Jean Vanier

Jean Vanier was a Canadian Catholic philosopher and theologian. He is best known as the founder of L'Arche, an international federation of communities that welcome people with intellectual disabilities and those who assist them. He also co-founded Faith and Light, an international movement of families and friends of people with intellectual disabilities.

Vanier was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1928. He was the son of Georges Vanier, who became the 19th Governor General of Canada, and Pauline Vanier (née Archer). Vanier received a broad education in English and French, first in Canada and then in France and England. During World War II, Vanier and his family fled Paris just before the Nazi occupation. He spent much of the war at an English naval academy.

After the war, Vanier studied philosophy at the University of Toronto and the Sorbonne in Paris. He then worked as a social worker in London and Paris. In 1964, he founded the first L'Arche community in Trosly-Breuil, France. L'Arche now has over 150 communities in 37 countries.

Vanier was a prolific writer and speaker. He wrote over 30 books, including "Community and Growth" and "Becoming Human." He was awarded the Templeton Prize in 2007 and the Canadian Governor General's Award in 2010.

Vanier died in 2019 at the age of 90. He is remembered as a pioneer in the field of disability rights and as a champion of the dignity of all people.