l'Arche

In 1964, Jean Vanier invited two men, Raphael Simi and Philippe Seux, to leave the institutions where they resided and share their lives with him in a household in Trosly-Breuil, France. He named their home "L'Arche", which is French for "The Ark", as in Noah's Ark. A collection of audiovisual material from L'Arche Trosly-Breuil is available at the University of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto.{{cite web |url=http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/kelly/collections-larche-daybreak-fonds |title=L'Arche Trosly-Breuil fonds |website=stmikes.utoronto.ca |publisher=University of St. Michael's College, John M. Kelly Library, Archival and Manuscript Collections |access-date=July 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219162327/http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/kelly/collections-larche-daybreak-fonds/ |archive-date=December 19, 2017 |url-status=dead }}

The first community in Canada, L'Arche Daybreak, was founded in 1969 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, near Toronto. Sue Mosteller, who lived with the Daybreak community for 40 years, acted as L'Arche's first International Coordinator after Jean Vanier.{{cite web |title =Celebrating Sue Mosteller |last= MacMillan |first=Carl |url=http://www.larchedaybreak.com/2011/12/13/celebrating-sue-mosteller/ |date=December 16, 2011 |access-date=December 10, 2014}} Dutch priest and spiritual writer Henri Nouwen also lived with the Daybreak community for several years until his death in 1996. He wrote about his experiences with Jean Vanier, L'Arche and the Daybreak community in his books The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey and Adam: God's Beloved.{{sfn|Nouwen|1988}}{{sfn|Nouwen|1997}} The institutional and community archives of the Daybreak community are located at the St. Michael's College, Toronto.[http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/kelly/collections/working-manuscript-pages/l-arche-daybreak-collection.asp L'Arche Daybreak fonds] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726103415/http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/kelly/collections/working-manuscript-pages/l-arche-daybreak-collection.asp |date=2014-07-26 }} held at the John M. Kelly Library, St. Michael's College, Toronto.

The first community in the UK was founded in 1973 in Barfrestone, Kent.{{Cite web|url=http://www.larche.org.uk/Sites/kent/pages/about-larche-kent|title=L'Arche {{!}} About L'Arche Kent|website=www.larche.org.uk|access-date=2016-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030425/http://www.larche.org.uk/Sites/kent/pages/about-larche-kent|archive-date=2017-12-01|url-status=dead}}

While L'Arche communities do consist of many different cultures and many different ethnicities and religions, the organization as a whole shares a common philosophy and approach. People with developmental disabilities and those who assist them live and work together to create homes. The L'Arche Charter says, "In a divided world, L'Arche wants to be a sign of hope. Its communities, founded on covenant relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture, seek to be signs of unity, faithfulness and reconciliation."{{cite web|url=http://www.larche.org/charter-of-the-communities-of-l-arche.en-gb.43.3.content.htm|title=Charter of the Communities of L'Arche|publisher=L'Arche International|access-date=15 March 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706052942/http://www.larche.org/charter-of-the-communities-of-l-arche.en-gb.43.3.content.htm|archive-date=6 July 2008}} The charter further outlines the objectives, the principles and the identity of L'Arche.

In March 2008, the international councils of L'Arche and another organization for disabled people founded by Vanier, Faith and Light, met for the first time in joint meeting in Lviv, Ukraine. The international council of L'Arche was represented by 30 people from 14 countries, and the international council of Faith and Light was represented by 19 people from 17 countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Canada, US, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Brazil, Uganda, New Zealand, Philippines, and Italy.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

L'Arche communities are funded differently depending on where they are located. In some areas, such as Europe, they are more heavily subsidized by government bodies. In other areas, they are far more reliant on individual donations and donations from other L'Arche communities.{{Cite web |title=Make a difference |url=https://www.larche.org/make-a-difference/#:~:text=Donations%20make%20a%20difference&text=L'Arche's%20model%20is%20a,friends%20and%20partners%20like%20you. |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=L'Arche |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=L'Arche's FAQ |url=https://www.larche.org/about-larche/faq/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=L'Arche |language=en-US}}

