Father Sousa was born in Waltham, Massachusetts on March 20, 1952, the eldest son of Stanley Sousa of Bradenton and the late Alice Sousa. His father, Stanley, made a career in the Army and the family moved from the Boston area and lived in Iceland, Florida, Panama Canal Zone, and New Jersey. Father Sousa received his education in the Redemptorist formation program beginning at St. Mary’s High School Seminary in North East, PA; St. Mary’s College, Illchester, Maryland; St. Alphonsus College, Suffield, CT; Mt. St. Alphonsus Seminary, Esopus, NY. He also attended graduate school at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA.

He made his Profession of Vows on August 2, 1971, and was ordained to priesthood on May 28, 1978. He was a teacher and director in the Redemptorist high school formation program from 1980 to 1990. He served as Vocation Director for the Redemptorists in the Southeast while serving as parochial Vicar at St. James Parish, Concord, NC from 1990 to 1993 and as Director of Holy Family Retreat House, Hampton, VA from 1993 until 1996. He then moved to Queens, NY to serve as director of the Redemptorist college formation program until 2002. He was assigned as pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Wauchula, FL where he served until June, 2004.

Father Sousa became an Army Reserve Chaplain in 1986 and served in various assignments on reserve status. In June 2004 he went on active duty and served Stateside for nine months in a training brigade and then fifteen months with the 344th Combat Support Hospital with one year of duty at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. He is currently on reserve status serving as a chaplain with the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Orlando, FL.

As the newest member of the staff, Father arrived at OLPH in September 2006. He is no stranger to the area. His family moved to Longboat Key in 1969 and currently his father, his sister Barbara, and his brother Tom and his family all live in Bradenton.