Individual Series View, Merton's Correspondence with:

Fox, James, Dom, O.C.S.O., 1896-1987

Series 17, Special Merton File: Correspondence with Fr. Riccardo Lombardi, S.J.

Descriptive Summary

Record Group:	Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials:	1948-1969
Volume:	949 item(s); 1432 pg(s)

Herein is a large collection of letters spanning most of Merton's time at Gethsemani. Letters between Fox and Merton concern Merton's vocation to the monastery, his constant desires for greater solitude, thoughts about leaving Gethsemani and joining the

Biography

Dom James Fox came to Gethsemani in 1927. He was serving as guestmaster when Merton's younger brother, John Paul, visited the monastery, and Fox made arrangements for John Paul's baptism. In 1948, Fox was elected abbot after the death of Dom Frederic Du

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.

Series List

Series Number	Series Name	Total Records
1	Correspondence from original Merton papers (some later additions): Dom James Fox with Merton, Fr. Charles Dumont, Edward Glenn Hinson, Msgr. Alfred Frederick Horrigan, Fr. Giovanni Montini, James Morrissey, Naomi Burton Stone, etc.	93
2	Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with the Abbot of Melleray, Dom Louis de Gonzague Le Pennuen.	21
3	Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with the Abbot of Melleray, Dom Colomban Bissey.	6
4	Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Dominique Noques.	4
5	Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Gabriel Sortais.	202
6	Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with Abbot General Ignace Gillet.	38
7	Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Merton: Special Binding (Archive - Stack 5).	101
8	Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Marie Tadié: (see "Tadié, Marie" file for all physical holdings).	153
9	Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Abbot General Gabriel Sortais	30
10	Special Merton File: Notes concerning Merton's relationship with "M," from folder labeled "Clyde"	1
11	Special Merton File: Correspondence between Fox and Fr. John Eudes Bamberger concerning a biography of Merton, from folder labeled "Clyde"	2
12	Special Merton File: Correspondence concerning French translator Marie Tadié's grievance with Gethsemani after Merton's death, from folder labeled "Clyde"	6
13	Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and the Sacred Congregation for Religious at the Vatican, earlier with Arcadio Cardinal Larraona and then with Archbishop Paul (later Cardinal) Philippe	6
14	Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla, Secretary to Pope John XXIII	5
15	Special Merton File: Correspondence with Fr. Heinrich Dumoulin, S.J., Sophia University in Japan, regarding Merton studying Zen and proposed trip to Japan	4
16	Special Merton File: Correspondence with Archbishop Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI)	7
17	Special Merton File: Correspondence with Fr. Riccardo Lombardi, S.J.	18
18	Special Merton File: Correspondence between Dom James Fox and Abbot General Ignace Gillet, regarding Merton as novice master, studying Zen and proposed trip to Japan	4
19	Naomi Burton Stone, Doubleday, Inc. (earlier correspondence with Fox can be found in the "Curtis Brown, Ltd." file and in Series 1 of this file)	102
20	Publishers' Correspondence: Herder and Herder, Inc.	18
21	Publishers' Correspondence: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, Inc.; and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.	34
22	Publishers' Correspondence: New Directions	38
23	Publishers' Correspondence: Foreign Rights	2
24	Merton Publicity File: Correspondence with film makers, book clubs, radio stations, etc.	21
25	Curtis Brown, Ltd. [See "Curtis Brown" file in Section A, correspondence from 1963 continues with Series 19 in this file]	1
26	Correspondence between Gregory Zilboorg and James Fox from Gethsemani Archives	22
27	Correspondence with Bishop Matthew A. Niedhammer, OFM Cap., Apostolic Vicar of Bluefields, Nicaragua, regarding Merton's character	3
28	Correspondence with Bishop James Peter Davis of San Juan, Puerto Rico, regarding Merton's character	3
29	Special File of Dom James on Thomas Merton, 70 Numbered Entries (click here)	1
30	Correspondence with Dom Baldwin Dworschak, O.S.B., Abbot of Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota	3

