Dear Friends:
As I proudly introduce the Spring 2019 issue of STM Magazine, I would like to take a moment to greet you as your new Chaplain.
It’s been a great first few months, getting to know everyone while learning the names of the colleges, accurately applying Yale acronyms (YDS, YRM and YDN, to name just a few) and running through the streets of New Haven. I’ve been inspired by our students who bring freshness and authenticity to the practice of their Catholic faith amidst these challenging times facing our Church, our campus and our world.
Finishing out another academic year we bid farewell to our graduating seniors, proudly sending them off with our gratitude, blessings and prayers. We also say goodbye and give special thanks to Monsignor Gerry Schmitz, who as interim Chaplain has shepherded the STM community through a year of loss and renewal. As we continue to heal from the loss of Father Bob, we found comfort in the Easter message of Christ’s victory over death and the promise of abundant, new life for those who go before us. And, this past April, we ushered Fr. Bob to his final resting place in the tranquility of the Riggs Garden, highlighted in the magazine’s “Final Word.” In her moving piece, “The Space in Between,” Jill Martin '90 M.A. reflects on the way in which the Riggs Garden spans the rich history of Catholic life here at STM, linked by the leadership and ministry of Reverend T. Lawrason Riggs '10 (our first Chaplain) and Fr. Bob—who both rest in this space between the Chapel and the Golden Center.
As we remember our history, we are also looking ahead to our future with hope and joy. We shall continue to celebrate the legacy of Fr. Bob here at STM, and are excited to announce the launch of The Reverend Robert Beloin Fund for Faith and Action, detailed in Kerry Robinson’s '94 M.A.R. article. The Beloin Fund will support STM program initiatives Fr. Bob helped to create, like the Wednesday Soup Kitchen, and serve as an umbrella to fund a variety of new programs and intellectual opportunities that will allow and encourage our students to put their faith into action through partnering with Yale University and the New Haven community.
I am deeply humbled and totally excited to enter into this new chapter in the history of STM, along with the assistant chaplains, STM staff, students, community members, faculty and alumni/ae—and with each of you. I invite you to contact me anytime. I am eager to hear from you: tell me what you love about STM as well as your hopes for its future. Finally, I ask you to please pray for me, and I promise to pray for you and your families.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
Fr. Ryan
