I’m writing this Wespeak to honor Gary Comstock and encourage us all to critically question the administration’s priorities concerning the role of spiritual chaplains on this campus. Gary Comstock was an incredible asset to the Wesleyan community. The Argus did a good job touching on all the things he’s done on this campus—Protestant services, Vespers, organizing community service—but I’d like to emphasize how important a figure he was for me, as a spiritual person who doesn’t identify with any specific faith.
I, along with many others, found the weekly rituals of Vespers a powerful space for spiritual development and emotional renewal. I think it was unique that as a Protestant chaplain he went out of his way to serve people who didn’t necessarily come from a formal religious background. For this I am very grateful. But alas, he chose to retire because the university began to require increasingly more office work, taking his time away from serving people. I am happy for Gary with his decision to leave, for I know he will continue to inspire the people around him, as well as have some time to nourish his own soul. He was a beloved presence in this community and to not recognize his irreplaceable contribution to the emotional health of our community is a mistake made by our administrators. I hope that in the future, the emotional and spiritual health of the Wesleyan community will not continue to be overshadowed by the commitment to academic and intellectual success.
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