L’Arche NC House Blessing & Ribbon Cutting
We had over 90 people join us a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the L’Arche House for the House Blessing & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! We were especially grateful to have former board members, and those who helped shape this vision over a decade ago, with us at our wonderful L’Arche home south Durham. Their dedication has truly made a difference! Check out this reel on Facebook or Instagram.
We were thrilled to welcome L’Arche USA staff, including Laura Giddings, the Executive Director of L’Arche USA and Thomas Marquis, Manager of Community Support & Learning. Other L’Arche communities were present for this exciting occassion, too, including Katie Miyakado from L’Arche Tacoma and Dustin Barrington from L’Arche Northern Colorado. The connections of L’Arche across the country were truly felt!
Thank you to all our L’Arche friends, community partners, and supporters for, not only joining us, but making this day possible. Your presence, financial support, prayers, and many volunteers hours have made this house a home!
*Special thanks to Mark Evans for capturing these photos during the ceremony.
House Blessing
Leader 1: We gather here today to bless this home, a place where love, inclusion, and community will flourish.
All: May this home be filled with joy and peace.
Leader 2: This plate represents the dining room, where meals will be shared. May the conversations around this table be filled with laughter, understanding, and friendship.
All: May this home be filled with joy and peace.
Leader 3: This mixer represents the kitchen, a space where meals will be lovingly prepared together. May the act of cooking inspire togetherness, creativity, and the joy of serving one another.
All: May this home be filled with joy and peace.
Leader 4: This pillow represents the bedrooms of our Core Members and Assistants. Each room is a sanctuary for rest and reflection. May we honor the unique gifts read more
A Note from our Executive Director
Dear Friends,It is with great joy that I write to you from Durham, North Carolina. Over the past two months, I have worked remotely from my previous home in California. On Sunday, my wife and I, with our two dogs, arrived in the Triangle area after a five-day road trip across the country. I am grateful for the opportunity to have begun this work while still living on the West Coast. However, I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally be here! I look forward to social distanced gatherings, exploring potential properties in person, and working with the Board of Directors, volunteers, and future staff members to bring the dream of a L’Arche community in North Carolina into reality. In the meantime, I would love to meet with you. If you’re in the area and would like to connect for an outdoor coffee chat or socially distanced meeting, please email me (LauraSL@larchenc.org). If you’re not in the area or prefer to meet on Zoom, I would be happy to set up a call. It would be wonderful to connect with you!For those who celebrated, I hope read more
Welcome: Laura Steed Lorino
We are happy to announce Laura Steed Lorino as the founding Executive Director and Community Leader of L’Arche North Carolina. Laura’s first day at L’Arche North Carolina is today! Laura is originally from the Midwest and attended the University of Indianapolis, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry. She then completed a Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School. While at Duke, Laura was involved in several ministry opportunities and has since completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. Laura is coming to L’Arche North Carolina from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where she served as the Director of Religious & Spiritual Life and Multifaith Chaplain. In this role, she supervised the Affiliate Campus Ministers and Morris Chapel staff, providing opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to explore and strengthen their religious and nonfaith beliefs and traditions, while encouraging the campus community to build bridges amongst differences through organizing programs and events. Passionate about service and helping others feel heard, seen, and included, she also led numerous interfaith service-trips locally and beyond. Laura served on the Board read more
Prayer Night at Christ the King Lutheran
Thank you to Christ The King Lutheran Church in Cary, NC, and to their PossAbilities group for hosting another L'Arche Prayer Night. Last Thursday, we celebrated the theme of love, and offered prayers for our community, L'Arche, and people around the world. It was a gift to connect with the lovely folks at Christ The King! Is your church, community group, or religious organization interested in co-hosting a prayer night with us? Send us a message!
Regarding Jean Vanier
Dear Friends of L'Arche North Carolina, I write to you today with difficult news. L’Arche International has released the results of a recent independent inquiry into the actions of L’Arche’s founder, Jean Vanier. We believe it is critically important to acknowledge the results, although none of the inquiry's findings relate directly to L'Arche in North Carolina or the United States. As L’Arche International’s communication states, the inquiry found Vanier sexually abused six women without disabilities, in the context of spiritual direction, between 1970 and 2005. Vanier lied, protected another abuser, and was himself abusing women. More information on this report and on L’Arche USA’s response can be found in today’s letter from Tina Boverman, L’Arche USA’s National Leader and Executive Director. We at L’Arche North Carolina are shocked, distressed, and deeply saddened by this news. Furthermore, we condemn the actions and inactions of Jean Vanier, which are a betrayal of the fundamental values of our organization. We are grateful for the courage of the women who gave their testimony. While respecting their privacy, we validate the pain that these women endured for many years and the long-lasting and negative impact that Vanier had read more
Letter From L’Arche: Giving Tuesday
Dear Reader, In the midst of the changing seasons the community of L’Arche North Carolina continues to see new life, growth, and hope ahead of us. In these past months we’ve shaped our spiritual identity through prayer nights with local congregations. We’re thankful for our hosts, Duke Memorial UMC and St Francis of Assisi in Raleigh, for holding the space for diverse and beautiful gifts. In addition, members of our board shared the good news of L’Arche’s sign of hope in our local area. I had a chance to visit with the PossAbilities group at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cary and our dear friends, the Whitehouses, hosted a “get-to-know” L’Arche party in their home. After a year of Skype and phone call communication, we were delighted to meet our regional L’Arche accompanier, Thomas Marquis, who joined us for a prayer night and a L’Arche board meeting. We were excited to hear updates on the work and growth of other founding communities, as well as the work of L’Arche USA. The relational thriving of our community is reflected in our organizational stability and fundraising successes. We continue read more
Reflections from a Former Assistant
One of the many things I appreciated about my time in l'Arche is the emphasis on reflection. As a community member, you are encouraged to reflect through accompaniment, retreats, and personal time. You are called time and time again to remember. You remember the anxiety and excitement of first moving in. You remember the time when, in crisis, everyone dropped what they were doing to support one another. You remember the spontaneous moments of joy, like dancing in the kitchen or laughing in the living room. You remember our collective story: where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going. Memory is essential for our life together in l'Arche.
Prayer Nights in 2019
L'Arche North Carolina hosted our first prayer night in May at Duke Memorial United Methodist in Durham. The theme was "New Life." We reflected on the Easter story and decorated bare tree branches with flowers and ribbons to represent the Spring season. In September, we co-hosted a prayer night with St Francis Catholic Church in Raleigh. Over 40 people came to sing, pray and fellowship. Our L'Arche USA manager, Thomas Marquis, gave a short presentation on the structure of L'Arche. We used arts and crafts, movement, and dance to reflect on the Psalms. It was a joyous gathering of friends, old and new! [modula id="576"] Is your church or religious organization interested in co-hosting a prayer night with us? Send us a message!
Today.com: How L’Arche Helps Special Needs Adults Thrive
Not too long ago, Today.com published is great feature about our friends at L'Arche Atlanta. In the video, you'll meet Terry, a resident with intellectual disabilities who is thriving thanks to the L'Arche Atlanta community. L’Arche provides homes and workplaces for people with and without disabilities to work together and form relationships. L'Arche is different though, more than a group home, this piece shows how the center of L'Arche is about being with others in our vulnerability, and loving the beauty of relationships. https://youtu.be/vmSz1zAsFe0 We are working towards establishing a similar community in central North Carolina. Learn more here, come to an event or give to join our journey. You are always welcome to contact us to learn more.
