Fr. Benjamin Clark was a monk of Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. He was a novice with Merton and later served as one of his censors. (Source: «The School of Charity», pp. 336.)
Merton writes to Mother Mary Francis Clare, who is in New Orleans. She had attended a meeting at Gethsemani Abbey in December of 1967 of Merton speaking with contemplative nuns.
Sr. Clare Marie was of the Poor Clares of Chicago.
Sr. Clare Immaculate was writing from the Sisters of Saint Francis in Philadelphia.
Bill Claire was the founder of the literary magazine «Voyages», based in Washington, D.C.
In 1933, Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani was appointed the Apostolic Delegate to the United States. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1958, replaced as Apostolic Delegate by Egidio Vagnozzi. In 1968, Cardinal Cicognani was made President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Roman Curia, Vatican City.
John Ciardi, according to the title of a lecture series on Ciardi, was a "Poet - Translator - Critic - Editor" (the lecture's brochure is included in the correspondence file). He long served as the Poetry Editor for the «Saturday Review» in New York, and in this capacity writes to Merton. He is noted for making poetry accessible to the public.
Fr. Chrysostom was a Trappist monk at Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
Br. Chrysostom was a monk of Gethsemani at the time of writing.
Sr. M. Chrysantha was a Franciscan sister at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.
Marie Therese Christie writes from London.
Gordon Christiansen was the Director of Studies of the Peace Education Division of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The AFSC is a social justice and peace organization founded by Quakers.
Christine Bochen describes Napoleón Chow as "belong[ing] to the circle of Nicaraguan poets that included Ernesto Cardenal, Pablo Antonio Cuadra, Angel Martinez, José Coronel Urtecho, and others" (Source: «The Courage for Truth», pp. 167).
Fr. Serge Choupner writes from the Monastery of the Franciscan Fathers in Rennes, France.
Noam Chomsky, best known for his landmark influence on linguistics, has also been a stern critic of political empiricism and a voice of the political left in the United States. He was a stalwart critic of the war in Vietnam and attempts to get Merton's support of "A Call to Resist Illegitimate Authority". (Source: "Chomsky, Avram Noam" The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Simon Blackburn. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Bellarmine University. 28 July 2004 ‹http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t98.e397›).
Fr. Augustine Chlest was writing from St. Joseph Church in Carpinteria, California.
Dr. R. S. Y. Chi was a scholar on many topics including Buddhism and Oriental art. He earned doctoral degrees from Oxford and Cambridge. Merton learned of him from Lunsford Yandell, who put them in contact in 1967. Dr. Chi was a professor at University of Indiana at the time of writing (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 121-122).
Merton wrote to the Hon. Frank Chelf, who was with the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
Maria Braz Chaves (Maria Therezinha) writes from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Merton wrote her a brief letter of thanks in November of 1966. The letter is not extant but was reproduced for a book by Maria Braz Chaves, «Um Ser Entre Bilhões». The book was published in 1969 and Braz Chaves sends a copy with a note in the book and a separate letter to Dom Flavian Burns, Abbot of Gethsemani Abbey, in memory of Thomas Merton.
Msgr. Josiah George Chatham was a priest from Jackson, Mississippi, who had known Merton since their meeting at Gethsemani in 1940. They became friends and discussed Chatham's opposition to the war, his protests of nuclear weapons, and his support of Civil Rights in the South.
Dom Anthony Chassagne was abbot of Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina from 1955-1974, having served as a superior before status as an abbey since its founding in 1949.
Merton employed Marie Charron for some of his typing after he had problems with his arm and back. He would mail her tapes or manuscripts to prepare for a standard fee.
Susan Chapulis was a sixth grader writing from Waterbury, Connecticut.
Sr. Marie de la Redemption Chantal was a Carmelite nun writing from La Tronche, France.
M. R. Chandler wrote for the San Francisco Examiner.
Mrs. Katharine Champney writes from Cincinnati, Ohio, in response to "Apologies to an Unbeliever", published in the November 1966 issue of «Harper's Magazine» (and later appeared with a related article in the book Faith and Violence).
Charles Luc Chambost writes from Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Var département, France.
Born in India, Dr. Amiya Chakravarty was a well-traveled scholar and professor of philosophy and religion who had the opportunity to meet many great people of his time, including Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian poet Dr. Rabindranath Tagore, Albert Schweitzer, Boris Pasternak, Albert Einstein, and met Merton during his Asian journey. While in correspondence with Merton, he held professorships at Boston University, Smith College and later the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition, he served as a delegate to the United Nations for India (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 112).
