The Tofu-Papaya Virtual Reunion

Submitted by Sr Sisca and the FCJ community in Myanmar

The pandemic has brought countless surprises in every segment of our lives. One of the pleasant surprises we experienced was the Tofu-Papaya virtual reunion last September.

The Tofu-Papaya is a chat group created consisting of young women who are connected to FCJs and Myanmar. Some of them were scholars supported by the FCJ Society throughout their studies; several others had a live-in experience in our community in Myanmar; one is an FCJ Companion in Mission, and others are friends.

The name Tofu-Papaya indicates the lovable and frequent menu of our community as remembered fondly by our friends. Initially, we had planned to invite them to our house for a face-to-face reunion as part of our FCJ Bicentenary celebration. Yet, the pandemic has set another direction and we met on Zoom instead.

Listening to their sharing at our meeting brought indeed an encouraging surprise: “My prayer and spiritual life has grown stronger since I stayed with the FCJs”, “I learnt about companionship and service from the sisters” and “I thank the FCJs for supporting me to be who I am right now.” The list can go on and on. This makes us realize how our presence and action can impact people’s lives. Let us hope that the legacy of our foundress, Marie Madeleine, as compassionate women for others continues to nourish an ever wider circle of people.