L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C. is a community of individuals with and without mental disabilities sharing life together. We’re an interdenominational Christian community, where we rejoice the unique value of every body, recognizing and accepting our need for each other and constructing relationships that transform all of us.
L’Arche GWDC provides housing and support services to adults with mental disabilities and serves lots of of individuals in the broader community, of many various backgrounds, by offering a spot of belonging and growth. Our community life centers on relationships, led by “core members,” the adults with mental disabilities who live in L’Arche homes. People come from everywhere in the country and the world to go to L’Arche and learn from core members, our mission and our model.
Kelly DeRoy, a core member, and John O’Connor, an assistant who has acted as a caretaker at L’Arche GWDC, share their insights in regards to the community’s unique Christmas traditions.
Kelly DeRoy: Christmas for me at L’Arche is about giving and caroling and giving presents. I sang on Zoom and within the neighborhood. I sing carols every single day at dinner with my friend Fritz. My favorite song is “Good King Wenceslas” by Bing Crosby.
I’m excited to spend Christmas with my parents this yr. I couldn’t do it last yr for this reason virus!
I actually have watched “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2” and “Home Alone 3.” I also watched “The Santa Clause.”
Christmas, for me, is about giving. It’s time for giving. Jesus is kind to us. God is with us. Peace is sweet.
In L’Arche we’ve Advent groups. We meet once every week. We have now done lots of different stuff, like praying and sharing whatever brings us hope, joy and peace. One thing that brings me hope is happening walks and caroling and listening to music, watching TV, doing word searches and seeing Christmas lights. Like praying for people and doing that silently or out loud.
Christmas, for me, is about giving. It’s time for giving. Jesus is kind to us. God is with us. Peace is sweet.
John O’Connor: Kelly points to the Christmas cards we’re signing. “This one.” I sign my name. “And this one.” I pass the cardboard to Eric. He signs. Eric passes the cardboard to Fritz. Fritz signs.
Kelly moderates us for 2 and a half hours across the dining room table while the Highland House boys sign our lots of of Christmas cards. While we sign our names, we speak about all of the names we recognize. Old friends. Latest friends. Family. Soon it’s 10:00 p.m., and I would like to manage bed-time medications. Thankfully, Kelly moderates the autograph merry-go-round. Ink stains all of our hands. Time for bed.
Signing each card is a prayer of acknowledgement, and of gratitude. Sending our like to whomever receives it and wishes it. Our way of claiming, “We’re with you.” We will say that because as we all know that “Christ is with us!”
At L’Arche, it seems like Christmas starts once we decorate for Halloween. Perhaps even earlier. Santa is placed next to the spiders, cobwebs next to the Advent calendars. Fritz has been adamant in regards to the decorations and has been singing Christmas carols at dinner for the reason that middle of September. I take my place on the dinner table and check out to not get overwhelmed by the sense of home I feel inside these partitions. This can be my fifth Christmas in L’Arche.
In a world, secular and spiritual, that consistently pushes a mindset that we’ve to realize perfection before we’re accepted, L’Arche is an indication that God is with us.
I’m excited to see what Christmas holds for us this yr. It’s going to look different. I’m still hopeful. Community looks different than once I first moved in. Fewer people live in the house. Yet, we still have love. The core members (adults with disabilities) make sure that we assistants know the way to try this. We still show up and drive in, stay and remain. We’ll make mulled wine and hot chocolate. We’ll wear our masks inside and sit to look at “Home Alone.” Kelly will remind us to not talk like Kevin. “Don’t call people cheapskates!” she’ll say to me, beaming.
Eric will count down the times until Christmas, and Hazel will help decorate the tree that may discover a home in our dining room. The angels will sing with us around our dining room table as we anticipate the day we are saying with joy, “Christ is with us!”
In a world that lives in stress. In a world crammed with grief. In a world where caregivers could be hard to seek out. In a world, secular and spiritual, that consistently pushes a mindset that we’ve to realize perfection before we’re accepted, L’Arche is an indication that God is with us. That doesn’t mean every little thing is ideal. Removed from it. Nevertheless it shows me that good is feasible. It’s possible to decelerate and wake as much as the belief that Jesus Christ is born. After I get to take a seat and be within the labor of relationship and of affection, I could be a a part of the work of God. The core members show me the way to put that work into motion. Everytime Kelly smiles at me. Hazel holds my hand. Fritz hugs me, and Eric forgives me. That’s showing me that Christ is born. Here. Now. Each day. After I show that back to anyone, I’m an element of Christmas.
Kelly, once we pray the “Our Father,” says “Now’s the Kingdom, The Power and The Glory.” To me, that’s the meaning of Christmas. It’s the Incarnation. Christ is incarnate on the planet, and I just need to seek out the ways to acknowledge it around me. The Kingdom of God remains to be present to me at the same time as I feel sad, lonely, loved or joyful while celebrating at L’Arche. On Christmas Day, I’ll smile and be crammed with joy as Kelly and I pray: “Now’s the Kingdom, the Power and The Glory.”
