John H. Richards writes from south Wales. He writes about desiring certain aspects of the Christian experience while feeling more of a Buddhist. Merton replies with certain similarities and differences at the essence of the two, a similar response to… Read more
Edward Rice was one of Merton's friends from Columbia University that also contributed to the university's satirical magazine «The Jester». He was one of the only Catholics in Merton's circle (before the conversion of Lax and others), and he was chosen… Read more
Patricia Ellen Ricci (later Patricia Ellen Doyle in marriage) was a teacher, designer and graphic artist from Chicago, Illinois. Patricia Ricci asks Merton's permission to use quotes from some of his writings on cards she had designed for the Carmel of Reno, Nevada.
José Eusebio Ricaurte from Bogotá, Colombia, sent Merton a translation of «Basic Principles of Monastic Prayer» and was part of a group there called the Priest Slaves of Mary.
Kenneth James Ricardi was a senior at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He asks about books that had influenced Merton. Besides ones that had influenced Merton in his youth that are listed in «The Seven Storey Mountain», he mentions… Read more
Molly Rhodes writes from Buckingham, England.
John Reynolds worked with Ed Rice on the Catholic magazine «Jubilee» and gave Merton a «bangasa», a Japanese umbrella. He claims that Ed Rice said that he and Merton used to see performances by blues singer Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter).
Mañuela M. de Reyes writes from Mexico.
"Carlos Reyes writes, teaches and edits poetry (The Wine Press) in Portland, Oregon" (biography from Monks Pond, p. 209).
Kenneth Rexroth was a prolific poet who was the inspiration for many in the Beat Generation of the 1950's, but later breaking with this group. He also wrote literary and radical political criticism, plays, and histories in a populist style. Later in life,… Read more
William P. Restivo was president of Bearings for Re-Establishment (BSR), a group that helped former priests, ministers, seminarians and religious re-integrate into the workforce. Merton agreed to serve on Bearing's Board of Advisors in 1967. The national… Read more
Paul B. Renner writes from the Newman Center at University of Louisville in Kentucky.
John Reiser (then Fr. Hubert) was a Trappist of Gethsemani Abbey.
Fr. H. A. Reinhold was a native of Hamburg, Germany. He was part of the Catholic resistance to Hitler and had to escape Germany because he was pursued by the Gestapo. He came to the United States and served first in Seattle and later in Pittsburgh. He… Read more
Kathleen Reinhardt writes from Manhasset, New York.
Ad Reinhardt, known as the "black monk of abstract art", graduated Columbia University not long after Merton arrived. He continued to produce art for Columbia's satirical magazine, «The Jester», which was one of the publications in which Merton was… Read more
Fr. Thomas à Kempis Reilly was a Dominican priest from Blessed Sacrament Rectory in Madison, Wisconsin.
Anna T. Reidy writes from Worcester, Massachusetts.
Sr. Regina of the Immaculate Conception was a Carmelite nun from Savannah, Georgia.
At the time of writing, Sammy Reese was in prison and had been on death row in Missouri (he was later re-sentenced to life in prison). Merton notes: "a prisoner [-] electric chair!" Reese was baptised in prison through contact with Merton, some nuns, and… Read more
Edward Reed was Director of Publications for the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California.
Fr. Reginald A. Redlon was a Franciscan priest who served as president of St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York, from 1967-1972. He writes to invite Merton to come to the university to accept an honorary degree.
Br. Barnabas Reardon (Fr. Patrick H. Reardon) was a Trappist monk of Gethsemani at the time and was writing from Monte Cistello in Rome, Italy, where he studied theology.
At the time of writing Fr. Joseph Raya (later Archbishop Raya) was a priest of the Melkite Rite serving in Birmingham, Alabama. Raya was born in Zahle, Lebanon. After studying for the priesthood in Paris and Jerusalem, he spent some time in Zahle and in… Read more
Norman Ravitch was associate professor of history and chairman for the Committee on Lectures on Religion at the Riverside Campus of the University of California.
Georg Rapp was one of the directors of Rapp and Whiting publishers of London, England.
Sr. Mary Raphael was a Cistercian nun of Holy Cross Abbey in Stapehill, England.
Silvana Ranzoli Cuccolini wrote a masters thesis on Merton and includes her correspondence with Merton and Dom Aelred Graham in her thesis from the Universita Degli Studi Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 1964.
A. Philip Randolph was in the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, a socialist and union leader fighting for workers writes and equality. Born in Florida, he moved to Harlem in 1911 to get into theater. Enrolling at the City… Read more
A. Philip Randolph was in the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, a socialist and union leader fighting for workers writes and equality. Born in Florida, he moved to Harlem in 1911 to get into theater. Enrolling at the City… Read more
Born in New York, Margaret Randall spent much of her youth in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After a year at the University of New Mexico, she spent time in Spain and in New York. During those years she married for the first time and had a son. In 1960, she… Read more
«Ramparts» was a literary and political magazine running from 1962-1975, originally a Catholic literary quarterly, that took liberal positions on many issues of the day, such as opposing the Vietnam War.
Robert Rambusch was a Liturgical Design Consultant, who having trained with Frank Kacmarcik, later consulted for numerous cathedral designs and renovations. In his younger life, after the Second World War, Rambusch got involved in Catholic Action groups.… Read more
The Rev. Dr. William H. Ralston was an Episcopal priest who taught at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, at the time of writing to Merton. He was on the editorial board of the literary magazine, «The Sewanee Review». He had a love of the… Read more
Fr. Karl Rahner was a Jesuit priest and one of the most prominent Catholic theologians of the 20th century. He was a professor of dogmatic theology and the philosophy of religion at a number of different Jesuit universities in West Germany and Austria. (… Read more
Henry Rago was editor of «Poetry» magazine. He writes from Chicago, Illinois.
Raymonde Rae was a sixteen-year-old student from Dublin, Ireland. He writes in praise of Merton and James Joyce.
Fr. Radbert was a Benedictine monk of Maria Laach Abbey in Germany.