Articles

L'Arche Founder and World-Renown Theologian to Lead Christian Unity Retreat in Atlanta in June

Faith And The City E-Letter
Volume 2 Issue 6
April 22, 2003

Jean Vanier will speak at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 1790 LaVista Road, NE, Atlanta, 7:00 pm, Thursday, June 5, during a simple ecumenical service open to the public.

Vanier will also lead a retreat on Christian Unity at Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center in Norcross beginning Friday evening, June 6, concluding Sunday, June 8. For registration information, contact Ken Brant at the Faith and the City office, 404-523-5554, ext. 226.

The retreat will be a unique opportunity for Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians to gather with Jean Vanier for a weekend of prayer, reflection, presentations, silence, small group sharing, and worship, all focusing on Christian unity. Members of the L'Arche communities from Mobile and Jacksonville will be present to speak about their experiences living in intentional community with those who are cognitively and developmentally impaired. The cost of the retreat is $125. The registration deadline is May 15.

Vanier began L'Arche (the ark) in 1964 when he welcomed two men with learning disabilities into his home. From that simple beginning, L'Arche has grown to over 120 faith-based communities in 30 countries, 14 in the United States. In 1971, Vanier founded Faith and Light, an organization that brings together families and friends of people with developmental disabilities for fellowship and friendship. There are now 1,300 of these support groups worldwide, one here in Atlanta. Both L'Arche and Faith and Light are communities shaped by the Beatitudes, places in which those with handicaps are valued, accepted, and held at the heart of communal life. As Vanier said, "The cry for love and communion and for recognition that rises from the hearts of people in need reveals the fountain of love in us and our capacity to give life."

Vanier is the author of numerous books, including Made for Happiness, Becoming Human and, most recently, Finding Peace. Vanier has received worldwide recognition and honor for his work with the learning disabled. Among his many awards are the International Peace Prize and the Paul VI International Prize for outstanding contributions to religion and society. In presenting the International Prize in 1997, 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." Henri Nouwen helped make L'Arche known in North America with his book, Road to Daybreak, which details his life in the Toronto L'Arche community. Dr. David Jenkins, Director of Faith And The City at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is coordinating this retreat and chairing the ecumenical steering committee. He serves on the national board of directors for L'Arche U.S.

The cable TV program, Faith And The City Forum: Interfaith Dialogue on Public Issues, will feature a panel discussion, "Reaching Out to Neighbors with Disabilities." The program will air on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters cable channels on Tuesday, April 22 at 7:30 AM, and Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 PM. For more information on the program, click here.