L'Arche Kapiti

L'Arche is an international federation of communities in which people with and without intellectual disabilities choose to live, work, play and share their lives together. Mutually transforming relationships and trust in God are at the heart of L'Arche. The first L'Arche community came into being in the village of Trolley in Northern France on 4 August 1964, and was born principally out of the vision of Jean Vanier and Fr Thomas Philippe. The name L'Arche is derived from Noah's Ark in the Bible, and symbolises a place of refuge. Today L'Arche communities can be found in more than 146 communities spread over 35 countries.

L'Arche Kapiti in Paraparaumu is the only L'Arche community in New Zealand at present. It began in 1998 when Angela Capes invited several people with intellectual disabilities to live with her, one of whom was Kim Turner, who's still with L'Arche today.

L'Arche Kapiti has two homes and the community shares its joys and sufferings together, living in the spirit of the Beatitudes. Each L'Arch family-style home embodies a simple life of sharing day-to-day responsibilities; doing household chores, preparing and sharing the evening meal, banking, gardening and just having fun together. In each home there are about six to eight people.

L'Arche Kapiti welcomes people of all religious backgrounds and those with no religious traditions to participate in our community, so long as traditions are respected.

We believe that each person, whether disabled or not, has a unique and mysterious value.

The deepest need of a human being is to love and to be loved, each person has a right to friendship, to communion and to a spiritual life.