The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University



Advanced Search 


Merton's Correspondence with:

Dom Gregorio Lemercier, Dom; Dom Gregoire Lemercier, Gregoire, Dom Grégoire Lemercier, Grégoire, Dom

Lemercier, Gregorio, Dom, O.S.B.  printer

 
 

Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1953-1959
Volume: 15 item(s); 37 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This small but important correspondence file from the 1950's contains discussions about views on monasticism at a time when Merton was restless at Gethsemani, yearned for more solitude, and grieved changes brought about at Gethsemani due to mechanization of the farm. The collection includes original, signed handwritten and typed letters from Lemercier.

Biography

"Dom Gregorio Lemercier was Superior of an experimental Benedictine monastery at Cuernavaca in Mexico" at the time of these letters. (Source: The School of Charity, p. 68.)

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

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

Related Information and Links

See also one published letter from Merton to Lemercier in Witness to Freedom, pp. 211-214, and one in The School of Charity, pp. 68-70; see also "Batten, R. J., Fr., O.P" file for a later appraisal of Lemercier's community.

Other Finding Aids

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

Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"


#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
1. 1953/10/16 HLS to Merton I beg you to give some of your time to the following request-- Three years ago, under unusual asks for advice about the ethics of mechanized labor in his monastery to be able to provide for his community «detailed view»
2. 1953/10/23 TL[c] from Merton It was a pleasure to get your letter because it was a letter from a monk, for a change. Merton's response to monastic mechanization «detailed view»
3. 1954/09/26 HLS to Merton Here I am again with another request-- and the hope that you will be able to Lemercier is asking about when Merton thinks it is appropriate to wear a habit / should habits be worn for work? «detailed view»
4. 1955/02/11 HLS to Merton I should have thanked you long ago for your letter of last October book on St. Benedict / Fr. Engelbert in California / making a living in the monastery / list of sources of their income «detailed view»
5. 1956/02/21 HLS to Merton Thank you very much for your letter, the book and the Bread in the Wilderness / Fr. Engelbert «detailed view»
6. 1957/08/28 (#01) TLS to Merton Votre lettre du 7 août vient du m'arriver. Elle m'a fait bien grand plaisir et je vous remercie de Contains photo, possibly of Lemercier's monastery and grounds / monastic lifestyle / Conception Abbey / Mont Cesar / Opus Dei / the Pope / Jose Torres Oceguera «detailed view»
7. 1957/08/28 (#02) other   Le rapport de Maredsous a pris pour point de départ de l'étude de ce problème le fait de an essay entitled "MONACHISME LAIC", possibly accompanied the 1957/08/28 letter «detailed view»
8. 1957/10/03 TL[c] from Merton It was a joy to receive your long letter. I have read it many times and thought about its contents, [transferred from Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files - no last name, "Dear Father Gregorio," seems to reply to Lemercier letter of August 28, 1957] the Divine Office in English - office as "ritualistic and theatrical" / relationship of monks and laity - monks and the question of true holiness / "Pachomian spirit" - monastery as "kolkhoz" / vacuum of postulants "incapacity to receive" / foundation in South America «detailed view»
9. 1959/05/30 HLS to Merton Je suis bien rentré au monastère, mais à mon arrivée j'ai «detailed view»
10. 1959/06/11 HLS[x] from Merton Merci de votre bonne lettre. J'espère que vous vous portez mieux maintenant. [photocopy found in Sub-Section H.7, "Hart Working Files" - status of original letter unknown] «detailed view»
11. 1959/10/01 HLS to Merton Je crois que vous serez content l'avoir de mes nouvelles, ou plutôt les nouvelles du monastère «detailed view»
12. 1959/12/17 (#01) TL[c] from Merton Le P. Prieur me permet d'ecrire cette lettre en l'absence de Dom James, qui revient demain. «detailed view»
13. 1959/12/17 (#02) transcript from Merton The Reverend Father Prior has allowed me to write this letter in the absence of Dom James, who copy from published book / negative answer from Rome about leaving Gethsemani signed by Cardinals Valeri and Larraona / Fr. [John] Eudes / psychiatrist Zilboorg / permission to live at a hermitage «detailed view»
14. 1960/08/12 TLS to Dr. [?] Thank you for your letter dated August 8, which arrived before I received a letter from Mr. Herbert [addressed "Dear Doctor" (Zilboorg?) and refers to Merton in the third person as "fr. L."] «detailed view»
15. 1960/09/10 TLS to Dr. [?] J'ai bien reçu votre lettre, avec la lettre du P. Philippe. Comme je désire être trés bien compris, [addressed "Mon cher Docteur" (Zilboorg?) and refers to Merton in the third person] «detailed view»

Printer-Friendly Version   Return to the Top of the Page