According to a note to handwritten on one of the letters, Randy de Trinis, known at Gethsemani as Sebastian, entered Gethsemani in 1955, made simple profession in 1957, and left the monastery on June 9, 1959. He later writes from St. Joseph's Priory in Somerset, Ohio. In his last cards, he speaks of a desire to enter Christ in the Desert, a Benedictine monastery in New Mexico.
Poet and writer Catherine de Vinck was born in Belgium. She was married to Baron José de Vinck in 1945, and they moved to the United States in 1948. A Catholic, she has authored a number of books of mystical and devotional poetry and other spiritual works. She writes from Allendale, New Jersey.
Baron José M. G. A. de Vinck was a publisher, editor, translator, writer, and owner of Alleluia Press. He wrote and translated books on philosophy and theology. He writes from Allendale, New Jersey.
Fr. Edwin Deane was a Franciscan priest and master of cleric novices at St. Anthony Friary in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fr. Jean-Marie Déchanet was a monk of Sint-Andriesabdij (Abbaye de Saint-André) near Bruges, Belgium. In 1956, he wrote the book «Christian Yoga». By his 1961 letters, he was living in a monastic foundation in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Abbot Francis De Croix was at the Cistercian Abbey in Frattocchie, Italy, of the Madonna del SS. Sacramento.
Moshe Decter was executive secretary for the Conference on the Status of Soviet Jews and writes from New York.
Dr. Arthur J. Deikman of Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Paula Deitz was associate editor for «The Hudson Review» in New York.
Valerie Delacorte was writing from New York.
Br. Alberic Delaney was a monk of Gethsemani.
John J. Delaney was an editor for Doubleday and Company in New York.
Fr. Jean Delat writes from the Trappist monastery of the Abbaye Sainte Marie du Désert in France.
Betty Delius was director of Bellarmine College Library at the time of correspondence with her in 1960.
Angelo Cardinal Dell'Acqua writes on behalf of three Popes as "Sostituto", similar to an interior minister for Vatican City.
At the time of Merton's letter to Dellinger, he was publisher and editor of «Liberation» magazine (Merton seemingly did not know Dellinger and addresses the letter "To the editor of Liberation"). Born into a prominent New England Republican family in 1815, Dellinger seemed destined to be a leader in the capitalist system he would later oppose. After earning an economics degree from Yale, he spent a year in Yale's Divinity School and another year in Union Theological Seminary in New York. Although he did not follow a vocation to the Christian clergy, he seems to have formulated a pacifist stand during these years and refused military conscription in 1940. He served a year in federal prison for this offense and later two more years for draft resistance during the Second World War. After founding a co-operative community with a farm and a newspaper, he founded «Liberation» magazine in 1956. The magazine was well-respected in the political left for its coverage of war resistance, social justice, and was one of the first national publications to recognize the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement. He achieved some of his greatest notoriety during his protests of the Vietnam War, helping organize the first major protest against the Vietnam War in New York, the October 1965 Fifth Avenue Peace Parade. An organizer of the protest at the August 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, he was arrested with others who became known as the Chicago Seven. (Source: "Dellinger, David." Obituary from Current Biography. 2004. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 5 Oct. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)
Frank Dell'Isola compiled and updated bibliographies of Thomas Merton's writings, as well as writing books and articles on Scripture studies.
Canon Delteil was from Merton's childhood home of Saint-Antonin in France. He sends two letters of Owen Merton and some pictures. (The letters and pictures were not kept together in this file.)
Cecil B. DeMille was a filmmaker best known for his biblical epic, «The Ten Commandments».
Barbara Deming writes from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She was an American author and activist interested in non-violence, war resistance, civil rights, feminism, and gay and lesbian rights. (Source: Biography from «Deming, Barbara, 1917- . Papers, 1908-1985: A Finding Aid» (MC 408), Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. Accessed 11 March 2009. ‹http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/findingAidDisplay?_collection=oasis&inoid=2145›.)
Ruby Dennison was originally from Ireland and working with the Legion of Mary in South Africa.
Fr. Basil DePinto was a Benedictine priest at Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York, and took over as editor of «Monastic Studies» from Brendan Collins. DePinto was a former monk of Gethsemani. He later left the Benedictines but remained a priest, serving in Rhode Island and California.
Fr. Don Derivaux, known in his 18 years at Gethsemani as Francis, had later left the Trappists to become a priest in Mississippi. In 1965, while still with Gethsemani and studying in Rome, Merton writes and tells him of events at the abbey and of racial tensions in the south. Though he considers becoming laicized in his letter of 1968 to Merton, he remained a priest and has recently retired as a hermit.
Christopher Derrick became editor of «Good Work», a publication of the Catholic Art Association. He writes from England.
Dom Albert Derzelle was Prior of Caldey, a Trappist monastery on Caldey Island off of Wales.
Fr. Placide Deseille was a Trappist of the Abbey of Bellefontaine in France.
Raymond A. DeSutter, II was a novice at Gethsemani under Merton. His name in religion was Fr. Robert and was at Gethsemani Abbey from 1957-1963.
