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At the time of writing to Merton, Sr. Mary James Power, SSND, was principal and a teacher at Girls Catholic High School in Malden, Massachusetts. She also served as secondary schools supervisor for the School Sisters of Notre Dame, New England Province. She wrote two books, Poets at Prayer (1938) and In the Name of the Bee: The significance of Emily Dickinson (1943), as well as making important contributions to scholarly publications. (Biographical information courtesy of research conducted by John Collins.)
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
See also "Paulding, C. G." for more information about Merton's essay "The Trappists Go to Utah," sent to Sr. Mary James Power and published in Commonweal.
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. |
1941/06/08 |
other |
(Center) THOMAS MERTON [-] Saint Bonaventure College {-] New York [-] June 8, 1941 |
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[black and white photograph at St. Bonaventure with three men academic regalia, Merton on the left with two others]
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1948/11/22 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for your kind letter and the gift for the monastery, which it contained. I do not know |
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Don Kenny [F. Donald Kenney?] / reading aloud the The Seven Storey Mountain / review of Exile Ends in Glory
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1948/12/30 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for your kind card, its message and the enclosed Mass stipends. You were in our prayers |
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Merton's first Mass as subdeacon, Christmas 1948 / Fr. Sweeney / Boyd Barrett / T. S. Eliot / James Laughlin of New Directions, "a very spiritual as well as a very likeable person"… "Unfortunately he has a yen to publish people like Jean Paul Sartre, who are on the index." [Index Librorum Prohibitorum]
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1949/04/no? |
HCS[x] from Merton |
Your beautiful card and offering were just one month too early. It is planned to hold the |
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[verso of notecard: artwork of Our Lady of Fatima, copyright Marist Missionary Sisters]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1949/05/26 (#01) |
other |
Pray for Rev. M. Louis, O.C.S.O. [-] Ordained Priest May 26th, 1949 [-] Ascension Day |
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[card commemorating Merton's ordination / verso: photograph of a statue of Our Lady of Fontenay, Cistercian, 13th century]
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1949/05/26 (#02) |
other |
Pray for Rev. M. Louis, O.C.S.O. [-] Ordained Priest May 26th, 1949 [-] Ascension Day |
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[two identical cards commemorating Merton's ordination / verso: photograph of a statue of Saint Louis, King of France from the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in Mainneville, France, with the quote, "Dieu dans sa Providence comme en Lui-mesme est tourjours chose si bonne que meilleure ne peut estre."]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1949/12/17 |
other[x] |
Poised Against Heaven [-] Thomas Merton's latest volume is the work of a professional poet. |
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[review by Sister Mary James Power, S.S.N.D. of The Tears of the Blind Lions by Merton]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1949/no/no? (#01) |
HCS[x] |
Many thanks for your most enjoyable 'Poets at Prayer.' This poet is praying for you - Don't forget |
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[verso of notecard: the word "Pax" and a dove and cross]
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1949/no/no? (#02) |
HNS[x] from Merton |
An eye for an eye and a book for a book. - and a prayer for a prayer. God bless you and keep you. |
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[note incribed by Merton inside a copy of his Seeds of Contemplation with a black and white photograph at St. Bonaventure with Thomas Merton in the center surrounded by four others, same photo as the one dated June 8, 1941 in this file]
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
undated/no/no (#01) |
other |
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[black and white photograph of Thomas Merton on the left with two others in academic regalia, likely St. Bonaventure College in the early 1940s]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
undated/no/no (#02) |
other[x] |
GETHSEMANI, KY. |
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[black and white photograph of monks at Gethsemani Abbey - backs to camera]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
undated/no/no (#03) |
other |
THOMAS MERTON 1961 |
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[seems to be a photograph of a young Merton before entering Gethsemani in coat and tie - label of 1961 is wrong]
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
undated/no/no (#04) |
other |
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[black and white photograph of an unidentified young man with dark hair wearing a jacket and tie, print produced by Gimbel Brothers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin]
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
undated/no/no (#05) |
other[x] |
Dean, Author Shares Acquaintance With Poet [-] At an afternoon assembly on Friday, November 18, |
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[a photocopy with newspaper clippings about Sr. Mary James Power: a speaking engagement in November, 1967, and her obituary from October, 1967]
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
undated/no/no (#06) |
other[x] |
Congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame [-] Baltimore, Maryland [-] Permanent Record |
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[permanent record and mission record of Sr. Mary James Power (born Mary Frances Power) from the School Sisters of Notre Dame
«detailed view» |
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