My spiritual home since beginning Yale College in the fall of 1970 has been STM, then known as “St. Thomas More Chapel” or “More House.” There, chaplains, community, worship and sacrament have guided, nourished and supported me as I completed medical school, began clinical practice and teaching, raised a family—and now, work with, and for, the underserved in Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
While I remain ever grateful for the past and ongoing gifts of many remarkable people at STM, I and countless others feel especially blessed for having known Father Bob Beloin, Chaplain for the past twenty-five years, who passed away on September 23, 2018.
In the commotion of the struggle for greatness, power, wealth and fame that continually tries to lure the members of any large university community, I remember Fr. Bob’s life and ministry as being centered simply on I Corinthians, Chapter 13:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues…if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge… if I give away everything I own… but do not have love, I am nothing.
What is love? At Sunday Mass on the morning after Fr. Bob’s death, Father Karl Davis wonderfully reflected on his life, and mentioned a simple plaque of Fr. Bob’s that stated: When someone else’s happiness is your happiness, that is love.
And from this, I lovingly remember how often Fr. Bob reminded us, at times of grief after the loss of a loved one, to think of a few special gifts that the deceased imparted unto us, and then to choose one of them to emulate in that person’s memory. For me, it is Fr. Bob’s example of deep, other-centered love.
Rest in eternal peace, Fr. Bob.
"Faith in the Real World" is a regular feature in STM Magazine. In each issue, an STM alumna/us reflects on joys and changes in their faith-life after graduation from Yale. If you are interested in being one of our feature writers for "Faith in the Real World" we would like to hear from you. Contact robin.mcshane@ayle.edu
