L'Arche Asia West Pacific

Korea

   I visited the project in Seoul in  South Korea from the 14^th to the 16^th of March.  I was able to meet with the Board, who are planning to form a Social Welfare Corporation in order to provide a legal structure for the community when it begins.  The day fell on the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St Joseph and so it seemed appropriate to offer formation on the similarities of Joseph’s role in the family of Jesus and the Board’s role in the family of L’Arche. I was lucky enough to meet with the Friends of L’Arche a group of people with intellectual disabilities, their parents and friends who meet each month for a time of community.  It is a group which is growing in its maturity and which enjoys coming together.  While there, I met Sun Yung Park who is currently at Daybreak, also Maira who spent five years in Punla and now, as a Columban Missionary is about to begin a ministry to people with AIDS.  Also I met Sun Young Kim who had spent two years in the Liverpool community in the UK.  The following day I met with the Parents.  This was a very precious meeting, at which each parent spoke of their child with a disability and together we spoke of  how they might expect L’Arche in Korea to look. 

The International Board and Mission Council

The International Board and Mission Council meeting was held in Lviv in the Ukraine in March.  Lviv is a city which has experienced foreign domination at various times in its history.  Because of this, it appears as a bridge between many different cultures.  L’Arche and Faith and Light are flourishing there and a community exists that is based on four workshops.  They hope to be able to begin a home soon.

Sadly neither Andrew Youmbe from Africa, nor Maria Elvira from Central and South America were able to join us because of the difficulty they experienced in obtaining visas.

The Board worked hard and accomplished a lot. Each day we met in faith sharing groups to start our day and then we gathered for the meeting.

We spent a significant amount of time working with the proposal for new International Structures, distilling the wisdom of the group, so that a clear paper, detailing the proposed changes and why they are being proposed can be sent out to communities in April.   Watch that space because it will be important that your community can think through together how you want to cast your vote in Kolkata.

The following projects were accepted as probationary communities

In Canada: L’Arche Saskatoon

In the Ukraine L’Arche Kovtcheh

In India: Asha Niketan Asansol

The following communities were accepted as permanent communities

In France L’Arche le Sycamore

In Germany L’Arche Ravensburg

L’Arche Mexico has moved from permanent status to probationary status

L’Arche International has enough finances.  It is hoped that the increase in costs this year expected as a result of the planned General Assemblyin Kolkata will be met through donations.

Further planning was done towards this event.  Information packs/DVD’s  will be forwarded to each community to assist them in their preparation.

At the Mission Council, among other things, work was done to further progress the proposal for a change in our structures.   A paper detailing principles for Salary Policies was finalized and a session was held reflecting on Membership and Commitment