Two Jesuits Profess Final Vows

by Jesuits USA Central and ​Southern Province

Father W. Penn Dawson, SJ, assistant professor of law and campus minister at Loyola University New Orleans, and Father Randall S. Gibbens, SJ, an alumnus of Jesuit High School, professed final vows in the Society of Jesus recently. Very Rev. Arturo Sosa, SJ, superior general of the Society of Jesus, received their vows.

Father Gibbens professed vows on Friday, January 30, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Houston.

Father Dawson professed vows on Monday, February 2, in the Holy Name Chapel at Jesuit High School in New Orleans.

Father General Sosa, based in the Jesuit Curia in Rome, was making his visitation of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province, of which Fr. Dawson and Fr. Gibbens are members.

In the Jesuit tradition, the superior general is the one who invites a Jesuit to profess final vows and thus become fully incorporated in the Jesuit order. Both priests had earlier pronounced simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience after completing two years of novitiate. Now, after completing additional Jesuit training and serving in active ministry for some years, they have completed the final stage of Jesuit formation, known as tertianship.

Father Dawson currently serves as assistant professor of law and campus minister at Loyola University New Orleans. He is also the rector, or local superior, of the New Orleans Jesuit Community that includes Loyola University, Holy Name of Jesus and Immaculate Conception Parishes, Jesuit High School and Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, Louisiana. He entered the Society of Jesus in August 2009 and was ordained a priest in 2018. Aside from serving for a year as assistant pastor at St. Peter Claver Parish in Punta Gorda, Belize, he has been missioned to Loyola University for his entire Jesuit ministry.

Father Gibbens currently serves as president of Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2004 and was ordained a priest in 2015 in New Orleans. After serving the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province as vocation promoter, he was assigned as chaplain and biology teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit in 2019. He later served as director of campus ministry and director of student life. He became president of Cristo Rey Jesuit in January 2025.

During his two-week visitation, Fr. General Sosa stopped in six of the cities of the province: Denver, St. Louis, Houston, New Orleans, San Juan and Belize City. In each location, he met with leaders of the local apostolates and celebrated Mass with the Jesuits of the region. In each location, he met with leaders of the local apostolates and celebrated Mass with the Jesuits of the region. His homilies and talks in each place returned to central themes of reconciliation, the service of justice – specifically the Jesuit mission to the frontiers, the universality of the Society and collaboration with others. At every opportunity, he emphasized the importance of remaining close to Christ.

In New Orleans, in addition to presiding at Fr. Dawson’s vow Mass, Fr. General visited the Harry Tompson Center, named for a Jesuit priest, which provides services to people without housing, where he prayed with guests.

The Jesuits are a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded nearly 500 years ago by St. Ignatius of Loyola. With more than 14,000 priests, scholastics and brothers worldwide, they are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are widely known for their colleges, universities and high schools, but Jesuits also minister in retreat houses, parishes, hospitals and refugee camps. The USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province serves in 13 states, Puerto Rico and Belize and has approximately 305 men who serve as pastors, administrators, educators, spiritual and retreat directors and in other roles. Jesuits have served in this area of the United States and the Caribbean as early as the 16^th century and continually since the restoration of the Society in 1815.