Hervé Chaigne was writing on behalf of the bi-monthly publication «Fréres du Monde» from Bordeaux, France.
In the introduction to her letters, Br. Patrick Hart says of Nora Chadwick that she was a professor at Cambridge University and "had written a number of books on Celtic monasticism which Merton found very attractive" (Source: «The School of Charity», p. 217).
Humorist, editor and publisher, Bennett Cerf was Chairman of the Board and founder of Random House publishing house in New York. Prior to founding Random House, he had co-purchased the Modern Library series. He was a fellow graduate and editor of «Jester» at Columbia University, but many years prior to Merton's arrival. He later guest starred as a panelist on the TV show "What's My Line?". (Source: "Cerf, Bennett Alfred." «Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Biography», Copyright Helicon Publishing Limited [2000]. «Biography Reference Bank». Online. H.W. Wilson. Available: ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml;jsessionid=FTJAM2QJSVQCJQA3DILSFFWADUNBIIV0?_requestid=100016› 2004/07/19.)
Sr. Cecilia was a Trappist nun of Redwoods Monastery in California and was secretary to Mother Myriam Dardenne.
Fr. Luis Ma. Cazalou was writing from the Comunidad de la Virgen, Monasterio Porta Caeli, in Berisso, Argentina.
Carlos Duelo Cavero writes from Los Angeles, spent time at Indiana University, and whose home was Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Frances Cavanaugh writes from Hempstead, New York. She describes herself as "one of the nuns in modern garb teaching on university campuses."
Joseph Caulfield is writing from the Helicon Press in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fr. Patrick Catry was a Trappist monk writing on behalf of the «Bulletin de Spiritualité Monastique», which appeared in «Collectanea Cisterciensia». He writes Merton from the Abbey of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont in Godewaersvelde (Mont des Cats), France.
The Editorial Staff of the Catholic Action Federations was writing from Chicago, Illinois, and included: Peter Foote, John J. Hill, Lawrence Kelly, John McCudden, and Theodore C. Stone.
Sr. Mary Catherine was with the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood at the Monastery Precious Blood - Mount St. Agnes, in Peterborough, Ontario.
Sr. Mectildes Vilaça Castro is writing from Brazil.
Guido Castillo writes from Montevideo, Uruguay.
Alice Kathryn Casper lived in Louisville, Kentucky at the time of correspondence with Merton.
George Casey was writing from St. Brigid's Church in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Donald J. Casey writes as Executive Editor of «World Campus» from Maryknoll, New York.
Fr. Dave Casey mentions in his letter, written from the guest house at Gethsemani, that he has spent the past seven years in Japan after receiving a doctorate from Harvard University in Oriental Religions. He was a colleague of other Catholic experts on Buddhism like Fr. Heinrich Dumoulin, S.J., and Fr. Hugo M. Enomiya-Lassalle.
Philip Cascia was a junior in high school at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
Dom Alferio Caruana was a Maltese Benedictine monk living in Salerno, Italy, and trying to go to Malta. "Dom" is used here as a title of a professed monk and does not mean he was an abbot. Caruana's letter mentions he will be ordained to the priesthood in July of 1967.
Rachel Carson was a writer on ecology and a naturalist poet. She is best known for «Silent Spring», a book that raised awareness about the harmful use of pesticides like DDT.
Hayden Carruth is owner and operator of Crow's Mark Press in Johnson, Vermont, and has won numerous awards for poetry.
Bruce L. Carriker writes from Prescott College in Arizona.
Jorge Carrera Andrade was a poet from Ecuador. He went to law school but was more interested in poetry. He had an early interest in leftist politics. During this period of correspondence with Merton, he served as ambassador to France and to Venezuela. He served as ambassador to a number of other nations during his life. Merton liked his poems and translated at least six of them into English. (Source: "Carrera Andrade, Jorge." World Authors. 1996. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 20 Oct. 2005. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Dorris Carlson was a Zen scholar and married to the founder of the Xerox Corporation, Chester F. Carlson, who died later in 1968.
Catherine B. Carlson, daughter of Merton correspondent Dorris Carlson, wrote to Ping Ferry in 1991, sending him a copy of a Merton letter to her mother.
