Brother House
Brother House, our newest home, opened in July 2023. The house has been fully renovated and modified for accessibility, prioritizing the comfort and safety of aging Core Members in our community. The house’s deck and private back yard are wonderful community gathering spaces and make it easy for Core Members to spend time outside. Brother House is named in honor of Donald Nason and Philip Godbout, founding Core Members who called each other “Brother.” Donald and Philip’s leadership in L’Arche emphasized peace in everyday relationships, helping to create a community that values the gifts of each person.
Nazorean House
Nazorean House—affectionately known as “Naz”—was the first home L’Arche Boston North opened in the Haverhill area. Four Core Members and two Assistants live together in this lovely single-family home, which is known for its hospitality. Naz offers a welcoming space for friends to gather and for new acquaintances to get to know our L’Arche community by joining for dinner. The house’s name refers to Jesus of Nazareth, who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
Peace House
Peace House offers a unique model of shared community life, with a small apartment on each of its three floors and a location near the heart of downtown Haverhill. Each apartment provides independent living with the feeling of a one big family home shared throughout the three floors. Currently, a married couple live on the first floor. On the second and third floors, four Core Members make their home together with support from Assistants. This is the second Peace House in our community’s history, taking its name from the original Peace House in Ipswich where Irenicon was founded in 1983 by Donald Nason, Carole Dupray, Debbie Essler, Phil Godbout, Sr. Pat Murphy, and Elizabeth Buckley.
Pat House
Pat House, our first fully accessible 5-bedroom home, opened in 2016. The house is located in Merrimac, MA, a town neighboring Haverhill, MA. Opening Pat House was an important part of keeping our community’s promise of “home for life” to our Core Members as they experience physical complications associated with aging. The home, located in a quiet, wooded area, has a three-season porch overlooking a large backyard perfect for hosting community cookouts. An open floor plan allows Pat House to host large community gatherings and celebrations such as prayer nights and birthdays. Pat House is named in honor of Sr. Patricia Murphy, the founding Assistant of our community, who exemplified our values of mutually transforming relationships through forgiveness and laughter.
Assisi House
Assisi House is a split-level home located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Bradford, MA, not far from downtown Haverhill, which makes it an ideal home base for active and engaged Core Members. The house has lots of bedrooms and welcomes many live-in Assistants, as well as guests. The backyard of this lovely home is a natural setting for gardening, barbecuing and relaxing. The house’s name honors St. Francis of Assisi, whose prayer “make me an instrument of your peace” inspires our community.