A human being is more than the power or capacity to think and to perform. There is a gentle person of love hidden in the child within each adult. The heart is the place where we meet others, suffer, and rejoice with them. It is the place where we can identify and be in solidarity with them. Whenever we love, we are not alone. The heart is the place of our ‘oneness’ with others.
~Jean Vanier (founder of L’Arche)
FAQ… What is L’Arche?
L’Arche (or, The Ark) was founded in 1964 in France by a French-Canadian Catholic named Jean Vanier. He became aware of the plight of thousands of institutionalized developmentally disabled adults in France, and after discernment with a priest friend, invited two disabled men to live with him in community.
From this small beginning, L’Arche has grown to 140 communities in 36 different countries. The first US L’Arche was founded in 1972; there are now 18 communities in the United States.
Each L’Arche is independent, but they are unified by a shared statement of identity and a shared mission: “We are people, with and without developmental disabilities, sharing life in communities belonging to an International Federation. Mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of our journey together. We celebrate the unique value of every person and recognize our need of one another.” Their mission is to:
Make known the gifts of people with developmental disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships;
Foster an environment in community that responds to the changing needs of its members, while being faithful to the core values of their founding story; and
Engage in diverse cultures, working together toward a more human society.
L’Arche communities are communities of faith, rooted in prayer and trust in God. The spirituality of L’Arche is grounded in the belief that each person is unique and of sacred value, and that God’s love is experienced through mutual friendships in which the gifts and weaknesses of each person are recognized and accepted. By creating communities where people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities enjoy such mutual friendship, L’Arche seeks to live the Beatitudes – Jesus’ call in the Sermon on the Mount to be people of simplicity, gentleness, compassion, justice and peace.
While the original L’Arche was founded in a village in France in the Roman Catholic tradition, today the communities of L’Arche around the world reflect the predominant faith tradition or traditions of the local area.
L’Arche is a way of life, but it is also a model of care that is unique. People with intellectual disabilities are at the heart of L’Arche. They are not clients, patients, or recipients of services, but rather they are friends, teachers, and companions. People without intellectual disabilities grow through their encounters in L’Arche. Through daily acts of care, trust, and friendship, they develop into ambassadors of compassion and leaders of social change and the common good. A divided society is mended through inclusivity where people with many differences – socio-economic status, race, religion, and intellectual capacity – live and work together.
Jean Vanier continues to live in his original L’Arche community in France.
For more information, see http://www.larcheusa.org/.
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Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
