The Eagles Are Landing!

By summer’s end, L’Arche Harbor House will have benefited from the planning and hard work that is the process of becoming an Eagle Scout.

Three scouts from Troop 212, Jacob Dirghalli, Grant VanWinkle, and Garret Maloney, along with members of their troop, have formulated three individual projects: revitalizing the grotto, spiffing up the parking area in front of Greatfull House, and sprucing up the popular outdoor gathering space that includes the gazebo and swings. Last summer, another member of Troop 212, Greg Hieb earned his Eagle by completing a project at the Rainbow Workshop. We love Troop 212!!

FAITH & SHARING RETREAT

“What can I do for you?” These are the words of Jesus to Bartimaeus the blind beggar from the Gospel of Mark and the theme of this year’s Faith and Sharing retreat. The passage is particularly poignant in such a setting, for like the crowd surrounding Bartimaeus, our culture, whether consciously or unconsciously, often silences the voices of the disabled. Indeed in a society which harbors an unhealthy emphasis on competition, economic and academic success, and a general sense of utilitarian usefulness, their voices are often simply drowned out. However, Jesus will always hear the voice of the poor, that single distinct voice which emanates from the faceless crowd: “Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38). From this cry, a sign is born, the illusions of all our cultural excesses fall to the way side, and the light of the gift of being shines forth. It is this awareness of “I am” and “we are” that illumines our true selves. This is one of the many great teachings that the intellectually disabled have to share with us, if we only open our minds and hearts.

Ultimately, this is what Faith and Sharing is all about—a kind of breaking through or illuminating. It is a breaking through the barriers, coping mechanism, and the false self, a breaking through the illusions that we put between ourselves and God. So, an allowance for vulnerability was somewhat of a prerequisite, and, if we found ourselves a bit resistant, a core-member was always there to bring us back to that earthly goodness which cultivates open sharing.

For these seeds to take root, we needed a few good leaders, or animators, to use their own words. Fr. Ron and Sister Maureen were there to guide us and always bring us back to the challenge of the Gospel’s message. I must say, Fr. Ron certainly lived up to the definition of animator. He led us in song and prayer, guided us on the beautiful trails of Marywood, or randomly appeared in black sunglasses and cowboy hat while loudly playing “When the Saints come Marching in” on his saxophone.

Indeed, one of the inevitable outcomes of a day of Faith and Sharing is laughter—the freedom to be silly. I and fellow assistant Mjid often spent the evenings laughing ourselves into tears while lying in our bunk beds. Also, one of the retreatants, David, shared that one of the greatest gifts God gave him was the ability to laugh.

Why not? Surely joy and fun are characteristics of the Kingdom of God! It was Jesus himself who said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.18:3). The freedom of the smile can be seen as an outward sign of the inner-Grace which points to that transcendent smile which animates our being—God.

So, with a deep sense of gratitude which sings straight from the heart, I would like to thank all those who shared their joys and sorrows, their smiles and their laughter and, most all of all, those who shared their very being.

(Chad is an assistant at Sunflower House. He attended Faith & Sharing with Paul, Larry, Chip and other community members.)

Faith & Sharing, founded by Jean Vanier, is a sister movement to Faith and Light and L’Arche. Faith & Sharing are retreats and prayer days for persons with all disabilities and their friends and family members. The first Faith & Sharing retreat in this diocese was offered in 1982 and formed the roots of our current L’Arche Harbor House community.

L’ARCHE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

During the first week of May, L’Arche Harbor House had the privilege of being the host community for the annual L’Arche USA General Assembly. Every year, members of the 16+ L’Arche communities in the United States and the leadership of the Zone gather to share news and knowledge, make decisions that affect our life in L’Arche, and to renew relationships between individuals and communities. The theme for this gathering was “to work together toward a more human society,” taken from the newly ratified Identity and Mission of L’Arche. Our days were a mixture of meetings, sharing, presentations by guest delegates, liturgy and prayer.

The theme of working toward a more human society calls us to remain rooted in our identity as L’Arche communities, and at the same time, to reach out of our normal, comfortable circles of relationships. We are called to become more engaged in the society around us, being open to what we encounter, while also sharing our unique experiences and way of life. One strategy for engaging in our cultures and working towards a more human society is to become involved in the work of advocacy.

L’Arche has much to offer the world, especially in the realm of disabilities. We also have much to learn. In my travels and encounters in L’Arche, I have begun to hear more stories of communities reaching out and becoming more involved in this important work. For example, in a community in Canada, the core members and assistants have started visiting nursing homes and baking cookies for families who wait for food at the local food bank. In Chicago, the core members attend an annual policy day in the state capital, and they are self-educated about their rights and issues that affect them. During the General Assembly, we heard several personal stories of how L’Arche members are engaging in their local cultures and learning to become self advocates. A highlight was the panel discussion led by three core members, each a representative of the three regions in the United States. They each told their personal stories of becoming more educated and then more involved in the communities and in the societies. For example, Colin from Kansas sits as a director on several boards and is knowledgeable in all laws and policies that affect him and others with physical and developmental disabilities.

The theme of reaching out and engaging in our societies is echoed in the priorities that were identified at our annual Mandate review day this past February. At this meeting, community members voiced the desire to reach beyond the borders of our homes and become more involved in social volunteerism and advocacy. While we sometimes struggle with raising funds and having enough live-in assistants, we also know that we at L’Arche Harbor House are a blessed community. We desire to acknowledge these blessings and share our gifts and resources with others.

The last evening of the General Assembly, all delegates visited our community! Together, we prayed, feasted and danced to the music of our community rock band. Guests had the opportunity to visit our homes, the Blanchart Community Center, and most importantly, meet all of the assistants and core members who were gracious and grateful hosts.