Father Alejandro De Jesus - NCVACC

Father Alejandro De Jesus is the new president of the National Conference of Veterans Affairs Catholic Chaplains (NCVACC). He works full time at the San Antonio VA Medical Center and succeeds Father R. Peter Francis as NCVACC president. In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the only official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Father De Jesus joins us by telephone from San Antonio to share how the NCVACC supports pastoral care for Catholics receiving treatment from the VA. And he explains how a recent change in the federal employment classification of VA chaplains is meant to raise the standard of ministry but could also make it harder for Catholic priests to become VA chaplains at a time when some medical centers are suffering a shortage of Catholic chaplains.