"Summer in the Forest" (film screening)

Friday, March 1, 2019
7:00 p.m., Minor Hall

Join us for this documentary on Canadian philosopher Jean Vanier and the L'Arche communities he helped create for those with intellectual disabilities. In 1964, after a distinguished military career, a Ph.D. in philosophy from L’Institute Catholique de Paris, and a successful academic career, Vanier discerned a call to dedicate the rest of his life to something else. In that year, at the edge of a forest outside of Paris, Vanier formed the first L'Arche house with several others who until then had been hidden away in a large state institution for the cognitively disabled. Moved initially by compassion and a vague sense he could help, Vanier came to understand that his new community meant not only daily sacrifice, but also that he was as much the one being given aid and comfort as he was the one providing care for others. An open discussion will follow the film. All are welcomed to attend this UVA community screening, so invite a friend or come prepared to meet someone new.  

Co-sponsored by The St. Anselm Institute and the Disability Studies Initiative