God bless you on your birthday, Louella 'Lala' Vicente!
Lala , with Jordan I first wrote this post in October 2008 and used it again in 2011 under the title Lala and Queen Elizabeth II . I have re-posted it a number of times, with variations, because Lala's story is one that should be told over and over again. This year I am re-posting what I posted last year, with a couple of updates on ages.. Today Lala is celebrating another birthday. No doubt, the occasion is being marked at Punla, Ang Arko, where Lala lives, the only L'Arche community in the Philippines, in Cainta, Rizal, part of the metropolitan sprawl of Manila. The Pope's Universal Prayer Intention for September 2014 was: That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life . The truth is that persons with mental or learning disabilities can teach the rest of us about the dignity of life, as the photo above of Lala helping Jordan with his meal shows. Let us show our service to the poor, then, wi