Jean Vanier to Receive 2015 Templeton Prize at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 18th May

Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, an international network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together as peers, will receive the 2015 Templeton Prize at an inspirational ceremony at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London at 6pm on 18th May.

Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, an international network of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together as peers, will receive the 2015 Templeton Prize at an inspirational ceremony at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London at 6pm on 18^th May.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150304/732383 )

Attended by some of the most prominent religious leaders and significant figures from multi-faith organisations across the UK, the Templeton Prize ceremony will honour Jean Vanier's vision, writings and the extensive network of L'Arche residential communities. The prize will be awarded by Heather Templeton Dill and Jennifer Templeton Simpson, daughters of Dr John M. Templeton Jr, President and Chairman of the John Templeton Foundation.

What began quietly in northern France in 1964, when Vanier invited two intellectually disabled men to come and live with him as friends, has now grown into 147 L'Arche residential communities operating in 35 countries, and more than 1,500 Faith and Light support groups in 82 countries that similarly urge solidarity among people with and without disabilities.

Valued at £1.1 million (about $1.7 million or €1.5 million), the Templeton Prize is one of the world's largest annual awards given to an individual and honours a living person who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life's spiritual dimension.  

Jean Vanier, 86, joins a distinguished group of 44 former recipients of the Prize including Mother Theresa, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Established in 1972 by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, the Prize is a cornerstone of the John Templeton Foundation's international efforts to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality.

http://www.templetonprize.org

Notes to Editors 

Broadcast quality video from the Templeton Prize ceremony and related events will be available from https://redrobot.filecamp.com/public/files/27ng-lscakitk from approximately 5pm on 19th May.

Images can be accessed from 9pm Monday 18^th May from http://filetransfer.ctn.co.uk/login.aspx  username: tp2015 password: accessTP2015

Follow the Templeton Prize on Twitter @TempletonPrize and #2015templetonprize