Our school is named in honour of Jean Vanier, a prophetic, Catholic Canadian.
We celebrate Jean Vanier Day on his birthday, Sept. 10th.
Jean Vanier, born in 1928, is the son of former Governor General of Canada,
Georges Vanier. Jean Vanier was educated in England and Canada and for
several years he served in the British Navy and the Canadian Royal Navy. In
1950, he resigned from the Navy, went to France and worked on a doctorate in
Philosophy. He then taught Theology and Philosophy at the University of
Toronto.
In 1964, Jean Vanier bought a house in Trosly-Breuil, France, and invited two
men with intellectual disabilities to live with him. He named that home L’Arche,
after Noah’s ark – both a place of refuge and of new beginnings.
L’Arche is now a network of more than one hundred communities in thirty
countries. These communities support people with disabilities and their
caregivers. Their goal is to achieve a sense of community and dignity not
possible within an institution. As Vanier says, “Not to judge or
criticize, but just to see what is most beautiful in them and then help reveal
that BEAUTY to them.”
In 1971, with Marie-Helene Mathieu, Jean Vanier co-founded “Faith and Light”,
which brings together people with disabilities, their parents and friends. There
are now over 1000 such communities worldwide.
For Article Below Is From Wikepdia.org more information visit the following
links:
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Jean Vanier, CC, GOQ, Ph.D. (born September 10, 1928) is the founder of L'Arche,
an international organization that creates communities where people with
developmental disabilities and those who assist them share life together.
L'Arche
In 1964, through Vanier's friendship with a Dominican order priest, Father
Thomas Philippe, he became aware of the plight of thousands of people
institutionalized with developmental disabilities. Jean Vanier felt led by God
to invite two men, Raphael Simi and Philippe Seux, to leave the institutions
where they resided and share their lives with him in a real home in
Trosly-Breuil, France. He named their home L'Arche, meaning "the ark",
(referring to Noah's ark). From this original community in France, 130 other
communities have been founded throughout the world in Europe, Africa, Asia,
Australia, North and South America.
Although L'Arche communities are found in many different cultures and reflect
the ethnic and religious composition of the locales in which they exist, they
share a common philosophy and approach. The goal of L'Arche is to bring together
people with developmental disabilities and those who assist them to live and
work to create homes, recognizing one another’s unique value and gifts.
In 1964, inspired by his belief that community can change the world, Jean Vanier
founded Faith and Sharing, a worldwide movement of annual retreats where people
from all walks of life are welcome. In 1971, he co-founded Faith and Light with
Marie Hélène Mathieu. Faith and Light groups, composed of people with
developmental disabilities, their family and friends, meet regularly to discuss
hopes and difficulties and to pray together. Vanier points out that when
confronted with human brokenness and weakness, people often find a God whose
love is without limitation. Today there are over 1400 Faith and Light
communities around the world.
Until the late 1970's, Jean Vanier carried the responsibility for L'Arche in
Trosly-Breuil in France and for the International Federation of L'Arche. He
stepped down from these responsibilities, to spend more time today counseling,
encouraging and accompanying people who come to live in L'Arche as assistants to
those with disabilities. Vanier still makes his home in the original community
of Trosly-Breuil, France. He also travels widely, visiting other L'Arche
communities, encouraging projects for new communities, and giving lectures and
retreats. In the view of many of those who know him, Jean Vanier has
demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to those who have been marginalized in our
world, the lonely and the dispossessed.
Awards and Honours
In recognition of his contributions and humanness to the marginalized, Jean
Vanier has received numerous distinctions and awards including the Companion of
the Order of Canada, the Legion of Honour (France) and many awards from faith
groups, among them the Paul VI International Prize, the Community of Christ
International Peace Award, the Rabbi Gunther Plaut Humanitarian Award and the
Gaudium et Spes Award. Pope John Paul II praised Jean’s work in creating
L'Arche, saying "Over the past 30 years L'Arche has grown to become a dynamic
and providential sign of the civilization of love."
(http://www.larcheusa.org/mission.html) There are High Schools named after him
in Whitehorse, Yukon; Scarborough, Ontario; Collingwood, Ontario and Welland,
Ontario.Top 100 Greatest Canadians
In 2006 Varnier received the prestigious Beacon Fellowship Prize for his
lifelong commitment to the care, well-being and independence of people with
disabilities worldwide.
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For more information on Jean Vanier visit the following links:
http://www.larchecanada.org
http://www.serve.com/thibodep/cr/jvanier.htm
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/heirloom_series/volume4/246-249.htm
