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. Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ... The National Order of Quebec (French: Ordre national du Québec) is an order of merit bestowed by the government of Quebec, Canada. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... LArche is an international network of faith-based communities creating homes and day programs with people who have developmental disabilities (or learning disabilities as they are known in the UK). ... Mental retardation (abbreviated as MR), is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal intellectual capacity as an adult. ...

Early years

Vanier was born in Geneva, where his father was serving as a Canadian diplomat. He is the son of a great soldier, diplomat and later Governor General Georges Vanier and his wife Pauline Archer. Jean Vanier served in both the (British) Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy, and in 1950 resigned his commission to pursue studies in France where he received a Doctorate in Philosophy from "L'Institut Catholique de Paris" for his thesis on Aristotle. Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German: //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... Georges-Philéas Vanier (April 23, 1888 - March 5, 1967) was a Canadian solider and diplomat who was Governor General of Canada from 1959 until his death. ... The Honourable Pauline Vanier, PC , CC (March 28, 1898 - March 23, 1991), born Pauline Archer in Montreal, married Georges Vanier on September 29, 1921. ... The multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) The British Grand Fleet, the supreme naval force of World War I A rare occurrence of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Aristotle (Greek: Aristotélēs) (384 BCE – March 7, 322 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ...

L'Arche

In 1964, through his 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 arch", (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. Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare Saint Dominic saw the need for a new type of organization to address the needs of his time, one that would bring the dedication and systematic education of the older monastic orders to bear on the religious problems of the burgeoning population of cities, but with more... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... A painting by the American Edward Hicks (1780–1849), showing the animals boarding Noahs Ark two by two. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the six inhabited continents of the Earth. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

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 1968, 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. Prayer is an effort to communicate with a God, or to some deity or deities, either to offer praise to the deity, to make a request of the deity, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions to the deity. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Love Look up love in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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 humanitarian contributions and dedication to the marginalized, Jean Vanier has received numerous honours 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. Referring to Jean’s work in creating L'Arche, Pope John Paul II stated, "Over the past 30 years L'Arche has grown to become a dynamic and providential sign of the civilization of love." There are High Schools named after him in Whitehorse, Yukon, Scarborough, Ontario and Welland, Ontario. Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ... French Legion of Honor The Légion dhonneur (in Legion of Honor (AmE) or Legion of Honour (ComE)) is an Order of Chivalry awarded by the President of France. ... Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), served as Pope from 1963 to 1978. ... The Community of Christ International Peace Award was established to honor and bring attention to the work of peacemaking and peacemakers in the world. ... Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, was one of the chief accomplishments of the Second Vatican Council. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October... Welland (formally The Corporation of City of Welland; 2001 population 48,402) is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada. ...