Don Devereux translated "Nocturne" by late 19th Century minor French poet, Jules Tellier, which appeared in the third edition of «Monks Pond». Devereux moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1962 where he worked with programs to assist migrant workers. He was also an art and literary contributor to «The Christian Century».
Fr. Richard Devine was a Vincentian priest and dean of the graduate school at St. John's University in New York.
Professor Leslie Dewart was born in Spain, raised in Cuba, and moved to Canada in 1942 to serve as pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He later spent a long career in the philosophy and religion departments of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. His writings blended religion. law and language studies. At the time of correspondence with Merton, he was writing a book called «Christianity and Revolution: The Lesson of Cuba», which studied the connection between the Catholic Church and the Cuban Revolution (source: «Witness to Freedom», p. 282).
One of the most prominent woman poets of the Beat movement early in her life as poet, Di Prima later co-founded the literary magazine «The Floating Bear» with Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), which was published throughout the sixties and is "the bear" to which Merton refers in his letter.
Frank G. Dickey was president of University of Kentucky at the time of correspondence with Merton.
Fr. Michael Dickey was writing from St. Anselm's Priory in Washington, D.C., on behalf of «The American Benedictine Review».
Terrell Dickey was a commercial artist from Louisville, Kentucky. The Abbey of Gethsemani hired Dickey to assist with the layout of books and pamphlets produced by the monastery on Gethsemani and the Trappist life. Merton first records in his journal a meeting with Dickey about a postulant's pamphlet on September 10, 1957. He also consults with Dickey about Merton's proposed book on art, Art and Worship, which was not published.
Mr. L. T. Dickson was bookstore manager at the University of Delaware.
Anne Diekan writes to Merton from Manassas, Virginia.
Fr. Leo Diekmann was a Benedictine priest and editor of «Worship», "A review devoted to the Liturgical Apostolate", published at the Liturgical Press of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Besides the subject of liturgical renewal, he wrote to Merton concerning the ecumenical movement and changes to the monastic life after the Second Vatican Council. He was also involved in civil rights marches in the 1960's and had later supported the full ministry of women in the Catholic Church.
Dom Willibrord-Christian van Dijk was abbot of the Trappist Abbey of Tilburg in the Netherlands from 1945-1966, during which time he founded the monastery at Rawa Seneng in Indonesia, first visiting in 1952. He returned to Indonesia as superior from 1966-1968, when he had to resign due to an eye disease. He later moved to the Maria Frieden Abbey to live with the Trappistine sisters there in Germany. He regretted having to leave for Germany before Merton could have made it to see him in Asia.
Fr. Anselme Dimier was a Cistercian monk and author, first writing to Merton from the Abbey of Tamié in France and later from the Abbey of Scourmont in Belgium. Much of the discussion concerns a French translation of «The Waters of Siloë».
Nick D'Incecco writes as director of public relations for Prentice-Hall publishers from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Sr. Irmá Dionísia was writing from Curitiba, Brazil.
Ray DiPalma is the author of a number of books of poetry. Merton was considering a poem of his for «Monks Pond».
Christopher Dixon was editor of «The Oakhamian» in 1954, a magazine about Oakham School in England, where Merton had completed his pre-collegiate education. Merton was editor of the same publication in 1931.
Joe Dobson writes from Yonkers, New York.
According to a letter in this file from Br. Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O. dated 2001, Fr. James Dodge (known as Frater Linus while with the Trappists) was a novice with Merton in 1941-1942. He later went to Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina after its founding in 1949. After staying at Mepkin a few years, he left to become a parish priest.
Fr. Linus was a monk of Gethsemani Abbey writing to Merton while away at studies in Rome.
Dorothy Dohen was a sociologist, author and professor at Fordham University in New York.
Catherine de Hueck Doherty, also referred to as "The Baroness" because of her marriage to Russian noble Baron Boris de Hueck, fled after the Soviet revolution into Canada. Having lost everything, she went from financial struggle and a failed marriage to rebuilding her fortunes by the end of the 1920's. However, wealth did not bring her fulfillment and she decided to give away her money and work among the poor in 1930. She established the first Friendship House in Toronto and later in the 1930's created one in New York's Harlem. After marrying Eddie Doherty in 1943, they founded Madonna House in rural Ontario, a place of retreat and lay apostolate training. Merton heard her speak at St. Bonaventure College while teaching there and felt inspired to come to Harlem and work among the poor in 1941. By the end of that year, he had decided on a vocation as a Trappist at Gethsemani, but remained in touch with Doherty. There is currently a cause for canonization of Doherty. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 3.)
Irene Dohmen was the editor of a high school newspaper.
Joseph Dolan was administrative assistant to Robert F. Kennedy while Kennedy was serving as a United States Senator from New York.
Sr. Dolorita was a Sister of Loretto from Nerinx, Kentucky.
Pierre Dommerques was an Assistant Professor at the Sorbonne in the Institute of English and American Studies at the time of corresponding with Merton.
Fr. Felix Donahue was a Trappist monk of Gethsemani. At the time of correspondence, he was studying in Rome and trying to vote by proxy in the abbatial election to replace Dom James Fox. He would later join the Trappist foundation of Nossa Senhora do Novo Mundo in Brazil.
