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.
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.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1950/05/29 |
HLS to Merton |
Merci de tant coeur pour les deux exemplaires de votre beau livre sur sainte Lutgarde. Je le lirai |
|
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1960/02/16 |
TL[x] from Fox, James |
We 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] Aelred of Rievaulx book by Fr. Amédée (Amadeus of Bricquebec) translation into English - Fox giving consent for Merton to write preface under specified conditions
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1964/01/07 (#01) |
TAL[c] from Merton |
Voici un petit mot pour vous souhaiter d'abord une bonne année. Et puis quelques réflexions, que |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1964/01/07 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
Here are a few words for you first of all to wish you a happy New Year, and then some reflections |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1964/01/07 (#03) |
transcript from Merton |
Here are a few words for you, first of all to wish you a happy New Year. And then some reflections |
✓ |
[copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1964/01/27 |
HLS to Merton |
Merci de votre charmante lettre du 7 et de votre livre "Emblems of a Season of Fury." |
|
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1965/04/07 (#01) |
TAL[c] from Merton |
Vous avez été bien aimable ce matin, je regrette beaucoup de vous avoir indirectement cause des |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1965/04/07 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
You were very kind this morning and I am very sorry to have caused you some annoyance by being |
✓ |
[copied from annotated typescript in Sub-Section H.7, Hart Working Files, Accession 2, Box 3]
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1965/04/28 |
HLS to Merton |
C'est de Cîteaux, où je viens d'arriver pour le Ch. G'al presque eu même temps que Dom James, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1965/11/08 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Voici une réponse que j'écris a votre P. Raymond qui m'a écrit, comme vous le savez Je lui dis ma |
|
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1965/11/08 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
Here 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]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1965/11/29 |
HLS to Merton |
Votre lettre du 8 Nov. m'a causé me immense joie, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1967/01/24 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. / to James Fox |
Vous 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
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1967/01/24 (#02) |
TLS[x] from Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. / to Merton |
Vous 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
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1967/01/24 (#03) |
TNS[x] from Merton to James Fox |
What 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
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1967/01/31 |
HLS to Merton |
J'aurais voulu vous annonce moi-même, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1967/02/01 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Fox, James |
I 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)
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
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-- |
|
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1967/02/16 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Voici que je viens un peu en retard pour vous féliciter, mais vous savez bien combien je suis |
|
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1967/02/16 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
Here 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]
«detailed view» |
| 21. |
1967/06/12 (#01) |
HLS to Merton |
N'ayant pas "l'opportunité" d'aller vous voir cette année, je bien vous faire me |
|
«detailed view» |
| 22. |
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!"
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
1967/06/23 (#01) |
TL[c] from Merton |
Merci 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
«detailed view» |
| 24. |
1967/06/23 (#02) |
transcript from Merton |
Thanks 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
«detailed view» |
|