 |
|
 |
Jean Vanier has invited thousands of people to live in his home.
For four decades, he has devoted his life to building L’Arche communities, homes where men and women with developmental disabilities live and share their lives with those who assist them. Today, there are 120 L’Arche communities throughout the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, South and North America, including 15 communities in the United States.
"It is not a matter of how many people live together. It can be two or many. It is a matter of how to be a genuine community, with all the joy and pain. L’Arche is not a religious group or a family. What defines us is a sense of belonging," Vanier says.
Born in 1928, Vanier is the son of the late Governor General of Canada, Georges Vanier, and his wife Pauline, both distinguished Canadians and both being considered for canonization by the Roman Catholic Church. Educated in England and his native Canada, Vanier served with the British Navy and then with the Canadian Royal Navy. In 1950, he resigned from the Navy and traveled to France to pursue a doctorate in philosophy, which he received from the Institut Catholique de Paris.
Vanier considered and rejected a life in the priesthood, then found his spiritual calling. His spiritual director, Father Thomas Philippe, O.P., suggested that he put belief into practice by spending time with the persons with disabilities who lived in a nearby institution. Soon after, Vanier met Raphael Simi and Philippe Seux, two men about his own age with developmental disabilities. Although Vanier had no experience with persons with disabilities, he invited them to live with him. This was in 1964. Since then, L’Arche Trosly-Breuil community has expanded to include 400 members.
Vanier carried the responsibility for L’Arche Trosly-Breuil and for the International Federation of L’Arche until 1981, when he stepped down. He remains active, traveling to other L’Arche communities, writing, lecturing, facilitating retreats, and reaching out to young adults. His books include the best-selling "Community and Growth" and "Becoming Human."
Vanier received the Paul VI International Prize for his lay ministry work. In recognizing Vanier’s work, Pope John Paul II said, "Over the past 30 years, L’Arche has grown to become a dynamic and providential sign of the civilization of love."
Vanier also served as a keynote speaker for the World Council of Churches and the Lambeth Conference of worldwide Anglican Bishops.
Speaking of the future of L’Arche, Vanier said, "People are yearning to discover community. We have had enough of loneliness, independence, and competition."