Striving to make world a better place by doing what one man can do

The 83-year-old parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Cobleskill said each person has a responsibility to use their talents. "You can't change the world yourself," he said. "You do what you can. This is what Christ wants us to do."

For Mr. Daniels, that's meant trying to put an end to divisions that can tear people apart, participating in peace vigils, writing letters to government leaders and being active in social justice issues.

Aiming at peace

"The United States shouldn't have an army," he said. "We should love our enemies, not go out and kill them."

Currently, he chairs his parish's Peace and Justice Committee, which deals with such issues as the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the School of the Americas.

"We're witnessing for Christ," he said of these efforts.

Book background

Mr. Daniels' family upbringing led to his involvement in peace and justice activities.

"My father was a big influence," he said, "especially on peace and race relations. In 1914, he had a book published by Houghton Mifflin called 'In Freedoms Birthplace: A Study of the Boston Negroes.'"

Faith journey

"I'd been leading an effort to bring secular Quakers to Christ," he said. It was his desire for a relationship with Christ that brought Mr. Daniels to the Catholic Church.

"I wanted to be close to Christ," he said. "I found that at St. Vincent's. This loving group of people and Father (Thomas) Berardi influenced our decision. Last Easter, we became full-fledged Catholics. We're very happy now."

Father Berardi said the parish has been enriched by Mr. Daniels' presence. "He's a very unique guy," the pastor noted. "He's brought a real dimension of peace through his presence. He's really raised consciousness about this. He's also a very prayerful person. Both Jack and Louise are an asset to the parish."

Hope for future

"We need campaign finance reform," he said. "Cigarette, liquor, gambling, the NRA -- capitalism has gone awry."

Despite this, Mr. Daniels is hopeful about the future. "There are a lot of good people," he said. "If there's truly a spiritual hunger in the midst of all of this dreadful greed, the sign of hope is the personal relationship with Christ people are developing."

(The Peace and Justice Committee at St. Vincent's in Cobleskill, along with the Peacemakers of Schoharie County, an ecumenical group, will hold a vigil on April 1, 11 a.m.-noon, advocating the closure of the School of the Americas. To help educate the public on this issue, the parish committee is holding a meeting on March 30, 7 p.m., at which videos on the School of the Americas will be shown.)

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