Ivanhoe Donaldson was working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while corresponding with Merton. He worked alongside another Merton correspondent from this time, Marion Barry, who would later become mayor of Washington, D.C. He served as an advisor to Barry from the sixties to the eighties and was involved in Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign.
Professor Filippo Donini was Director of the Institute of Italian Culture at the Italian Embassy in New York.
Mr. Donn (there is no first name mentioned) sent Merton a copy of the quarterly publication «Israel's Anchorage: The Voice of Messianic Judaism».
Jim Donnelly was a Maryknoll seminarian at the time of writing.
Merton wrote the foreword to Sally Donnelly's master's thesis at Smith College entitled "Marcel and Buddha : a metaphysics of enlightenment." This later became Merton's essay entitled "Nirvana," which was included in his book «Zen and the Birds of Appetite». Merton's friend and Smith professor Amiya Chakravarty sent it to Merton.
Bedford Doucette was a former novice of Gethsemani Abbey who was living in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the time of correspondence with Thomas Merton.
Jude Patrick Dougherty was writing from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jim Douglass is known for his theological writing and his activism in the area of non-violent resistance to war and especially nuclear arms. He was a friend of Daniel Berrigan and Dorothy Day. He served as a theological advisor on conscientious objection and nuclear war at the Second Vatican Council. He first met Merton while a professor at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dom Pierre Doyère was a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Saint-Paul de Wisques in France.
Paul A. Doyle was teaching in the Department of English at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York. He and other colleagues were putting together an «Evelyn Waugh Newsletter».
Teresa Ann Doyle was a Benedictine sister and editor of the «American Benedictine Review», published in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Camille Drevet writes from Paris. She was part of Les Amis de Gandhi (Friends of Gandhi), a group founded by Louis Massignon. She was author of the book Par les routes humaines. (Source: «Witness to Freedom», p. 97.)
Leon Driskell was in the Department of English faculty at University of Louisville.
Sr. Diane Du Christ was from the Dominican monastery at Dax in southwestern France.
Fr. William H. DuBay was author of the book, «The Human Church». DuBay found himself in fierce disagreement with Cardinal McIntyre over participation in civil rights protests. DuBay advocated Church involvement in the crusade for equal rights by marches and protests, but the Cardinal thought it was not right to be involved in this kind of public display. In 1966, he published his book, which brought to question many of the current hierarchical structures of the Church and advocated priest forming unions. In addition, it addressed the secular versus the Christian ethic. Not having approved the book through the official archdiocesan channels, he was soon forbidden to perform his priestly functions. Merton agreed with DuBay on many of his points, but did not think priests organizing a union would be as effective as informal networks to accomplish the same goals.
Professor Eleanor Duckett writes from Northampton, Massachusetts.
Joseph Duffy was publishing director for P. J. Kenedy and Sons publishers in New York.
Fr. James Dugan was a Jesuit priest from Weston College in Massachusetts.
Fr. Charles Dumont was a monk of the Trappist Abbey of Scourmont near Chimay, Belgium. He was editor of «Collectanea Cisterciensia» and helped establish the English counterpart called «Cistercian Studies». (Source: «The School of Charity», p. 66.)
Fr. Heinrich Dumoulin was a Jesuit priest, professor at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and a scholar of the history of Zen Buddhism. In the mid-seventies, he was the founder and first director of the Nanzen Institute for Religion and Culture.
Peter Dunne was executive director of The Temple of Understanding in Washington, D.C. The organization was founded to promote interreligious dialog and to build a center in Washington to facilitate interfaith education (later, programming of educational programs became the sole emphasis and the idea of building a center was abandoned). Merton was invited to speak at the first international conference of the organization in Calcutta and was able to make this a part of his journey to Asia.
Dom Frederic Dunne was abbot of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Merton's early years at the monastery.
Fr. George Dunne was a Jesuit priest at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Irene Dunne rose to prominence as a film actress and was known as the "First Lady of Hollywood". She played starring roles alongside Carey Grant among others and was nominated for five Academy Awards, notably «Cimmarron», «The Awful Truth», and «I Remember Mama». She was known as a reserved person who did not like to give interviews. She devoted her later life to charity and served as a special delegate to the United Nations. In 1965, Bellarmine College awarded Dunne with the colleges highest honor, the Bellarmine Medal. Dunne was a Catholic, and Monsignor Horrigan, Bellarmine president, gave her some signed books by Merton. She wrote to him telling how she appreciated them. Merton responded, saying "I in my turn want to thank you for the joy I can remember, in the days when I used to go to the movies, when I used to listen to your lovely voice and enjoy your pictures."
Fr. Dureau, a Dominican priest, writes in 1959 from Stockholm on the letterhead of the publication «Dominikanerna». His 1966 letter is from Paris.
Mother Benedict Duss was a Benedictine Abbess of Regina Laudis monastery in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
The Most Reverend Robert J. Dwyer was Bishop of Reno, Nevada, at the time of correspondence with Merton. He later became the Archbishop of Portland, Oregon.
