Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, was born and raised in the town of Church Point, Louisiana. He entered the Jesuits in 1988. He holds degrees in Philosophy, Psychology and Theology from Loyola University of New Orleans and Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After his ordination to the priesthood, he worked in Jesuit secondary schools for nine years. In 2007, he began working for the Jesuit Novitiate in Grand Coteau, La. In 2018, after a decade of service as Novice Director, he left that work to become pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church in New Orleans. He is the author of six books on prayer and spirituality, including the Armchair Mystic and Ascending with Ignatiuswww.talkingjoy.com