The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Heilo, Sven, 1940-

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1963-1967, 1971

Volume: 17 item(s); 24 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Biography

When first writing to Merton, Sven Heilo was a law student living in Lund, Sweden. He had been born in Illinois to Swedish-Lutheran parents in 1940 and moved with his family to Sweden seven years later. He converted to Catholicism in 1960. He was considering a religious vocation and writes about this and a trip to the United States in 1964. There are no extant letters from Heilo from this trip, but Merton makes some remarks about the culture and politics of America and the candidacy of Goldwater. In 1965, Heilo went to work for a customs port in Stockholm and later married.

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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.
   

Series List

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

Container List

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1963/08/05 TLSto MertonA convert since 3½ years, I have been reading your books for some time now, and for the time being   
 1963/10/20 HLSfrom MertonYour letter was very interesting. We will certainly pray for your new Carmelites - ask them to pray   
 1963/10/29 TLSto MertonThank you for your great kindness to send me a letter! I was very glad. I have contacted   
 1963/11/15 TLto MertonThank you very much for the mimeographs. I have not had time to read them all yet, but at this   
 1963/11/20 (#01)TLSfrom MertonThanks for your good letter written on the feast of the dedication of our Abbey Church, and the day   
 1963/11/20 (#02)TAL[c]from MertonThanks for your good letter written on the feast of the dedication of our Abbey Church, and the day   
 1964/02/22 TLSfrom MertonThanks for your good letter. I am glad to hear you are coming to America, and you have no need   
 1964/12/09 (#01)TLSfrom MertonThis will be a very imperfect reply to your interesting letter of Oct. 20[.] Your account of   
 1964/12/09 (#02)TLSfrom MertonThis will be a very imperfect reply to your interesting letter of Oct. 20[.] Your account of   
 1965/07/02 TALSto MertonIt is not my intention to here dwell on external activities of mine during the last six months,   
 1965/07/14 (#01)TLSfrom MertonMan, what a time you are having! But I understand perfectly. You must not feel surprised or upset   
 1965/07/14 (#02)TL[c]from MertonMan, what a time you are having! But I understand perfectly. You must not feel surprised or upset   
 1967/12/17 TLSto MertonJust a few words as a Christmas greeting. Your letters to me a few years ago are indeed not   
 1971/04/01 (#01)TLS[x]to Center from Heilo, SvenNot knowing how long your letter has been under way or has been lying around the Dominican's convent   
 1971/04/01 (#02)other POST SCRIPTUM [-] Articles et cetera in the possession of Mr Sven Heilo, Lund, Sweden by Thomas   
 1971/05/18 TL[x]from Center to Heilo, SvenPlease accept my apology for being sollong [sic] in thanking you for your kind donation of original   
 undated/no/no other[x]from MertonHere are a few of the things I am trying to say about the problems you mention. The government is  [Merton's inscription to Heilo on the title page of a spirit ditto reproduction of additions to Merton's book, <i>Faith and Violence</i> - see Sub-Section D.9 for original signed document]
        

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