JEAN VANIER, the son of former governor general Georges Vanier, was educated in England and Canada. After eight years in the Royal and the Canadian Navy, he went to study in France, where he received his doctorate in philosophy, later teaching at St. Michael’s College (University of Toronto). Distressed by the plight of people with developmental challenges, he founded L ’Arche communities, and Faith and L ight, two international networks of communities for people with disabilities. With many bestselling books and humanitarian awards to his name—including the Pope Paul VI International Prize, the International Peace Award and the Companion of the Order of Canada—Vanier lives in Trosly, France, in the original L’Arche community he founded in 1964.
