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Pennington, M. Basil

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1931 - 2005

Biography

M. Basil Pennington was born on July 28, 1931, in Brooklyn, NY and died on June 3, 2005, in Worcester, MA. He received degrees from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, 1951; Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T.L. (cum laude), 1959; Pontifical University of the Gregorianum, J.C.B. (summa cum laude), 1962, J.C.L. (summa cum laude), 1963 and did graduate work at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Benedictine International College of St. Anselm. He held memberships with Studies in Formative Spirituality (international board of consultants), Canon Law Society of America, Catholic Theological Society of America, and Association of Cistercian Scholars.

Pennington was a writer, educator, and Cistercian monk and abbot. He entered the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO; also known as Trappists) in 1951 and ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, in 1957, at St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, MA. There he served as a professor of moral theology, from 1959-61, a professor of theology and church law, 1963-2005, a pastoral counselor at Retreat House, 1959-61 and 1963-2005, librarian at Institute of Monastic Studies, 1960- 61, a lecturer at institute, 1971-72, assistant director of novices, summer 1962, and vocation director, 1978-81. He was the head of Monastic Council on Church Law, 1964-2005, a member of the Commission of Law, Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, 1969-2005, and the head of Interreligious Monastic Colloquium, 1977. He was also a member of advisory board, Center for Contemplative Studies, North American Board for East-West Relations, and a member of board of directors of the Lilly Foundation, the John Paul II Center for Prayer and Study for Peace and Food for the Poor, the Mastery Foundation, and a member of Ecumenical Institute of Spirituality and Academie Nationale de Reims. He also served as the founding editor of Cistercian Publications, 1968-73, and was chairperson, 1973-76. Additionally, he was the organizer and director of ecumenical conferences and symposia, a guest lecturer at conferences, institutes, and universities all over the world and a consultant to the Second Vatican Council.

Citation:
"M. Basil Pennington." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Jan. 2013.

Found in 136 Collections and/or Records:

Homily, by Basil Pennington (Audiocassette), October 7, 1990

 Item — Box 5, Folder: 3
Scope and Contents From the Series:

This series contains mainly audiocassettes and videocassettes. They are some commercially published sets on religious issues, but the bulk contains recordings of M. Basil Pennington speaking, often on centering prayer.

Dates: October 7, 1990

Homily, by Basil Pennington (Audiocassette), June 29, 1992

 Item — Box 5, Folder: 3
Scope and Contents From the Series:

This series contains mainly audiocassettes and videocassettes. They are some commercially published sets on religious issues, but the bulk contains recordings of M. Basil Pennington speaking, often on centering prayer.

Dates: June 29, 1992

Interview of Basil Pennington on Contemporary Catholic (Videocassette), May 23, 1978

 Item — Box 3, Case: 2
Scope and Contents From the Series:

This series contains mainly audiocassettes and videocassettes. They are some commercially published sets on religious issues, but the bulk contains recordings of M. Basil Pennington speaking, often on centering prayer.

Dates: May 23, 1978

Loose leaf paper, April 11, 1979-May 21, 1979

 Item — Box 22, Folder: 3, Object: 1
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: April 11, 1979-May 21, 1979

M. Basil Pennington OCSO Archive

 Collection
Identifier: 01-exws_mbpennington
Abstract

Papers of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO, TrappistĀ  monk who wrote extensively on Catholic contemplative practices and was associated with the Centering Prayer movement at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. Drafts and typescripts of articles and books, serials and periodicals containing articles by or about Pennington, notes, correspondence, multi-media, also includes genealogical research concerning the Pennington family.

Dates: 1951-2003; Majority of material found within 1964-2000; Other: Date acquired: 12/07/1995

M. Basil Pennington OCSO Papers

 Series
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: 1951-2003; Majority of material found within 1964-2000; Other: Date acquired: 12/07/1995

Memo pad, March 1, 1971-December 31, 1978

 Item — Box 21, Folder: 2, Object: 1
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: March 1, 1971-December 31, 1978

Memo pad, 2 January 1975 - 31 May 1976

 Item — Box 21, Folder: 3, Object: 1
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: 2 January 1975 - 31 May 1976

Memo pad, 31 May 1976 - 13 August 1976

 Item — Box 21, Folder: 4, Object: 1
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: 31 May 1976 - 13 August 1976

Memo pad, August 14, 1976-May 2, 1977

 Item — Box 21, Folder: 6, Object: 1
Scope and Contents From the Collection: This collection is divided into four series: 1) Audio-visual materials 2) Graphic materials 3) The M. Basil Pennington, OCSO Papers - 236 archival boxes and 4) The Pennington Family Collection - 50 archival boxes. The first three series cover the career of Father M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (1931-2005) as a Trappist monk and focuses largely on his writings and presentations on centering prayer, as well as his involvement in ecumenism and interfaith relations. It is comprised primarily of...
Dates: August 14, 1976-May 2, 1977