During a supper of Spanish rice and fruit there is more conversation and laughter. Whenever possible, core members prepare the meals themselves and everyone has a say in the weekly menu. Ethel has set the table and Rick Hatem, the community director, has dropped by. Besides house visits, he tries to take each core member out individually for coffee every few months. Spiritual formation is crucial to L'Arche.
Most core members are parishioners at local churches.
On Sunday morning, Ethel attends Central United Church and stays for fellowship afterwards. Roland attends the morning service at St. James Anglican church and returns Sunday evening for a Bible study. Kathy and Gary are servers at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church while Pat has attended St. Joseph's since he was a little boy. Lena and John are members of Avon Mennonite Church and John helps with its maintenance during the week. The L'Arche community also holds bi-weekly services led by various Stratford clergy, and each year core members attend spiritual retreats.