Joan T. Broussard
107 Beacon Drive
Youngsville, LA 70592

broussardjt@aol.com
(337)288-0323 cell

It is my blessing to listen to people who come for Spiritual Direction tell their stories of faith and enter a relationship with God. What a privilege it is to witness that relationship blossom and deepen!
I have seen some directees since I first began my ministry, 2006 – we have gone through many of life’s challenges together over these many years. Being a witness to God’s work is a true blessing and a path to a deeper faith, both for my directees and for myself as well.

My favorite part of this ministry is leading a directee in the Spiritual Exercises. From week to week, I can see God’s transforming love deepen their prayer life. I get to watch a directee go from being timid about imaginative prayer to a full participant in this wonderful way to pray.

Toward the end of the Exercises, I ask my directees to write their own Magnificat and present it to their parish priest explaining how it came to be. It serves as an opportunity to share the fruit of the Exercises and ongoing Spiritual Direction. They are then asked to share their Magnificat prayer with others – evangelizing as they do. I love my collection of Magnificat prayers.

BIO
Joan Brousard, a Lay Carmelite, completed her studies in Spiritual Direction at the St. Charles Retreat Center, in the Diocese of Lake Charles and has been offering Spiritual Direction since 2006. She is a past president and currently active member in the Louisiana Spiritual Directors organization and is a member of Spiritual Directors International.

Joan is a published author, writing several magazine articles on the gifts of the sacraments in Acadiana Profile, Word Among Us and St. Anthony Messenger. She has published poetry in an international collection of poems, “Lifting Women’s Voices.”

In 2016 she re-published the Second Edition of her first book, Grief Guts and Grace where she offers guidance, and practical wisdom to those struggling with grief and loss.
In 2017, her book on Grief won a Bronze medal in the Illumination Book Awards, in the category of Illness/Death and Dying.

Joan’s second book, The Innkeeper’s Wife, a spiritual fiction novel about the wife of the innkeeper and her friendship with Mary was published in 2016. It was awarded 5-Stars in the Reader’s Favorite awards in 2016.

Joan has also published two CDs of the Rosary; one in Cajun French and English, as well as a CD of Reflections on Grief.

Joan has been a Hospice of Acadiana volunteer since the death of her husband Brad, in 2000.
She has been giving retreats and talks on Spiritual Journaling, prayer, and spirituality since 2004 and has been journaling her own prayer for over 40 years.

She has worked at the Jesuit Spirituality Center in Grand Coteau as a part time Retreat Director. Joan enjoys a busy ministry of offering ongoing spiritual direction and leading directees in the
Spiritual Exercises at her home in Youngsville.

Joan serves her St Anne parish as Lector, Eucharistic Minister in Youngsville where she lives with her husband Carl. Together, they lead a Come Lord Jesus couples’ group.

When not offering Spiritual Direction, Joan is busy with her grandchildren or in her sewing room making quilts, prayer blankets and crafting.