Lentfoehr, Thérèse, Sr., S.D.S.

Sr. Thérèse Lentfoehr was a Salvatorian religious sister, who was a poet, author, lecturer and one of the foremost early Merton scholars. She was born and lived most of her life in Wisconsin. She first contacted Merton in 1939 in praise of one of his poems, and she contacted him again in 1948 to discuss Merton's review of Lentfoehr's book of Marian poems, «I Sing of a Maiden». From this time, Merton and Lentfoehr became regular correspondents until Merton's death in 1968. Merton would often send her his manuscripts, and amassed a large early Merton collection, which she donated to Columbia University. In 1967, Lentfoehr came to Gethsemani to visit Merton. (Source: «The Road to Joy», p. 187.)