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Individual Series View, Merton's Correspondence with:

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


Series 2, Correspondence from Gethsemani Archives: Dom James Fox with the Abbot of Melleray, Dom Louis de Gonzague Le Pennuen.


Descriptive Summary

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

Scope and Content

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.

Related Information and Links

See also published letters from Merton to Fox in The School of Charity and

Series List

Series NumberSeries NameTotal 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#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
Series 2 #1.
«All Series«		 1951/06/20 (#02) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Please pardon our delay in not writing before. The novices are very glad that they do not have to Merton and becoming a hermit / Fr. Raymond «detailed view»
Series 2 #2.
«All Series«		 1952/02/05 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We thank you for the answers to the questions that we received in your November letter. We have students - scholasticate «detailed view»
Series 2 #3.
«All Series«		 1952/02/10 TL[x] from Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Je suis très content du très bon comportement de P. Louis Merton. Il m'a d'ailleurs fait très bonne Carthusians «detailed view»
Series 2 #4.
«All Series«		 1952/04/11 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague All your dear children at Gethsemani send their best love and greetings and assurance of prayers for weekly meetings «detailed view»
Series 2 #5.
«All Series«		 1953/01/12 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Good Father Louis has quite recovered from the shock of the book episode. It is certainly unnerved censors / Fr. Raymond's book on Dom Frederick «detailed view»
Series 2 #6.
«All Series«		 1953/04/09 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague No doubt you will hear quite a bit about good Father Louis. I am sure Father Raymond will tell you Merton's "hermit tendencies" «detailed view»
Series 2 #7.
«All Series«		 1953/06/17 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Here it is almost June 21, the Feast of the great Saint Aloysius de Gonzague. We aresending [sic] Merton's jumpiness - putting on weight «detailed view»
Series 2 #8.
«All Series«		 1953/11/27 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague P.S. Another pleasant bit of news… the very happy visit we had from D. Sighardus Kleiner. He came Dom Sighard Kleiner «detailed view»
Series 2 #9.
«All Series«		 1954/06/14 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Father Louis improves much as the days go by. He is getting more settled. He sees that it is God's Merton improves / finding place at Gethsemani / master of students «detailed view»
Series 2 #10.
«All Series«		 1954/12/07 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We were very happy to receive your letter of November 13. Good Father Louis seems more settled in hermit life and vacations «detailed view»
Series 2 #11.
«All Series«		 1955/03/16 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We are writing you in regard to the possible date of coming to America. Word has just come from the French interpreter for Dom Louis' visit / Merton does not like that job «detailed view»
Series 2 #12.
«All Series«		 1955/03/28 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Father Louis gave a short conference on the Holy Eucharist. He brought out some ideas of Cardinal Eucharist / life in the woods / visitation / Merton, Urban, and Fr. Raymond - sign language «detailed view»
Series 2 #13.
«All Series«		 1955/06/05 TLS[x] from Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague J'ai très longuement examiné ou plutôt médité la position du cher Père Louis Merton, son désir de hermit's life «detailed view»
Series 2 #14.
«All Series«		 1955/06/30 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We intended to write a longer letter, but the preparations for establishing the foundation in visitation / Dom Jean Leclercq / Dom Winandy / Dom Maurizio (see also a similar letter to Abbot General Gabriel Sortais in Series 7 in this file of the same date) «detailed view»
Series 2 #15.
«All Series«		 1955/08/08 TAL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We thought it better to write separately, and more at length, in regard to the following two forestry / foundation of Spencer in California / government putting up fire watch lookout tower «detailed view»
Series 2 #16.
«All Series«		 1955/12/30 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We received your kind letter of December 19. We transmitted your note to Father Louis. Enclosed is attaching letter to Dom Jean Leclercq from Merton / Carthusian reaction to a Trappist writer like Merton taking the life of a hermit «detailed view»
Series 2 #17.
«All Series«		 1956/03/17 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague This involved me in about two weeks more. I arrived back home then, and things have been going very Merton as novice master - still nervous and talking about becoming a hermit after 3 years of novice master are up, but still wants to be a Cistercian «detailed view»
Series 2 #18.
«All Series«		 1956/04/16 TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Good Father Louis is doing well as Father Master, thusfar. He is very interested in checking Merton's psychiatric examinations of new postulants / Catholic psychiatrist from Louisville administering Rorschach test on Merton - psychiatrist said Merton a "very social being" and "need[s] people" - Merton objects that he intends to be a hermit - Fox like the test «detailed view»
Series 2 #19.
«All Series«		 1956/06/18 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague Father Louis is going along. But you never know what is going on in his head. He does very well as Merton as master of novices - study of neuroses and psychoses and use in studying possible candidates for Trappists «detailed view»
Series 2 #20.
«All Series«		 1957/02/04 (#01) TL[x] to Le Pennuen, Louis de Gonzague We are writing in regard to VITA NEL SILENZIO, which is an Italian translation by Dom Anselmo Dom Anselmo Giabbani's Italian translation of Silence in Heaven causing embarrassment / dates for Dom Louis' visitation of Gethsemani «detailed view»
Series 2 #21.
«All Series«		 1958/11/25 HLS[x]  from Amédée, Marie / to Louis de Gonzague Le Pennuen De votre bonté, j'ose solliciter une intervention en faveur d'une "oeuvre pie". Vous savez que ma [seems to be a copy of Fr. Amédée's letter that was sent by Dom Louis to Dom James] book on Aelred of Rievaulx with a preface for the English translation by Merton / Dom James' involvement in project «detailed view»

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