L’Arche is about relationships, and it is certainly about the power of shared vulnerability to change our lives.

People are transformed in their encounters with L’Arche. Core members (persons with a disability) find solace, friendship, and purpose. Assistants (persons who support core members with everyday needs) discover the unexpected blessings of giving and receiving. Friends and volunteers within a L’Arche community come to see their vocation, family, and faith in a new light.

The stories collected here represent the voices of people who’ve been transformed by an encounter with L’Arche.

Whether the uplifted voice is that of a long-term assistant who has committed her or himself to living in community with persons who have an intellectual disability, a donor who gives from an overflowing heart, or a friend of a L’Arche community whose perceptions of strength and weakness are forever changed through a shared friendship with someone who is different, we hope that these stories will provide small glimpses into the spirit of life in L’Arche.

If you have a story about your own engagement with L’Arche, please let us know by emailing L’Arche at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .