from Merton |
Don't think I did not greatly appreciate your letter and the essay you sent, the reflections |
|
«detailed view» |
3. |
1964/09/22 (#02) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Don't think I did not greatly appreciate your letter and the essay you sent, the reflections |
|
«detailed view» |
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