— LISTEE'S SPOTLIGHT —

Father Stephen J. Brandow, a clinical chaplain for the Alexandria VA Healthcare System, is widely recognized for his esteemed contributions to religious services and veterans’ affairs. Serving patients within the VA system for several decades, he was inspired to help veterans by his parents’ influence as service members. Father Brandow earned a Bachelor of Arts in social work from Northwestern University in 1985 and subsequently served as a social service provider at Woodview Regional Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana, and a medical clerk for the Alexandria VA Healthcare System. Following these appointments, he earned a Master of Divinity from the Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology in 1996, the same year he was ordained to the ministry by the Catholic Church. Father Brandow further lent his expertise to St. Rita Parish in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Tioga, Louisiana, between 1996 and 2000. For his outstanding efforts with the Boy Scouts of America, he received the Bronze Pelican Award from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting in 2003 and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award in 2002. Looking ahead, Father Brandow intends to earn a certification in Catholic ethics from the National Center for Catholic Ethics.