We are all “broken” in different ways, says Vanier - meaning that we all have difficulty
dealing with certain issues or seeing ourselves as we really are. He believes living with
the mentally disabled helps people deal with their own issues, learn compassion, and
become better human beings.
For more than forty years, Jean Vanier has crisscrossed the world to inspire others to
follow his example. Besides the L’Arche communities, he has helped found other
organizations to help people with developmental disabilities and their families through
faith and community support, and he has written more than twenty books explaining his
life and philosophy.
While Vanier has been honored by governments and popes, and has received countless
awards and medals, he continues to live in the original L’Arche community in France,
sharing his life with the disabled individuals and fellow volunteers he calls his friends.
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