More than 40 years Jean Vanier welcomed two men with learning disabilities to a small house in France. Père Thomas Phillipe, a Dominican priest, suggested he did this. It was the first L’Arche Community. Other people quickly followed Jean’s example. More L’Arche Communities were started around the world. L'Arche came to the UK in 1974.
The first of the UK Communities opened in Kent. It was set up by a group of people. They included Jean's sister, Thérèse. She was a doctor in London. Ann and Geoffrey Morgan also helped. Thérèse was the first leader of the Community in Kent. Since then churches, local families, groups and other supporters have helped L'Arche begin in eight other places. They are Inverness (1975), Liverpool (1976), Lambeth (1977), Bognor Regis (1978), Brecon (1989), Edinburgh (1991), Preston (1998) and Ipswich (2006).
Communities are planned for Manchester and Glasgow, where groups of people are working towards founding L'Arche houses. It is likely to be some years before they open.
Some separate groups of people have come together to think about opening a L’Arche Community near them. We call them Seed Groups. Many of them are inspired by the writings of Jean Vanier and Henri Nouwen. They meet to pray and to plan. There is a Seed Group in Nottingham and prayer groups in Durham, Ilkley and Mold. Contact us for further information.
There are now 130 L'Arche Communities around the world. They can be found in these countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe.
All L’Arche Communities are part of an international federation with a common Charter and Identity. L'Arche has a Mission Statement that shapes its priorities.