In February 2020, L'Arche published the results of an investigation which found that Vanier had engaged in "manipulative and emotionally abusive" sexual relationships with six women between 1970 and 2005, under the guise of giving spiritual guidance.{{cite web|url=https://www.larche.org/news/-/asset_publisher/mQsRZspJMdBy/content/inquiry-statement-test?_101_INSTANCE_mQsRZspJMdBy_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.larche.org%2Fnews%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_mQsRZspJMdBy%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_count%3D1|title=L'Arche International announces findings of Independent Inquiry|publisher=L'Arch International|date=February 22, 2020|access-date=February 25, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728150056/https://www.larche.org/news/-/asset_publisher/mQsRZspJMdBy/content/inquiry-statement-test?_101_INSTANCE_mQsRZspJMdBy_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.larche.org%2Fnews%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_mQsRZspJMdBy%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_count%3D1|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51596516|work=BBC News|title=L'Arche founder Jean Vanier sexually abused women - internal report|date=22 February 2020}} In response, the organisation stated "we are shocked by these discoveries and unreservedly condemn these actions, which are in total contradiction with the values Jean Vanier claimed and are incompatible with the basic rules of respect and integrity of persons, and contrary to the fundamental principles on which L'Arche is based".{{cite web|url=https://www.larche.org/news/-/asset_publisher/mQsRZspJMdBy/content/inquiry-statement-test|work=L'Arche International|title=L'Arche International announces findings of Independent Inquiry|date=22 February 2020|access-date=22 February 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Nouwen |first=Henri |date=1997 |author-link=Henri Nouwen |title=Adam: God's Beloved |url=https://archive.org/details/adamgodsbeloved00nouw_0 |url-access=registration |edition=1st |location= Maryknoll, N.Y.|publisher= Orbis Books |isbn= 9781570759949 |oclc=37432875 }}
• {{cite book |last=Nouwen |first=Henri |year=1988 |title=The Road to Daybreak : A Spiritual Journey |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |isbn=9780385416078 |oclc=17478431 |url=https://archive.org/details/roadtodaybreaksp0000nouw |url-access=registration }}

• {{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Bill |year=2006 |title=Enough Room for Joy : The Early Days of L'Arche |publisher=Novalis |location=Toronto |isbn=9782895075547 |oclc=62857326 }}
• {{cite book |last=Downey |first=Michael |year=1986 |title=A Blessed Weakness : The Spirit of Jean Vanier and L'Arche |publisher=Harper & Row |location=San Francisco |isbn=978-0-06-062011-0 |oclc=13271482 }}
• {{cite book |last=Spink |first=Kathryn |year=2006 |title=The Miracle, The Message, The Story : Jean Vanier and L'Arche |publisher=Darton Longman & Todd |location=London |isbn=9780232525946 |oclc=607715542 |url=https://archive.org/details/miraclemessagest00spin}}
• {{cite book |last=Spink |first=Kathryn |year=2016 |title=Dance with Me? Life Together in L'Arche |publisher=Association Jean Vanier | isbn=9791097372019 }}
• {{cite book |last=Vanier |first=Jean |date=1979 |author-link=Jean Vanier |title=Community and Growth: Our Pilgrimage Together |publisher=Griffin Nouse |location=Toronto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fH7bDuYLQuwC |isbn=9780887601002 |oclc=6277986}}
• {{cite book |last=Vanier |first=Jean |year=1995 |title=An Ark for the Poor : The Story of L'Arche |publisher=Novalis |location=Ottawa |isbn=9782890887312 |oclc=32546881 }}
• {{cite book |last=Vanier |first=Jean |year=1982 |title=The Challenge of L'Arche |location=London |publisher=Darton, Longman, and Todd |isbn=0232515603 |oclc=476652021 }}
• {{cite book |last=Whitney-Brown |first=Carolyn |year=2019 |title=Sharing Life: Stories of L'Arche Founders |publisher=Paulist Press |location=New York |isbn=9780809154319 }}
• {{cite book |last=Young |first=Frances |year=1997 |title=Encounter with Mystery : Reflections on L'Arche and Living with Disability |publisher=Darton, Longman & Todd |location=London |isbn=9780232522327 |oclc=38763519 }}

{{commons||L'Arche}}

• [https://commissiondetude-jeanvanier.org/commissiondetudeindependante2023-empriseetabus/index.php/en/home-english/ Study Commission set up by L’Arche International - January, 30th, 2023 (Control and Abuse: An Investigation into Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071103065536/http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/larche/index.shtml Podcast of "Speaking of Faith"]

{{Associations of the Christian faithful}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arche}}

Category:Catholic charities

Category:Charities based in France

Category:Christian ecumenical organizations

Category:Disability organizations

Category:International associations of the faithful

Category:International charities

Category:International organizations based in France

Category:Religious service organizations

Category:Vanier family

Category:1964 establishments in France