| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1950/04/04 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Our threat to write something for you has materialized. The manuscript is on the way to you via my | |
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| | 1955/03/01 | TALS[x] | from Merton | A brief Lenten note from the deserts of Kentucky. First of all, I have been meaning to thank you | |
| on Liturgical Press publishing <i>Praying the Psalms</i> / Merton preaching a sermon objecting to "pious figures of speech about 'the prisoner in the tabernacle', 'Jesus obeys the priest' etc etc, and some of the brethren got very angry" - reading Anscar Vonier and asking for other resources |
| | 1955/04/12 | TLS | to Merton | Please forgive the delay in answering your friendly and fraternal letter of March first. | |
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| | 1955/05/20 | TALS[x] | from Merton | I want to thank you for your very kind letter of Easter week (and here we are in the octave | |
| <i>Eucharistia: Essays on Eucharistic Liturgy and Devotion</i> by Joseph Kramp, S.J. / Merton's "Praying the Psalms" booklet / refusing offer to be associate editor of <u>Worship</u> as he had turned down Ed Rice about doing the same for <u>Jubilee</u> / the Eucharist - <i>Corpus Mysticum</i> by De Luback / [Anscar] Vonier on the Eucharist |
| | 1958/11/17 | TL[x] | to Merton | Could you be persuaded to review Father Bouyer's recent book, THE CISTERCIAN HERIGAGE [sic] | |
| asking Merton to review <i>The Cistercian Heritage</i> by Louis Bouyer / Fr. Hans Ansgar Reinhold, S.J. / Diekmann's visit in Rome to Fr. Robert Leiber, S.J., a close advisor, confessor, and private secretary to Pope Pius XII / laying of the cornerstone of the new abbey church at Collegeville |
| | 1959/01/03 | TALS[x] | from Merton | A long time ago I promised Fr Kilian I would send some articles for <u>Worship</u> and I prepared | |
| [labeled 1958, but 1959 from context and other letters] articles on Ash Wednesday and Easter for <u>Worship</u> currently held up by censors |
| | 1959/01/09 | TL[x] | to Merton | My sincere thanks to you for the two articles on Ash Wednesday and Easter. (Father Kilian is quite | |
| [9 in date cut off, but mention made of "the graces of 1959"] plans to publish Easter and Ash Wednesday essays by Merton with some extra paragraph breaks / publishing article by Father David Michael Stanley, S.J. / asking for a copy of Merton's Nativity Kerygma |
| | 1959/01/17 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Your letter took a long time to reach me, but Father Abbot gave it to me with information that | |
| censorship of the liturgical articles on Easter and Ash Wednesday / Nativity Kerygma / articles to Fr. Kilian McDonnell, including something on the Prayer of Jesus of the eastern Church / possibility of attending a Scripture week at St. John's Abbey in 1960 |
| | 1960/01/07 | TALS[x] | from Merton | It seems to me that by now Fr Kilian is pretty well stocked with articles for <i>Sponsa Regis</i>, | |
| Merton sends an article for consideration in <u>Worship</u> (seems to be "Absurdity in Sacred Decoration" that was also published in <i>Disputed Questions</i>) |
| | 1960/01/25 (#01) | TALS | to Merton | Don't jump to any precipitous conclusions: I am not rejecting the article which you so kindly sent. | |
| Diekmann's thoughts on the use of large, realistic crucifixes in churches and crucifixes on the altar in relation to Merton's critiques in "Absurdity in Sacred Decoration" |
| | 1960/01/25 (#02) | HNS | from Meinberg, Cloud, Fr. | I have read this article. I do not find in it any plea for a <u>large</u> crucifix (of the type we | |
| [letter from Meinberg to Diekmann and enclosed with 1960/01/25 letter to Merton] asks Merton to change "decoration" to "mere decoration" in a number of instances in Merton's "Absurdity in Sacred Decoration" and shares other thoughts |
| | 1960/01/29 | TALS[x] | from Merton | I thank both you and Father Cloud for your valuable remarks. They are helpful in clarifying my own | |
| [contains some handwritten notes by Deikmann on letter] Merton's changes to "Absurdity in Sacred Decoration" - leaving most of his discussion about the crucifix, which Diekmann thought Merton should cut entirely - censors have not reviewed article |
| | 1960/02/24 | TLS[x] | from Merton | You now have the only complete text of the article on "Absurdity and Sacred Decoration". | |
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| | 1960/02/26 | TALS | to Merton | Enclosed are the galley proofs of your article. I had hoped that the approval of the censors would | |
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| | 1960/02/29 | TALS[x] | from Merton | Here are the proofs. In order to help matters a little I have added three subtitles. The busy priest | |
| "Absurdity in Sacred Decoration" cleared censors with one change requested regarding the crucifix / idea by Diekmann and Fr. Kilian McDonnell to have an issue clarifying "Liturgy and Spiritual Personalism" - Merton hoping it will not be anti-Maritain [re: Jacques Maritain] - Thomism and liturgy - Fr. Cyprian Vagaggini - liturgists as a faction / Zilboorg - the last time Merton asked about taking the advanced psychiatric seminar at St. John's Abbey, it was refused |
| | 1960/03/04 | TLS | to Merton | Thanks for improving the article by the addition of the sub-titles, and by catching the blooper. | |
| Fr. Cyprian Vagaggini not at odds with Jacques Maritain, but rather Dom Aelred Graham / Bernard Haering |
| | 1960/03/23 | TL[x] | to Merton | Herewith several photographs of the new abbey church. I have identified them in each case, | |
