Catholics in Nghe An compete in patriotism and build new rural areas.

With the motto of “Respect God, Love Country” and “Live a good life and a good religion” always engraved in their hearts, Catholics of Nghe An have been tirelessly contributing their efforts and intelligence to the construction of their homeland. Each of their actions and contributions are precious bricks, contributing to the creation of an increasingly rich and civilized Nghe An.

The Catholic community of Nghe An province currently has more than 50,840 households, over 307,000 people, accounting for about 9% of the province's population, living in 14 deaneries and 136 parishes. Under the pastoral guidance of the Vinh Diocese, the direct leadership of 2 bishops and 237 priests, the Catholic community is always united to build a new life in residential areas, living a good life and a good religion.

It can be said that the joint efforts of Catholics have brought the patriotic emulation movement into real life, turning it into practical actions, gradually fostering parishes and religious communities to develop more and more strongly, and actively working with the people in the province to build new rural areas and develop the economy and society.

Building new rural areas in Dang Cao Parish, Vinh Diocese. Photo: Phuong Tran

Actively develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty

The dynamism and creativity in economic development and poverty reduction of Catholics are becoming a bright spot in many localities. In implementing the movement of solidarity in economic development and poverty reduction, Catholics in Nghe An have constantly strived to overcome all difficulties. They have boldly transformed the economic structure and crops, and actively applied scientific and technological advances to production in accordance with the policies of the Party and the State.

In the localities, many Catholic households have participated in building large-scale model fields, bringing in high incomes, contributing significantly to increasing annual output and productivity for the whole province. Commercial service business activities and industry development have also been boldly invested in by many households in the Catholic community of the province, applying science and technology, choosing effective production and business models.

From these efforts, many models of good production by parishioners have emerged. In Hoang Mai ward, many workers have jobs and stable incomes at Mr. Tran Van Quyen's garment factory. Not only improving the family economy, recently, Mr. Quyen continued to create jobs for over 160 workers at the second facility in Quynh Anh commune. Mr. Quyen confided: "I just hope to contribute a small part to social security, helping people have jobs and this is what I feel most satisfied with. Now seeing the workers, they are excited and happy in their work, I am very happy."

Mr. Tran Van Quyen's garment factory in Quynh Anh commune, Nghe An province. Photo: Phuong Tran

This is truly a vivid demonstration of the dynamic, creative spirit and sense of community responsibility of Nghe An Catholics, actively contributing to the construction of new rural areas and civilized urban areas. Mr. Ho Van Quang, Village Chief, Head of the Front Committee of Village 4, Quynh Anh Commune, Nghe An Province excitedly said: "The company is very interested in the lives of people in the hamlet. In addition to creating jobs for many people, the company enthusiastically supports all activities of the hamlet from making concrete roads, building canals, planting trees. Recently, the company director supported the hamlet with 200 million VND to build new rural roads."

With positive response and high consensus, Catholics in localities have joined hands with Party committees and authorities at all levels to quickly reduce the rate of poor households and increase the number of well-off and rich households.

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The rate of well-off and rich households among Catholics increased from 41.2% in 2020 to 52.4% in 2024; the rate of poor households decreased from 4.2% in 2020 to 2.9% in 2024.

Building rural areas in the religious areas "Bright - green - clean - beautiful". Photo: Phuong Tran

Building new countryside, building cultural life

Along with the economic development and poverty reduction movement, parishes and religious communities in the province have actively responded to the movement to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas launched by the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels. In this movement, priests, parish pastoral councils, religious communities and parishioners in localities actively responded, creating a vibrant competitive atmosphere, contributing to the new rural movement in the locality with many outstanding achievements.

In Nam Dan commune, thanks to the propaganda and mobilization work of the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels, especially the attention of priests, parishes, and parishioners, Catholics have actively contributed their efforts and money to complete many new rural criteria and build a cultural life. Many Catholic families have become the core force participating in campaigns and patriotic emulation movements in the locality, exemplary in implementing the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws. In the new rural construction movement, people in the commune contributed over 130 billion VND, voluntarily donated ^1,400m2 of land, and dismantled 830m2 ^of surrounding walls. Up to now, the rate of cultural families in the commune has reached over 90%; 3/3 Catholic hamlets have achieved the title of cultural hamlet.

The new rural areas have brought joy to the people as their quality of life has been improved, both materially and spiritually. With the active contribution of the parishioners, the appearance of their homeland is increasingly clean and beautiful.

Mr. Tran Van Muoi - Chairman of the Pastoral Council of Tan Nghia parish, Nam Dan commune said: "The pastoral council has coordinated with the hamlet chief and the front work to visit each family to mobilize. Families who are still having problems must go to them to tell them, they understand, they listen. After that, they feel it is right, they participate very actively, very unitedly".

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The rate of parishioners achieving the title of “Cultural Family” is increasing. In 2020, there were 42,621 households, reaching 69.8%, by 2024 there were 44,406 households, increasing to 74.7%, reflecting a positive change in the awareness and actions of the parishioner community.

Parishioners build flower street. Photo: Phuong Tran

Participate in government building and maintaining security and order

In recent times, the Catholic community in the province has actively participated in the national movement to protect national security, considering this an important task closely linked to civic responsibility.

