CHICAGO — Ottumwa native Andrew Hanson and 10 other Jesuit novices professed first vows to Father Brian Paulson, S.J., Provincial, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Chicago-Detroit Province, during a vow Mass on Aug. 9.
By professing first vows, Hanson took the next step in the 10 to 12 year formation of a Jesuit, that includes the ordination to the priesthood and final vows. No longer a novice, Hanson will be a scholastic known as “Mister” or “Brother.”
Hanson said many family members and friends drove to Chicago to support him as he professed his vows. “They played a very crucial role in my own life story, which is unfolding as I take vows and continue in formation.”
Hanson was born in Paulo, Brazil, and moved to the United States at age 9. His family joined St. Patrick Parish in Ottumwa; his parents now live in West Liberty. Hanson earned a B.A. in psychology and organizational communications from Creighton University. He spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. He entered the Novitiate of the St. Alberto Hurtado in St. Paul, Minn., in 2012.
It was the combination of these experiences that urged Hanson to pursue the priesthood. “I found great companionship with the Jesuits at Creighton. So I entered the Peace Corps with all I had learned about Jesuit spirituality. And in that experience with the marginalized poor the seed really blossomed.”
