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Carol Ann, Natalie, Matthew, Kara, Lisa, Steffi and Celia.
This past Sunday a small group went to Halifax to watch High School Musical. We had a lot of fun watching the fast paced musical with some audience participation which Matthew and Lisa really enjoyed! After the show we got to meet the stars and get some autographs.
Gabrielle, Troy, Lisa and Carol Ann
Matthew
Speech given by Murray Gibson at the L’Arche spring tapestry celebration on April 17, 2009.
Good Afternoon, and thank you for joining us as we celebrate the installation of the second group of tapestries for our woven Noah’s Ark and also mark the end of this eight-month project.
This academic term we first gathered in early January when winter was only a few weeks old. This past, endless, winter has given way, begrudgingly, to spring, and what better way to celebrate the new season than with a festive occasion such as this.
A few weeks ago L’Arche Antigonish presented their own celebration of spring with their variety show filled with song and dance. Many of us gathered here today joined Nathan and Joe in singing The Garden Song – a tune I knew from Peter, Paul, and Mary, but had not heard for many years, and, three weeks later, I still cannot get it out of my head.
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row, Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below, ‘Til the rain comes tumbling down
(lyrics – David Mallett)
Well, there are gardeners of all level of skill gathered here today, and even the best of them know it takes more than a rake and hoe to make a garden grow in this part of north-eastern Nova Scotia with its harsh weather, short growing season, and the added blessing of acidic clay soil. We all have itchy fingers right now as winter looses its grasp on spring, and soon, itchy fingers crossed, they will be dirty with fresh tilled soil, compost, and tender seedlings.
Inch by inch, row by row, warp and weft interlace on the loom to create cloth. Once again Saint Francis Xavier students partnered with members of the L’Arche community to work together in the studio at the university art department to weave sets of coasters, which are proudly on display here today. Students have noted that the time in the studio was not so much about weaving coasters as it was about making friends.
Tapestry weaving is a specialized adaptation of the basic woven structure. Warps are strung on the loom, and the coloured weft passes in and out. The odd thing is that the basic unit of tapestry is called a “seed”. The seeds get laid in, sometimes one at a time, at other times row by row. The seeds stack on top of each other to create individual shapes, and the shapes come together to created imaged cloth.
The images created in tapestry by the StFX students were chosen by their L’Arche partners. There are birds, butterflies, sea creatures and animals of the land. Look and you will see a lion from Ethiopia, a tiger from India – lions and tigers and bears, oh my, three of them in fact: a panda from China, a koala from Australia, and a polar bear from the Canadian Arctic. From the North Pole we can travel across continents to the South Pole and find an emperor penguin. Closer to home there is a lobster in the bay, a cow and horse in the farmer’s field, and a dog and a cat sleeping at the foot of our bed.
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow… 45 years ago Jean Vanier had a kernel of an idea – a better quality of life for the developmentally disabled isolated in institutions. This idea started with three men living together in a house in France, and now, nurtured by compassion and respect, there are hundreds of L’Arche communities in most parts of the world and thousands of core members, assistants, volunteers and friends. Someone bless these seeds I sow…
Our little international gathering of animals was created in partnership between Service Learning at StFX, L’Arche Antigonish, and the dedicated students in my weaving studio.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank Marla Gaudet, who is the coordinator for Course-based Service Learning at the university. Marla and I met just about a year ago – I had a seed of an idea, and it was Marla who helped to make it grow into this community tapestry. Also, a big thank you to Alanna Ray – we were all very lucky to have Alanna as our Service Learning student representative. She was extremely dedicated to this project and has helped out in more ways than can be listed, not least of which is her becoming a studio weaver this past term. I wish also to acknowledge the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation whose generosity to the university has helped to fully fund this project.
L’Arche Antigonish – once again, thank you, all, so very much for allowing us to become a part of your community. I, personally, have enjoyed a rich and rewarding year during the creation of this art work, and I know that all the students have too.
The students – over the past year 22 students have participated in this project. A typical StFX course has 39 hours of class time – a studio art course demands added time and effort outside of the scheduled class, and these students have devoted many, many hours to completing these tapestries. I believe that this course became more for them than achieving 3 credits for their academic record; that it was more than completing a required assignment for a grade, but rather it was creating an artwork to give to a friend – inch by inch, row by row.
A number of these students are graduating this year. As they begin this new phase of theirs lives’ journeys, their paths will lead them away from our community to new adventures in many parts of the world. I wish them each of these young people the best, and ask them to carry in their hearts the memories of this special time, and to remember that they have laid down some lasting roots during the past year.
Everyone from Light House: left-to-right: Brenda, Marian, Machelle, Renée, Johannes, Keith, Christian, Ricky. Behind Keith is John.
Two assistants from L’Arche Antigonish have recently travelled to L’Arche Homefires, in Wolfville, to offer support. Johannes Gutzmann and myself, Amanda Garvie, spent two weeks in the small community of Wolfville. We both had a great experience! All of the assistants and core members were especially welcoming and appreciative of our support. Everyone made us feel right at home, which made it hard to leave the community at the end of the two weeks. It was a great experience to get to stay with another L’Arche community in our region. During the year you always run into individuals from the other L’Arche communities in the region, but you never have the opportunity to get to know individuals personally. Johannes and I would like to thank L’Arche Homefires for being so welcoming and making us feel like we had been part of the Wolfville community for longer than two weeks!
MARY ANNE MacKinnon joins the group around the table.
