File 6 - Letters from Nathan Ball

4 cm of textual records
4 photographs : col. ; 15 x 10 cm
1 lapel pin

File consists of five folders. The first three folders consist of letters (paper, cards and postcards) written by Henri Nouwen to Nathan Ball from 1986-1996; two letters written by Laurent Nouwen to Nathan Ball; a condolence letter from Peter Naus regarding Nouwen's death; and photographs.

The fourth folder consists of 9 hand-written letters to Henri Nouwen from Nathan Ball; 1 fax to Henri Nouwen from Nathan Ball (December 19, 1995), 1 postcard from Henri Nouwen to Nathan Ball (1986, sent from Russia); 2 letters from Bob Ball to Henri Nouwen, 1 letter from Janet Ball to Henri Nouwen, 1 fax to Bart and Patricia Gavigan from Kathy Christie for Nathan Ball (March 26, 1997) and 1 form letter to Daybreak [community] from Nathan Ball (March 16, 1997). Also includes copies of three papers written by Ball for his theology degree: Foundation of Ministry - Reflection Paper (November 5, 1986), Theological Reflection Paper #2: Current Issues, Questions and Possibilities (undated), Biblican Moral Imperatives: Illuminative and Authorative (September 8, 1987). Other material that was sent by Nathan Ball to Henri Nouwen: copy of "Response to the Lineamenta: Vocation and mission of the Laity in the Church and in the World Twenty Years after the Second Vatican Council", Document by Nathan Ball to secure a volunteer placement to gain work experience in organizational management (date unknown), and copy of Draft of Objectives Statement September 1993-August 1994 for Nathan Ball, Executive Director, L'Arche Daybreak. Also included in the donation is a lapel pin from Vimy which Henri Nouwen gave to Nathan Ball because Ball's grandfather fought in the war.

The nine handwritten letters are dated as follows:
1.) January 19 [1986]
2.) February 2, 1986
3.) March 17, 1986
4.) April 14, 1986
5.) May 16, 1986
6.) June 8, 1986
7.) July 28, 1986
8.) October 1, 1986
9.) Undated.
The letters to HN from Ball and his parents, as well as the essays and other documents that Ball sent to Henri Nouwen were returned to Ball by Kathy Christie and Sue Mosteller after Nouwen's death in 1996. Many of these documents are annotated in Nouwen's hand.

The fifth folder consists of letters and other material by or about Henri Nouwen from the personal papers of Nathan Ball. The majority of the material are letters by Ball to Nouwen, but the accession also includes letters to Nouwen by Robert Ball (Nathan Ball's father), one letter from HN to Robert Ball, one hand-written card from HN to Paula Kilcoyne (Nathan Ball's wife), a group letter to friends by Nouwen as well as reports, proposals and correspondence related to Nouwen, Ball and L'Arche Daybreak before and after HN's death. The accession consists of 17 letters, 3 cards and 3 reports created between 1986 and 1997. Letters have been numbered for ease of identification.
The contents of the folder have been arranged into five groupings:

1. Letters from Nathan Ball to Henri Nouwen
   Includes: nine letters and two cards from Nathan Ball to Henri Nouwen written between 1986 and 1987. Three letters are undated. Some letters have been annotated by Nouwen with filing instructions. The letters have been numbered for ease of identification.

1) A handwritten letter from Nathan Ball to Henri Nouwen (HN) (undated)
2) Two handwritten letters from Nathan Ball to HN on Nathan Ball letterhead (February 7 and 14, 1986)
3) A handwritten Christmas card from Nathan Ball to HN (undated)
4) Two handwritten letters from Nathan Ball to HN (one letter dated May 23, 1986)
5) A handwritten letter from Nathan Ball to HN (July 19, 1986)
6) A handwritten letter from Nathan Ball to HN (undated);
7) A handwritten card from Nathan Ball to HN (August 10, 1987)
8) Correspondence surrounding a financial gift by Robert McNeil which includes a typed letter from Nathan Ball to Robert McNeil, a typed letter from Nathan Ball to Don [McNeil] (November 3, 1987) and a handwritten note from Nathan Ball to HN (Nov. 5, 1987)
9) A handwritten letter from Nathan Ball to HN (Nov. 5, 1987)

II. Correspondence between Robert Ball and Henri Nouwen
Includes: three letters from Robert Ball to Henri Nouwen, written in 1987; one letter from HN to Robert Ball dated June 2, 1987 (see also Accession 2009 07).

10) A typed letter from Robert Ball to HN on King’s Fold letterhead (September 8, 1987)
11) A handwritten letter from Robert Ball to HN on King’s Fold letterhead (June 2, 1987)
12) A typed photocopied letter from HN to Robert Ball on L’Arche Daybreak letterhead (June 2, 1987)
13) A typed letter from Robert Ball to HN on King’s Fold letterhead (April 30, 1987).

III. Letters written by HN
Includes: one handwritten card from HN to Paula Kilcoyne (sent from Philadelphia, date unknown); typed letter on L’Arche Daybreak letterhead from HN to Friends (May 16, 1994).

IV. Letters and other material related to Nouwen/Ball from L'Arche Daybreak
Includes: a copied version of an Annual Review report of Nathan Ball conducted by HN (February, 1995); a faxed copy, with handwritten notes, of a document titled Proposal for an Apartment for Henri Nouwen Built as an Annex to the present Dayspring (November 14, 1995); a photocopied document titled Form I written by Nathan Ball and given to HN.

V. Letter and other material about Henri Nouwen written after his death
Includes: a handwritten letter from Nathan Ball to Kathy Christie written on Rockefeller Foundation letterhead (after 1996); and a 20 paged document consisting of correspondence compiled by Kathy Christie about HN’s literary estate (May 28, 1997).

Some material is restricted.

Photographs digitized as part of the CDRI project: P134-P137.

Added by T Wong, 12 March 2021
Revised by L Whitehead, 20 November 2025