The L’Arche Community in Haverhill, Massachusetts consists of members both with and without developmental disabilities. Members are committed to each other and to a trust in God that they are able to share daily. They share meals and pray together regularly. They are committed to responding to each other’s needs, to making known each other’s gifts and to connecting with diverse populations.
The following responses are of current members of the L’Arche Irenicon community:
The following responses are of current members of the L’Arche Irenicon community:
1. What is community?
a. “Community is a group.It means going out to do activities like bowling, dancing and having a family dinner.”
a. “Community is a group.It means going out to do activities like bowling, dancing and having a family dinner.”
b. “Community means to share life with one another, to create a sense of belonging and a support system for one another.”
2. What makes this community intentional and what it the value of intentionality?
a. “We try to love and be kind to one another.It important because you don’t want to be mean to each other.”
b. “What makes this community intentional is not just that we live life with one another, but that we intentionally go beyond what is in the job description.”
3. What should be the purpose of community in general, and what is the purpose of this community specifically?
a. “The purpose should be to help each other and others.”
b. “The purpose of this community specifically is to experience belovedness.”
4. What have been your experiences with community before becoming a member of this one? Did they contribute to your desire to join this community? What attracted you to living in this community?
a. “I lived at home with my mom and dad, and enjoyed spending time with them and the rest of my family. I like the people and assistants that live in this community. I like living in a house in a neighborhood too.”
a. “I lived at home with my mom and dad, and enjoyed spending time with them and the rest of my family. I like the people and assistants that live in this community. I like living in a house in a neighborhood too.”
b. “My experiences with community appeared to be somewhat basic before coming to L’Arche. However the more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent that the most profound things can be produced from something seemingly simple; that the simple can in fact be profound. I experienced a community with family, friends and a couple of international trips. All of these things contributed to my desire to be a part of the L’Arche community.”
5. How does one maintain their sense of individuality while living in a community? Is this necessary?
a. “I like to go on walks to church, go shopping with people and go out to lunch. The assistants make it easy to do stuff that I like. It is important to do stuff that I enjoy, because it makes me feel good.”
b. "One maintains their sense of individuality while living in a community by being intentional. L'Arche does an amazing job at embracing individuality and helping to promote it in a variety of different ways. Once a month there is a community birthday/anniversary celebration for the people who have had birthdays/anniversaries that month, and through this they as an individual are honored by their community. Core members also maintain their individuality by being able to go out and do things they want to do with an assistant, and picking what they want for dinner for their given night of the week."
6. Is it difficult to be a close-knit community while not excluding those who are not members? How does your community handle this tension?
a. “It is easy to include people, even if they are not in this community.”
a. “It is easy to include people, even if they are not in this community.”
b. "I feel as if L'Arche is very embracing of those who aren't community members, and who want to be involved in this community for once reason or another. We more often than not will have guests over for dinner, or they will be invited for a certain community event that is being held. For instance, there will sometimes be slight preliminary tension if there is a lot going on in the schedule and we know there is a visitor coming over, but that is usually eradicated with time. Other than that, this community is incredibly embracing of those who aren't members and that is something that is more powerful than it appears to be."
7. What does your community do to strengthen each other as a group and individually?
a. “We support each other through birthday celebrations and community prayer.”
a. “We support each other through birthday celebrations and community prayer.”
8. Can authentic communities exist without being “intentional communities”?
a. “In order to be a community, you have to make an effort to do things.”
a. “In order to be a community, you have to make an effort to do things.”
b. "I don't think so. It is too easy to get distracted by life, and “forget” to make the effort with one another. It is all about being intentional. Being intentional to support one another, celebrate one another and embrace one another."
9. How has your definition of community changed since becoming a member of this community?
a. “No, it has not in the 18 years that I’ve been here.”
a. “No, it has not in the 18 years that I’ve been here.”
b. "Since I have come to L'Arche, I've come to experience community in it's truest form. It has emphasized the fact that we should be doing things for one another when it's least convenient, supporting not only the people in your house, but the other houses. Getting support from not only those people, but those who are on the admin staff as well. We don't just function as individual units. We function as a whole."