Submitted by: Brian Warner

Father Dan Brandt, in the spirit of Pope Francis, truly takes on “the smell of his flock." A good shepherd does the same. In the police world, especially these days, this can be a real challenge.

Father Dan was out there with our CPD officers every night during the riots/looting/arson. Our officers were assigned to hot spots, where they were dropped off in CTA buses for 12-hour shifts with no access to snacks or water. Father Dan Brandt and the other full-time CPD chaplains under his charge made it a point, no matter how dangerous the location, to make sure these officers knew they are doing God’s work, keeping order rather than chaos. He delivered ice water, snacks, and most important, prayers and moral support to our officers during their darkest of days.

He reminds us daily of our commitment to doing God's work, even when things are really ugly. Father Dan has helped keep me sane during some awful times and experiences.

Thank you for allowing a priest of the archdiocese to serve the largest parish of this local church: 231 square miles and (between active and local retired officers) 20,000 souls. I am aware that in addition to his commitment to CPD, he also dedicates a lot of time to celebrating the sacraments at the parish where he resides.