Myanmar: FMM nuns assist youth through pastoral care

In Myanmar, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) nuns provide pastoral care to youth.

Myanmar is suffering as a country through its political situation, crisis, and poverty. This situation has had a very negative effect on young people, with many of them feeling hopeless and depressed.

As the political situation gets worse, young people need support and motivation to face the reality of their lives, says Sr. Helen Dim Man Huai, FMM.

“In our aspirant community, sisters are working with young women from various parts of Myanmar, giving gentle guidance so that their lives can be filled with hope in the future and not despair,” she added.

One way of getting to know these young women is through gospel sharing, where they can listen to God’s word and apply it to their lives. Through these sharings, the sisters listen to difficult family and country situations that are weighing on the young women’s hearts.

This process of reflecting on gospel passages and then sharing the fruits of their prayer can bring the aspirants to peace, joy, and sometimes forgiveness.

They are learning to give their stories and worries to a loving God who carries their burdens.

“These reflections are taken to prayer within our practice of adoration, where their burdens are lifted and daily life can be resumed with ease knowing that they are in the loving hands of God,” the nun said.

These gospel sharings introduce aspirants to a new way of praying. This is one way that the FMM community in Myanmar is helping young women to experience God’s love and understanding.