The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Bissey, Colomban, Dom, O.C.S.O., 1912-

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1950-1967

Volume: 24 item(s); 39 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Biography

Dom Colomban Bissey served as Abbot of Melleray in France, the mother house of the Abbey of Gethsemani, from 1958-1986. He conducted visitations to Gethsemani as he was Gethsemani's Father Immediate.

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See published letters from Merton to Bissey in The School of Charity, pp. 194-195 and 273-274.

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

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1950/05/29 HLSto MertonMerci de tant coeur pour les deux exemplaires de votre beau livre sur sainte Lutgarde. Je le lirai   
 1960/02/16 TL[x]from Fox, JamesWe have more pleasant news for you now than in our last letter in regard to the book AELRED DE  [see "Fox, James" file for this letter] <i>Aelred of Rievaulx</i> book by Fr. Amédée (Amadeus of Bricquebec) translation into English - Fox giving consent for Merton to write preface under specified conditions
 1964/01/07 (#01)TAL[c]from MertonVoici un petit mot pour vous souhaiter d'abord une bonne année. Et puis quelques réflexions, queYes  
 1964/01/07 (#02)transcriptfrom MertonHere are a few words for you first of all to wish you a happy New Year, and then some reflectionsYes  
 1964/01/07 (#03)transcriptfrom MertonHere are a few words for you, first of all to wish you a happy New Year. And then some reflectionsYes [copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
 1964/01/27 HLSto MertonMerci de votre charmante lettre du 7 et de votre livre "Emblems of a Season of Fury."   
 1965/04/07 (#01)TAL[c]from MertonVous avez été bien aimable ce matin, je regrette beaucoup de vous avoir indirectement cause desYes  
 1965/04/07 (#02)transcriptfrom MertonYou were very kind this morning and I am very sorry to have caused you some annoyance by beingYes [copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
 1965/04/28 HLSto MertonC'est de Cîteaux, où je viens d'arriver pour le Ch. G'al presque eu même temps que Dom James,   
 1965/11/08 (#01)TL[c]from MertonVoici une réponse que j'écris a votre P. Raymond qui m'a écrit, comme vous le savez Je lui dis ma   
 1965/11/08 (#02)transcriptfrom MertonHere is an answer I am writing to your Fr. Raymond who wrote to me as you know. I tell him my  [copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
 1965/11/29 HLSto MertonVotre lettre du 8 Nov. m'a causé me immense joie,   
 1967/01/24 (#01)TLS[x] from Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. / to James FoxVous n'êtes pas sans savoir que notre Père Abbé vient d'être nommé Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur,  invitation for Merton to travel to France for Dom Colomban Bissey's induction into the Legion of Honor
 1967/01/24 (#02)TLS[x] from Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. / to MertonVous savez déjà par une indiscrétion de mon Père Prieur (mon frère de sang) la nomination de notre  [see also item number three of the same date, a note from Merton to Dom James Fox, which was typed onto the same page] invitation for Merton to travel to France for Dom Colomban Bissey's induction into the Legion of Honor
 1967/01/24 (#03)TNS[x] from Merton to James FoxWhat about it? How about a nice birthday present? --You yourself often say it is good for monks  [see also item number two of the same date] invitation for Merton to travel to France for Dom Colomban Bissey's induction into the Legion of Honor
 1967/01/31 HLSto MertonJ'aurais voulu vous annonce moi-même,   
 1967/02/01 (#01)TLS[x]from Fox, JamesI would not want you to misinterpret my letter which I have written to good Father Bernard  complaint to Dom Colomban Bissey that one of the monks of Melleray, Fr. Bernard, was trying to "induce Father Louis to make a trip across the Atlantic" for Bissey's induction into the French Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honor)
 1967/02/01 (#02)TLS[x] from Fox, James / to Fr. Bernard, O.C.S.O.I presume that you can read english, I hope. I know you have acted in all innocence-- good will--   
 1967/02/16 (#01)TL[c]from MertonVoici que je viens un peu en retard pour vous féliciter, mais vous savez bien combien je suis   
 1967/02/16 (#02)transcriptfrom MertonHere I come a little bit late to congratulate you, but you know well how happy I am regarding  [copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
 1967/06/12 (#01)HLSto MertonN'ayant pas "l'opportunité" d'aller vous voir cette année, je bien vous faire me   
 1967/06/12 (#02)other Demande à Père Louis de Gethsemani (Th. Merton) un article comprenant de six à dix pages  [attached to 1967/06/12 letter - memo passed on to Merton] asking Merton to write a short article on the Cistercian tradition from the middle ages to the present / Dom Vital Lehodey - article on the spirituality of St. Theresa of Lisieux / Bissey adds "Comment faites-vous pour la Censure de l'Ordre? J'espère qu'on vous en fait grâce!"
 1967/06/23 (#01)TL[c]from MertonMerci de votre aimable lettre. Je suis content d'avoir de vos nouvelles. Les rédacteurs des  declines offer to do the proposed article on the history of the Order because of current books in the works
 1967/06/23 (#02)transcriptfrom MertonThanks for your kind letter. I am happy to have received your news. The editors of the Annales  [copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3] declines offer to do the proposed article on the history of the Order because of current books in the works
        

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