Archbishop Alfonso Carinci was Titular Archbishop of Seleucia in Isauria and was Director General of a society called Adoratio Quotidiana et Perpetua Sanctissimi Eucharistiae Sacramenti inter Sacerdotes Cleri Saecularis (Daily Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for Diocesan Priests). He writes from Rome.
Harry J. Cargas was writing from the Department of English at Saint Louis University in Missouri. He was the former editor of «Queen's Work», who published Merton's introduction to the Japanese edition of «The Seven Storey Mountain». He was a decorated combat veteran who had become a pacifist and liked Merton's writings on non-violence.
Arthur Graham Carey was the founder of «The Catholic Art Quarterly», later known as «Good Work».
Ernesto Cardenal was a poet and priest from Nicaragua who had studied as a novice under Merton at Gethsemani from 1957-1959. While in seminary in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in 1959, Cardenal began a correspondence with Merton. Cardenal later returned to his native country to found a contemplative lay community called Our Lady of Solentiname on an island in Lake Nicaragua. Founded as an artistic community, it became more involved with the plight of the poor in the region. After Cardenal allied himself with the Sandinistas, his community was destroyed by government forces 1977. (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, p. 41; ).
Fr. Philip Caraman was a Jesuit priest and editor of «The Month», a magazine published by the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order) in London. The sub-editor was Fr. Deryck Hanshell, another correspondent of Merton's.
Fr. J. A. Caraman was writing from Umvukwes, Rhodesia (currently Mvurwi, Zimbabwe).
In 1960, Monsignor Loris Capovilla (later an archbishop) served as a secretary to Pope John XXIII and writes from Vatican City. He sent a stole worn by John XXIII upon becoming Pope as a gift to Merton through Capovilla's friend Dr. Barbato in 1960.
Marie Cantlon was writing on behalf of Harper and Row, Publishers, from New York.
Fr. Joseph Canivera was a Trappist monk from the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont in Belgium.
Msgr. Francis X. Canfield was Rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.
Sr. Eileen Campion was finishing a doctorate at Columbia University in New York at the time of writing.
Will Campbell was co-founder and publisher of «Katallagete» (Greek for "be reconciled!") along with editor Jim Holloway and the Committee of Southern Churchmen (CSC). His views in support of racial equality got him into trouble as a Baptist minister in the south and in campus ministry at the University of Mississippi. In 1956, he became Southern field director the Division of Racial and Cultural Relations for the National Council of Churches (NCC). He had some ideological differences and split with them in 1963, forming with others the Committee of Southern Churchmen from the moribund Fellowship of Southern Churchmen. (Source: Ford, Jennifer. "Will Campbell and Christ's Ambassadors: Selections from the Katallagete/James Y. Holloway Collection, Special Collections, University of Mississippi." «The Journal of Southern Religion»: August 2000. ‹http://jsr.fsu.edu/ford.htm›, accessed 2005/04/22.)
P. Campbell was a missionary on leave from Senegal. He writes from Kent, England.
Charles Cameron was a 20-year-old student from Christ Church College in Oxford England. (Source: «The Road to Joy», p. 333.)
Angus Cameron is writing on behalf of Alfred A. Knopf publishers from New York.
Before the Second Vatican Council was over, Dom Helder Câmara moved from being auxiliary bishop of Rio de Janeiro to archbishop of Olinda and Recife, a very poor region in the northeast of Brazil. Dubbed the "red bishop" by «Time» magazine, he was hailed by some as champion of the poor and labeled as a communist radical by detractors. A famous quote of his is, "When I feed the poor they called me a saint", he once said. "When I asked, 'Why are they poor?' they called me a communist." (Sources: «The Hidden Ground of Love» and The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research [http://www.transnational.org/forum/power/1999/09redbishop.html].)
Sr. Annice Callahan corresponded with Merton about the instruction of novices given the changes to religious life in the 1960's. She would later, in 1984, teach a course on Thomas Merton. She writes from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Albany, New York.
During the time of Merton's correspondence with Paul Tillich, Grace Calí Leonard was Tillich's secretary and editorial assistant at Harvard University. Now going by her maiden name of Calí in her later roles as journalist and freelance writer, her book entitled Paul Tillich, First Hand: A Memoir of the Harvard Years was published in 1996, which includes a chapter on Merton and Tillich.
Merton writes to Roger Caillois, who was in Buenos Aires at t he time of writing.
D. J. Cahill is writing from the Editorial Department of Burns and Oates publishers from London.
