On Friday 16 August, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, officially blessed L’Arche NSW’s fifth new home in Parramatta.
The opening marks a significant milestone for L’Arche in Australia, a Christian organisation focused on providing compassionate care, assistance and supported accommodation for people living with disabilities.
At the opening, Kumar Rasiah, Board Chair of L’Arche NSW, acknowledged with gratitude the generosity of benefactor, the late Dr John Morgan who made this new home a reality.
“We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the late Dr John Morgan for his exceptionally generous donation, made in loving memory of his son, Mark Morgan, which enabled the purchase of our home,” he said.
Bishop Vincent with members of the Morgan Family. The late Dr Morgan’s donation in memory of their brother, Mark enabled the home to be established. Image: Supplied by L’Arche NSW
“Though Mark is gone, the gesture made on his behalf brings life, warmth, and hope to our new home. Dr Morgan’s act of kindness is a powerful testament to a father’s love and dedication, carrying Mark’s memory forward through a legacy of generosity. In honour of them both, we gather today to dedicate this home to the memory of Mark and the compassion of his father,” he added.
The opening of the new home represents not only a new chapter for the community in Parramatta but also a reaffirmation of L’Arche’s mission to create places of belonging, dignity and shared humanity.
In his remarks, Bishop Vincent said, “When I began my ministry here nine years ago, I used the passage of Isaiah as my inspiration and mission framework,’ My house is a house for all peoples.’
“The call was relevant then as it is now for the people of faith. I believe the Church as the living heirs to the Covenant must foster pathways across all human boundaries to create a more united and harmonious community,” he said.
Bishop Vincent officially opening the home with the Core Members who live there, Anthony, Joseph and Andrew and their family members. Image: Supplied by L’Arche NSW
Bishop Vincent emphasised that L’Arche is such a community, rooted in prayer and founded on the belief that each person has unique value and deserves to be loved and cherished for who they are.
He added, “As simple as this belief may seem, it is quite challenging to live out on a daily basis. Our culture calls us to strive for material success and to value what we accomplish in life more than who we are as a person.
“Amidst this culture of individualism, we constantly strive to see God in each person, particularly the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Our call today is to learn and serve each other in mutuality and in humble recognition of our woundedness.”
“Let peace be to this house.” These words of Jesus are so pertinent to our identity and mission as a relationship building and peace-loving community. It is in giving and receiving love, it is in serving and being served that we become more grounded human beings and more wholesome human beings,” he said.
Bishop Vincent blessing the home and the Core Members from all the L’Arche NSW Communities, Family, Friends and Assistants in the community of L’Arche singing and joining in. Image: Supplied by L’Arche NSW
L’Arche was founded in France in 1964 and was established in Australia in 1978 in Canberra and has grown with communities now in in New South Wales, Hobart, Victoria, Perth and Adelaide.
Each L’Arche community is built on relationships of mutual care and compassion between people with and without intellectual disability.
Members are supported by support workers, performing all daily household duties and personal routines such as shopping, cleaning, and cooking.
Grounded in the Christian tradition yet welcoming people of all faiths or none, L’Arche communities embody a spirit of inclusiveness, recognising the unique gift and spiritual journey of each person.
Through shared life and engagement with society, L’Arche promotes the value and contributions of people with intellectual disability, affirming their vital role in the broader Australian community.
Find out more about L’Arche Australia and their dedication work to fostering communities of reconciliation, hope and peace.
