Like Saint Francis of Assisi, although to a secondary extent, Merton has mentored Gerry Straub's spiritual exercises of remembering, of being awed by, and of obeying the commands of God's love, received throughout his community's days at the Santa Chiara Children's Center. His prose is undergirded with the poetry of his longing for God's presence in and for Haiti hour by hour. Gerry's prose and life resonate with Merton's texts. This book befriends Merton's own searching for God. Straub and Merton sing together, adding their voices to the chorus of God's beloved community in Haiti.

-From the Introduction by Jonathan Montaldo

Mr. Montaldo co-edited The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals with Brother Patrick Hart of Gethsemani Abbey. He edited the second volume of Merton's private journals, published in seven volumes, under the title Entering the Silence (1945-1959)