We’re talking about L’Arche Antigonish and the importance of this organization that creates homes for men and women with developmental disabilities and enables them to live and work together with assistance and guidance.
Mary Anne is one of the challenged adults. She says a cheery ‘Hello’ and tells us that she just came from work.
“I was hooking a rug at the CACL (Canadian Association for Community Living),” she says. “It’s for my brother and has a big B on it for Boston Bruins. He’s living in Halifax and I’m going there next week to give it to him.”
Mary Anne, in her 50s, sits next to Margie MacDonald, 62. Margie has lived at L’Arche for 15 years.
“I’m having a good day,” she says, when asked what she does to fill her time. “I play cards, do drawing and do chores.”
She also works in a seniors’ program, says Beth Wolters who, with another assistant, gives love and devotion to Margie and three other residents.
“Eleven years ago, I was looking for a way to foster my belief in the goodness of everyone,” says Beth, 37. “I’ve stayed because, even with the challenges of the job, I truly feel better doing this than living my own life.”
The man who started L’Arche in 1964, Jean Vanier, son of former Canadian governor general Georges P. Vanier, is in his late 70s now. He lives in France but it seems his aura of kindness and generosity is around this table.
His first L’Arche residence has exploded into more than 100 in 26 countries. There are three communities in Nova Scotia — Wolfville and Antigonish and L’Arche Cape Breton, which is headquartered in Iron Mines, near Whycocomagh. A Halifax group is in the development stage.
Antigonish L’Arche opened in 1979 with one home for six people and a team of four assistants. Today, there are two more, one housing four mentally challenged people with three assistants, and another, built in 2000 with donated material and labour, with three residents and three assistants.
“All the homes are integrated in neighbourhoods,” says director Gus Leuschner, proudly appreciative of the welcoming atmosphere of people in Antigonish.
“The whole theory behind L’Arche is to build bridges between people. The people on the receiving end of the care we give have a lot to teach me. It opens your eyes to another reality and shows how we can be a sign of hope for them, and the world.”
Sounds saintly, doesn’t it?
Well, Gus has been at this since 1971 when he joined the L’Arche community in France after seeing a television interview with Jean Vanier.
“I went to Paris for a winter to see what it was all about and stayed for three years. I went to other L’Arche communities in Africa and Toronto. I’ve been here for 14 years.”
There is a day program at a separate L’Arche building, a gathering place for the adults.
“L’Arche was created for welcome, acceptance and support but also as a springboard into society,” says Gus. “People in Antigonish have been wonderful bringing our people in as employees.”
Three St. Francis Xavier students pop in to talk of the L’Arche summer camp program for challenged kids aged eight to 19 years.
Geoff Courneya, a fourth-year student in human kinetics, played football for the X-Men. He smiles when he recalls carrying one boy from his wheelchair up three flights of steps to the top of a water slide, and then holding him on his lap as they sped downward.
Amanda LeBlanc, a third-year human kinetics student, laughs. “At first, the boy was a bit timid, but after that first time, he wanted to go over and over again.”
Geoff adds: “I saw him the other day and he’s already asking when summer camp will begin.”
Katharine Steeves, completing her psychology degree this spring, says the staff tried to help the campers do what kids do at any camp. The camp has changed her life for the moment.
“I’m going to L’Arche Ottawa in June to be a live-in counsellor for a year,” she says.
If Katharine is like assistant Natalie Stevens, she’s in for the long haul. Natalie came from Birmingham, England, to do a year between high school and university.
“Seven years later, I’m still here,” Natalie says. “I love the sense of community. It’s like a second family for me. I’ve been home a couple of times for a few months and felt lost without this.”
Nathan Johnson joined L’Arche Antigonish from North Carolina after hearing about L’Arche from his sister who worked there in France. After two years, Nathan’s headed home soon, but says he’ll leave this family with a heavy heart.
“At our house, we all sit down together for breakfast and supper,” he says. “Once a week, the three houses get together for supper. Each house makes something.”
He asks Mary Anne if shepherd’s pie is on tonight’s menu. She happily rubs her tummy and says, “Yum! Yum!”
“My house is making salad,” says Nathan.
Mary Anne grins. “We’ll like that,” she says.
By Joel Jacobson BRIGHT SPOT
Margie MacDonald, a resident of L’Arche Antigonish, plays a card game with assistant Natalie Stevens while St. F.X. student Katharine Steeves and L’Arche resident Mary Anne MacKinnon look on. L’Arche provides acceptance and support for mentally challenged adults.
Our Annual L’Arche summer camp which began over seven years ago and operates on a Monday-Friday basis during the months of July and August received wonderful support and encouragement through the McHappy day celebrations yesterday.
Our summer camp which welcomes approximately twenty young people with special needs in our Antigonish area relies on partial funding from private donations in order to operate this program of summer filled activities and adventure.
Summer Campers!
Yesterday McHappy day was organized and initiated by Sharon Jordan; an employee at our local McDonald’s restaurant. She is also the sister of Quentin who has been attending our summer camp since it’s beginnings. We are so grateful to Sharon, David and Aida (proprietors of McDonald’s) and our many friends who through this day have helped us to feel a greater sense of belonging and value.
Shema Rolle and Joe White
Tommy Landry and Steve Clark
Miriam in her new room.
After many years of praying and wishing for this day Miriam moved into L’Arche! She lives at Yehusa house with her good friends and has settled in very well. Miriam says “I’m gonna be so happy here! I just love it! My room is beautiful and I’m living with my good, good friends.” Welcome to L’Arche Miriam!
Yeshua House.