May 7, 2019-Jean Vanier, who gave homes and dignity to the intellectually disabled, dies at 90

Jean Vanier came from privilege as a son of the British monarchy’s representative in Canada, the governor general. But his life would be defined not by the establishment, but rather by a restless quest for purpose. After stints in the British and Canadian navies, he considered becoming a Catholic priest, ultimately deciding he was not meant for the seminary. He found a degree of meaning teaching philosophy in Toronto. But his life took a new direction in the early 1960s, when he traveled to France to see his spiritual mentor, a member of the Dominican order then serving as a chaplain at a home for people with intellectual disabilities. Read more