Greetings to all the members and friends of the Chicago Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. I hope you enjoyed the holidays and that your new year is off to a good start. Here is a snapshot of our meetings for 2009.

We meet on the third Sunday of each month, except during summer, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Rectory Assembly of Immaculate Conception Parish, 7211 W. Talcott (at Harlem), Chicago. There is an adjacent parking lot and signs posted. Sunday meetings are reserved for speakers or audio-visual presentations. Meetings are free to dues-paying members; visitors are invited to make a freewill donation.

We also meet on the last Monday of each month, year-round, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Passionist Monastery, 5700 N. Harlem, Chicago, which is next door to Immaculate Conception. There is parking along the circular driveway and across from the garages. Monday meetings are reserved for the study and discussion of Thomas Merton's books. There is no charge to attend the Reader Group.

Sunday Speaker meetings in 2009 are scheduled for Jan. 18, Feb. 15, Mar. 15, Apr. 19, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, and Nov. 15. On Friday, Dec. 10, we will gather for Mass to commemorate Thomas Merton on the day of his death, followed by a holiday social. The date of the May meeting is tentatively May 31. Mike Brennan coordinates speakers and other presentations. For more information, call 773-447-3989, or click to visit his blog: Mertonfest.

At our first meeting of the year, next Sunday, Jan. 18, we will view "A ZEN LIFE - D.T. Suzuki," a 77-minute documentary about Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870-1966), credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to the West. The film includes rarely seen footage of Thomas Merton, who met with Suzuki in New York City. The journey to this meeting forms the basis of the locally produced play, The Hermit in New York.

Monday Reader meetings in 2009 are scheduled for Jan. 26, Feb. 23, Mar. 20, Apr. 27, June 29, July 27, Aug. 31, Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 30, and Dec. 28. As the May meeting falls on the Memorial Day observance, it will be rescheduled, probably to June 1. Fr. Francis Cusack moderates the group. For more information, call 773-631-1686, ext. 241.

The reading group will conclude The Waters of Siloe and select its next book at the Jan. 26 meeting.

Annual CC-ITMS dues are $20 and help defray the cost of meetings and mailings. Send checks payable to CC-ITMS to our treasurer, Barbara Carlo, 245 W. Johnson St. Unit 308, Palatine, IL 60067. Please include name, address, phone and e-mail.

Annual dues for the ITMS are $25. Send checks payable to ITMS to: Resident Secretary, ITMS, Bellarmine University, 2001 Newburg Rd., Louisville, Kentucky 40205. Add $15 if you want a copy of the Merton Annual, published in Spring, 2009.

The Eleventh Conference and General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society will be held June 11-14, 2009, at Nazareth College, Rochester, New York. The Chicago Chapter has submitted a proposal to host the Twelfth Conference and General Meeting in 2011, and I hope that we will be well represented at Rochester so we can better understand what the 2011 conference will require of us. If you register, please let me know so we can meet up in Rochester.

Take good care,

Mike