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| | 1960/06/07 | TL[x] | to Merton | My best thanks to you for the article. I am very enthusiastic about it and feel certain that there | |
| possiblity of a joint publishing project with European monasteries on the topic of liturgy and spiritual life - Abbey of Pierre qui Viere - Jean Leclercq - the Liturgical Press and Fr. William Heidt - Jacques Maritain |
| | 1960/06/11 | HNS[x] | from Merton | Here is your article - in haste. I hope it is satisfactory and not too long. We can discuss cuts if | |
| Merton agreed to prepare a conference for the Benedictine Academy at Collegeville but was at first unsure if the invitation was in person - his abbot, Dom James Fox, refused him permission - Bob Rambusch |
| | 1960/06/27 | TALS[x] | from Merton | I am happy to report that the censors have passed the Liturgy Article without any changes demanded. | |
| [copied from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2] |
| | 1962/08/16 | TALS | to Merton | I hope your fraternal and monastic charity is broad and deep enough to cover my sin of failing | |
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| | 1962/08/27 | HPCS[x] | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. I was happy to get it and this is just to say that you can edit the | |
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| | 1962/09/10 | HLS[x] | from Merton | Would you consider a review article, or at least a revew, of JF Powers' new novel? | |
| Merton's review of <i>Morte d"Urban</i> by J.F. Powers - Merton's plans to "write Jim Powers about his book" / <u>Orate Fratres</u> - Fr. Virgil Michel's articles |
| | 1962/09/19 | TLS | to Merton | Please forgive me for not answering immediately your kind letter of September 10th, offering | |
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| | 1962/09/26 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Here is the Powers review. I have enjoyed writing it, and I will send a copy to Jim, assuming he is | |
| J.F. Powers / visit to Gethsemani Abbey by Dom Jean Leclercq / planned article on Pierre de Celle [Peter Cellensis / Peter of Celle] |
| | 1962/10/03 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Suddenly the censor has made a discovery, and a very nice one. He says it is an immemorial custom | |
| [copy of the letter discovered in a cache of materials kept by Dom James Fox regarding censorship of Merton's books - see also "Censors Reports" under the "Morte d'Urban" series regarding Merton's review of the book by J.F. Powers] |
| | 1962/10/16 | TLS[x] | from Merton | Me again. I think that in one paragraph I was unjust to Jim Powers, and I would like if possible | |
| asking to make one change to the review of <i>Morte d"Urban</i> |
| | 1962/10/17 | TLS | to Merton | Your very welcome letter, clearing the Power Review, arrived in time to allow of its printing in | |
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| | 1962/10/22 | TALS | to Merton | Your corrections arrived in time. But only because the November issue is a bit late. I had just | |
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| | 1963/05/13 | TALS[x] | from Merton | I have thought of you often in these past months, what with your sickness and then your most | |
| sending three essays for <u>Worship</u>: an essay with lengthy scriptural quotes, "The Advent Mystery," and "A Homily on Light and on the Virgin Mother" |
| | 1963/05/22 | TALS | to Merton | Your fraternal charity humbles me. I feel very guilty about not having acknowledged receipt of your | |
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| | 1963/06/18 | HLS[x] | from Merton | I am happy that you can use all three articles. I have edited the one on Mary and by all means edit | |
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| | 1963/06/26 | TL[x] | to Merton | Friday, June 21, was a great day: the announcement of the election of Paul VI -- and the receipt | |
| retreat given by Diekmann to Protestant ministers at a retreat house in northern Wisconsin and an invitation for Merton to lead a similar retreat there |
| | 1963/12/30 | TLS[x] | from Merton | First, the business part of this letter. It concerns the article "The Name of the Lord" which you | |
| French rights for "The Name of the Lord" for <u>Collectanea</u> / The Constitution on the Liturgy promulgated at the Second Vatican Council - regarding changes to the liturgy and to the religious life |
| | 1964/07/15 | TAL[c] | from Merton | Thanks very much for your notes on the Einsiedeln meeting. I had already heard from Dom Leclercq | Yes |
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| | 1964/08/01 | TAL[c] | from Merton | This document regards mostly Cistercians and Primitive Benedictines and I don't know if it would be | |
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| | 1964/no/no? | other | to Fox, James | Abbot Braso of Montserrat will soon be sending you the "official" report on the Einsiedeln meeting. | |
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| | 1965/02/08 | TLS | to Merton | It was during the Second Session of Vatican II, in the fall of 1963, that Dr. Douglas Steere | |
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| | 1965/02/13 | TL[c] | from Merton | For some time I have been aware that your very interesting and important ecumenical conference | Yes |
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| | 1965/04/05 | TLS | to Merton | It is now a number of weeks since I have written to your Father Abbot, and received his reply, | |
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