The mysteries of the hand of God are often cloaked in human experience. This is born out of the history of L'Arche and The Arch.
L'Arche began on August 4, 1964, when French-Canadian Jean Vanier welcomed two men with intellectual disabilities into his home in Trosly-Breuil, France. Born in 1928 in Geneva Switzerland, where his father was serving as a Canadian diplomat, he is the son of Governor-General Georges Vanier and Pauline Vanier.
Jean was educated in England and Canada and grew up speaking both French and English. At age 13, he enter England's Royal Naval Academy, and then served in the British Navy and then the Royal Canadian Navy. After this, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and taught at St. Michael's University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dominican Fr. Thomas Philippe introduced Jean Vanier to the world of persons with cognitive disabilities. Fr. Thomas was a chaplain of the Val Fleuri, a small institution for men. Jean visited him at Christmastime 1963 and sensed a spiritual openness and the men’s place in the heart of God.
Fr. Thomas suggested that Jean begin something new as there was a great need for homes and workshops for people with intellectual disabilities. At the end of the school year, Jean returned to France to the same question burning in his heart: "Why don't you do something?" After visiting many institutions and being encouraged by his friend Dr. Preaut, Jean bought a small home in Trosly and welcomed Raphael and Philippe on the feast day of St. Dominic — August 4.
Jean Vanier discovered the gift of persons with intellectual disabilities and also that he wanted to make his home with them. Word spread and more people arrived. Many more L'Arche homes were opened for core members (those with disabilities) and assistants (those who came to live and work with them.)
People came from around the world. Many were captivated by the vision of L'Arche. One person was Sr. Marjorie Wisor OSF, of Clinton, Iowa.
Today there are 133 L'Arche communities in 35 countries which make up the International Federation of L'Arche.
"At the beginning of it all, there was a call revealed to me through Fr. Thomas," Jean Vanier said. "L'Arche was not my project. It was God's."