By Kaleb VanAtter
Father Isaac McDaniel, priest and Bellarmine faculty member, passed away on Feb. 12 at the age of 74.
More than a priest, McDaniel was a beloved member of the Bellarmine community. He taught theology part time at both Bellarmine and Spalding University. He had a passion for teaching and connecting with young adults on theological concepts that can sometimes be difficult to understand.
In class, he loved to discuss all different viewpoints and put himself and his students in other people’s shoes. Not once did he make it about his faith, and not once did he ever try to push an agenda. He was open-minded, he was considerate, and he found beauty in the fact that everyone sees this world through a slightly different lens.
Bellarmine Historian, archival coordinator, and professor emeritus Father Clyde Crews said, “The Father Isaac I knew always struck me as a person of kindness, scholarship and hospitality. He was a man of both faithfulness and openness. For me, he reflected richly the Benedictine tradition that helped so much to nurture him.”
McDaniel’s balance between faithfulness and openness was inspiring. During my time as his student, I could not have told you what his faith was. He was not worried about making sure we all fell in line with his faith, but rather concerned that we all felt comfortable and confident in our individual faith. Even though he dedicated his entire life to studying scripture and being a man of faith, he never acted in a manner that suggested he knew more than you. He truly wanted every young person he met to find their peace, as he found his.
He was a Kentucky native, growing up in Owensboro. After graduating from Centre College, he attended Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana. He was ordained as a priest on May 2, 1982. He would then continue his studies at the University of Notre Dame, earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in history.
McDaniel was a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey from 1976 until 2002 when he became a member of the Archdiocese of Louisville. He spent his life as a teacher and a pastor, combining his passions to serve others.
He served as a pastor at St. Isidore in Bristow, Indiana, and Holy Cross in St. Croix, Indiana. After his incardination, he served as an associate pastor at St. Gabriel. He was a part-time associate pastor at St. John Vianney and St. Jerome in Fairdale, Kentucky. He was a sacramental moderator at St. Timothy, Our Lady Help of Christians, and St. Patrick in West Point, Kentucky. He spent his entire life serving on behalf of the church, no matter which church it was. He always wanted to contribute, he always wanted to be involved, and he always wanted to keep learning.
He will always be missed.
Comentários