Jean Vanier, 1928 –
By Sister Irene Hartman OP
Jean Vanier was born to Georges and Pauline Archer Vanier in Geneva, Switzerland on Sept. 10, 1928. His early education led him to service in the British Navy and Canadian Royal Navy, as well as to a teaching career. He abandoned this career at the suggestion of his good friend Father Thomas Philippe OP through whom he became aware of the plight of thousands of people institutionalized with developmental disabilities. Jean didn’t like what he saw in institutions where persons suffered from stark loneliness and alienation.
As a first step in this new arena, Jean invited two men to leave an institution and share their lives with him in a real home. He named this home L‘Arche, a French word referring to Noah’s Ark. Today there are at least 130 such communities founded in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America. In each of these communities L‘Arche pairs one person with a disability, another without. The dominant aim of Jean is not to change the world but to create little places where love is possible. He integrates people with disabilities into real homes and communities. The assistants Jean trains are called to develop faithful relationships based on acceptance and forgiveness, and to recognize the basic dignity and gifts of every person. "Hope and love are not beyond reach," Jean says.
In this ministry, Jean began to develop a personal unique spirituality in which he tried to change the world one heart at a time. "The first may be your own."
"It is a sad secret of Jesus that He is hidden in a very special way in the poor, and in the broken, and in the suffering. Whatever you do to the least of My brethren, to the smallest of My brethren, to the most broken of my brethren, you have done to Me.
"The poor are the heart of the Church and are not meant to be pushed aside."
As Jean reached out to the poor and suffering and endeavored to live community life, he wrote, "Living in community, I discovered who I was. I also discovered that the truth will set me free, and so there’s the gradual realization about what it means to be human. To be human is that capacity to love. It is a whole question of giving life and receiving life, but also to discover how broken we are." Jean recognized that Jesus is hidden in the poverty of his own being.
According to the charter of each L‘Arche house, "The different members of a community are called to be one body. They live, work, pray, and celebrate together, sharing their joys and their suffering and forgiving each other, as in a family. They have a simple lifestyle which gives priority to relationships."
Jean Vanier’s work goes on with the help of many dedicated persons. Jean is no longer the leader, but he continues to lead by his example.
"Our role is to touch with tenderness, understand with comprehension, and help people discover how beautiful they are."