We are sad to share the news of the passing of Desiree Barker, one of Coracle’s early spiritual directors, on May 30 in Hoover, Alabama.
Desiree was a beautiful and compassionate soul who deeply cared for others and accompanied many others on their deeper spiritual journey. She loved Jesus so much, and now gets to enjoy him face to face.
We are grateful for her presence in our midst for the many years she was with us, and invite you to join us in offering prayers for comfort for her husband Steve and her family.
Desiree was actively involved in ministry for over 25 years, primarily in education and discipleship. In 2023, she retired from her staff positions as Parish Administrator and Adult Discipleship Director at All Saints Church, Woodbridge, Virginia. She was an experienced teacher, spiritual director and retreat leader, and had completed training in spiritual direction through the Anglican Diocese of New England.
As a spiritual director, Desiree’s ministry approach was warm and caring while being firmly grounded in Biblical truth and the spiritual disciplines. She delighted to walk with others as they grew in their faith and in their passion to love and serve the Lord. She was experienced in offering spiritual direction with a variety of people, both men and women, and was particularly led to serve women in leadership and those interested in exploring spiritual direction for the first time.
Desiree appreciated God’s infinite creativity and saw His hand in her experience and enjoyment of the creative process. Her background in design included professional experience in space planning and design, and amateur dabbling in painting, costume design and her recent passion, knitwear design. This translated into her direction style as an expectancy of the variety of ways God is at work in His people and as a willingness to walk with others as they discover how God leads and guides them.
Along with her husband, Steve, Desiree relocated after retirement to Hoover, Alabama to be near their grown daughter, son-in- law and two grandsons.