Container List

Series#	Date	From/To	First Lines	Pub ✓	Notes
	y/m/d	Merton		Scan ✉
Series 17 #1. «All Series«	1958/06/16	TLS[x] from Merton to Riccardo Lombardi	It was to me a pleasant surprise and a very great honor to receive your kind letter, and I will not		[see also Merton's carbon of the same letter and other related letters in the "Lombardi, Riccardo" file] «detailed view»
Series 17 #2. «All Series«	1958/07/09	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo / to Merton	It would be difficult for you to imagine the joy with which I received your good letter.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #3. «All Series«	1958/07/31	TL[x] from Sortais, Gabriel	Le R.P. Lombardi, le Jésuite italien qui a fondé le "Mouvement pour un Monde meilleur", est, comme		Pope Piux XII / monastic rules - Lombardi is not at liberty to write to Merton directly and vice versa / fear of Merton leaving the monastic and contemplative life in favor of Lombardi's movement «detailed view»
Series 17 #4. «All Series«	1958/08/04	TL[c] to Lombardi, Riccardo	I believe we have corresponded before in regard to your wonderful movement PER UN MONDO MIGLIORE.		[includes an earlier draft of the first page on the back of another sheet and post scriptum dated 1958/August/05] «detailed view»
Series 17 #5. «All Series«	1958/08/13	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo	I have received your long letter which has given me food for much reflection. It is understood		«detailed view»
Series 17 #6. «All Series«	1958/10/13	TL[c] to Lombardi, Riccardo	This is the first free moment I have had since I returned from Europe to write to you.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #7. «All Series«	1958/11/01	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo	You cannot imagine the effect your letter had on me, and the emotion I got on receiving it.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #8. «All Series«	1958/11/29	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo	It is only a short time since I wrote to ask you in what languages we should send material to Father		«detailed view»
Series 17 #9. «All Series«	1958/12/09	TLS[x] to Lombardi, Riccardo	We received your good letter of November 1, which I had fully intended to answer before this.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #10. «All Series«	1958/12/23	TLS from Saunders, Clarence A.	We are sending you, in the name of Father Lombardi, a copy of the new Italian book ESERCITAZIONI		[from Br. Clarence A. Saunders, S.M., Secretary for the United States of the Centro Internazionale Pio XII per un Mondo Migliore, on behalf of Fr. Riccardo Lombardi] «detailed view»
Series 17 #11. «All Series«	1959/01/12	TL[c] to Lombardi, Riccardo	We have not heard from you for some time. We wrote you, dear Reverend Father, on December 9.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #12. «All Series«	1959/01/19 (#01)	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo	I have at hand your letter of January 12, and I confess that it rather pained me.		«detailed view»
Series 17 #13. «All Series«	1959/01/19 (#02)	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo / to Merton	It is quite a time since we exchanged letters and since your Reverend Father Abbot decided to come		«detailed view»
Series 17 #14. «All Series«	1959/02/09	TALS[x] to Lombardi, Riccardo	We received your charming letter of January 19. We had previously received the copy of your new		«detailed view»
Series 17 #15. «All Series«	1959/05/19	TL[c] to Lombardi, Riccardo	We have not heard from you for some time-- ever since we wrote and sent you the article CHRISTIANITY		«detailed view»
Series 17 #16. «All Series«	1959/06/08 (#01)	TLS from Lombardi, Riccardo	Here I am back at Rome after almost three months of absence, during which time I have travelled		«detailed view»
Series 17 #17. «All Series«	1959/06/08 (#02)	transcript from from Pope John XXIII / to Riccardo Lombardi	Here I am back at Rome after almost three months of absence, during which time I have travelled		[originally dated 1959/June/03, forwarded to Fox] «detailed view»
Series 17 #18. «All Series«	1959/07/29	TLS from Saunders, Clarence A.	The first installment of Father Louis Merton's article has just appeared in the July issue		«detailed view»

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