Parishioners always raise their vigilance, actively participate in crime prevention and combat, eliminate social evils, strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and legal documents related to beliefs and religions. The movement "All people protect national security" has been actively responded to by many parishes and parishes, effectively implemented through typical models such as: "Peaceful parish, cultural family", "Peaceful parish, no crime and social evils", "Parish without lawbreakers and social evils", "Bright - green - clean - beautiful - safe residential area", "Self-managed route for security and order"... Toan The province currently has more than 300 "Peaceful Parish" models, 400 Self-Management Groups and 200 Security and Order Self-Management Boards.

Bot Da Parish, Do Luong Commune is one of many parishes and parishes in Nghe An that have built a peaceful life, ensured security at the grassroots level, and had no social evils from peaceful parish and parish models; peaceful and civilized parish models. From the implementation of the "Peaceful Parish" model, the great solidarity of Catholics and non-Catholics has been promoted, adding motivation for parishioners to compete in economic and social development, and build prosperous families. In many parishes, parishes and residential areas, the movement to build safe residential areas, free of crime and social evils continues to be promoted, contributing significantly to maintaining security and order, promoting socio-economic development and building new rural areas.

Mr. Phung Trong Sang, an exemplary parishioner in Bot Da Parish, Do Luong Commune, affirmed: "If you want to do business and be successful, the security and order in the area must be safe and good. If this and that always happen, who will be in the mood to produce and do business? Therefore, I think the role of the parish as well as the front and the government is very important so that people can feel secure in building their villages, hamlets, and homeland."

Maintaining security and order for economic and social development. Photo: Phuong Tran

Participate in social security and humanitarian activities

Not only building harmonious families, fostering village and neighborhood affection, building peaceful parishes and religious communities, activities of gratitude, repayment, humanitarian and charitable activities are also actively responded to by dignitaries and parishioners in Nghe An province.

Phu Xuan Parish, Quynh Tam Commune has 517 households with nearly 2,400 parishioners. Promoting the tradition of solidarity and charity of our nation and the spirit of "practicing charity is spreading the Good News", priests, philanthropists and the entire community have responded to social movements, heeding the call of the Church, actively supporting both materially and spiritually, contributing to alleviating pain, warming many unfortunate lives, and multiplying hope for many families. Mr. Tran Van Quang - Chairman of the Pastoral Council of Phu Xuan Parish, Quynh Tam Commune shared: "The parish as well as the priests have created all conditions to help poor households, together with the local government calling for and supporting the building of charity houses for families in difficulty and with illnesses. From that spirit of mutual love, people have worked together to overcome hunger and reduce poverty".

The Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Nghe An province supports the program "Eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses for poor households". Photo: Phuong Tran

Responding to social movements, carrying out the Church's call, making practical contributions both materially and spiritually, contributing to sharing difficulties, supporting unfortunate circumstances, spreading the spirit of charity in the community, the Catholic community has coordinated with local authorities to participate in building and repairing many martyr cemeteries, supporting the construction of thousands of gratitude houses, Great Unity houses; supporting tens of thousands of working days, dozens of tons of rice and many other materials and goods with a total value of 24,372 billion VND.

In the annual "Tet for the poor" program, Xa Doai Bishop's House and parishes and sub-districts organize charitable and humanitarian activities such as giving rice, banh chung, blankets, clothes, and money to poor households, lonely elderly people, and disabled people to celebrate Tet and welcome Spring... The total amount of money Catholics have contributed and supported is 8,866 billion VND.

The Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Nghe An province supports the construction of "Great Solidarity House" for poor households. Photo: Phuong Tran

The movement “All people unite to build new rural areas, smart urban areas, live a good life and follow the religion” with 8 emulation contents launched by the Central Committee of Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics has profound political, economic, cultural and social significance. The contribution and position of Nghe An Catholics are increasingly enhanced in the ethnic community, contributing to the cause of national renewal for the goal of “rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization”.

Mr. Phan Sy Cuong - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province affirmed: Catholics in the province have promoted the spirit of patriotism, the strength of the great national unity bloc, lived a good life, and actively participated in social movements, developed the economy, and ensured security and order. Many good practices, new models, and typical examples have appeared and have spread. Together with the political system and all classes of people, emulation movements and campaigns have been well implemented in the whole province. In the coming time, we hope that typical examples among Catholics will continue to promote the tradition of solidarity, patriotism, and respect for God, and be exemplary in implementing emulation movements, developing production and business, building cultural life, ensuring security and order, so that together with the political system and all classes of people, Nghe An homeland will be increasingly developed and prosperous.

The flag of solidarity between Catholics and Protestants. Photo: Phuong Tran

Promoting the tradition of patriotism and the spirit of national solidarity among Catholics, continuing to arouse and promote the tradition of patriotism, the sense of responsibility for the Fatherland and the nation in each Catholic. Entering a new period, in the context of the country continuing to develop comprehensively towards industrialization, modernization and deep international integration, the movement "All people unite to build new rural areas, civilized urban areas, living a good life and good religion" in Nghe An province continues to be raised to a new level, in accordance with the requirements of the renewal period, the era of national growth.

Sacred Pastor Giuse Phan Van Thang - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Nghe An province said: In the current period of innovation, the Catholic Solidarity Committee will be a bridge between Catholics and authorities at all levels, mobilizing Catholics to respect the law and properly implement resolutions and decrees. Catholics, with the Lord's teachings, do charity work, do love work, together with the people in the province to promote the spirit of mutual love, mutual affection and harmony between religions, thereby making efforts and striving to contribute to beautifying the homeland and the province.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nguoi-cong-giao-nghe-an-thi-dua-yeu-nuoc-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-10308327.html