Warm homes of solidarity between religions and non-religious people

In the countryside of Ninh Binh, there are many spacious houses built from the solidarity of religions and non-religious people. These are not only material works but also symbols of sharing, contributing to the tradition of national solidarity.

The house of Mrs. Pham Thi Diu, Dinh Hoa commune was built with the joint efforts and consensus of political , social and religious organizations in the area.

These days, we had the opportunity to return to visit the house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Duyen, Hamlet 12, Dinh Hoa Commune, where the joy of solidarity has truly "blossomed" in a warm house of love between Catholics and non-Catholics. Mrs. Duyen is a Catholic, old and weak, and has been a poor household in the commune for many years. In particular, the old house that she and her husband built a long time ago has seriously deteriorated and is not safe during storms.

Understanding the difficult circumstances of Ms. Duyen's family, in 2022, the Fatherland Front Committee of Kim Son district (old) actively called on organizations, individuals, unions, religions and the local community to join hands to realize her dream of settling down. As a result, in just a short time, the Fatherland Front Committee of the district mobilized a total support amount of 80 million VND, especially with the great support of Buddhists, monks, priests and Catholics in the area.

Venerable Thich Minh Tri, Abbot of Luu Phuong Pagoda, Phat Diem Commune - one of the people who actively visited, encouraged and called on Buddhist followers to join hands in simple sharing: "In Buddhism, the spirit of selflessness, altruism, and non-discrimination between self and others is always highly valued. Therefore, immediately after receiving the call from the Fatherland Front at all levels, we mobilized Buddhists and philanthropists inside and outside the locality to join hands in contributing to help Ms. Duyen's family have a solid house, to stabilize their lives and as a result, we raised more than 50 million VND".

Over the years, the Venerable has actively done good deeds, mobilizing followers and Buddhists to respond to the emulation movements "The whole country joins hands for the poor - No one is left behind"; "Join hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses nationwide in 2025" with many practical activities. Particularly in the old Kim Son district, Venerable Thich Minh Tri called for donations and support to build 5 new houses for poor households and households with difficult housing circumstances.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Duyen was moved: “Thanks to the Fatherland Front and the help of everyone, especially the support of the monks and priests of Hoa Loc Parish, I have a spacious, solid house, and peace of mind in my old age. Regardless of Buddhism or Catholicism, everyone loves and helps each other, that is the most precious thing in this life.”

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Duyen's new, solid house.

After the merger, Dinh Hoa commune has 6 parishes, 18 sub-chapters, 3 pagodas, 9 priests and 6 monks. Over the years, people of all religions in the area have always lived in harmony, solidarity and mutual support, creating a unique beauty of this land.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dinh Hoa commune, said: "Every year, the Fatherland Front of the commune coordinates with parishes and pagodas in the area to launch the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life in residential areas", associated with the campaign "The whole country joins hands for the poor", thereby mobilizing many socialized resources to help households in difficult circumstances to stabilize their lives.

“We always consider that caring for the poor and disadvantaged is a common responsibility of the whole society, regardless of religion. When a poor household needs support, the commune Fatherland Front will join its member organizations, pagodas, and parishes to mobilize, donate, and support working days and materials, so that each house can be built not only with bricks and mortar but also with love and solidarity,” Mr. Viet shared.

Thanks to this approach, over the years, Dinh Hoa commune has supported the construction and repair of dozens of solidarity houses, helping many poor and near-poor households have stable housing and peace of mind to do business. The valuable thing is that in each project, there are contributions from both Buddhists and parishioners who always accompany the Front on the journey of cultivating affection and spreading love.

Not only in Dinh Hoa, the story of sharing between religion and life also spread strongly in Dong Bai parish (Yen Son ward), where priest Bui Van Ke has become a bridge between parishioners and the government, between faith and action through humane deeds.

Father Bui Van Ke said: “In 2018, when I took up the ministry here, many parishioners still had to live in makeshift, dilapidated houses. I realized that building a big, beautiful church was meaningless if my parishioners were still poor and living in dilapidated houses. Therefore, I set a goal to help them have a solid roof and a stable life.”

Starting from that simple idea, he initiated a movement to build “Charity Houses” in the parish. The priest mobilized the workers in the parish to help the poor build houses without taking any wages; well-off families contributed rice, fish sauce, salt, and vegetables to provide meals for the workers. And so, each house was built not only with bricks, stones, and cement, but also with the kindness and sharing of the community.

Father Bui Van Ke visits a Catholic family that received support to build a house.

Thanks to the companionship of priest Bui Van Ke, along with the support of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and local authorities, in 5 years (2020-2025), 37 poor Catholic households have been supported to remove temporary and dilapidated houses, contributing to helping them stabilize their lives and escape poverty.

Mr. Dinh Van Thao, a civil servant of the Fatherland Front Committee of Yen Son Ward, said: “The Fatherland Front always attaches importance to the role of religious dignitaries in mobilizing religious people to participate in the patriotic emulation movement. Priest Bui Van Ke is a typical example of “living the gospel in the heart of the nation”, contributing to spreading the spirit of good life, good religion, and accompanying the Front in social security work. Thanks to the joint efforts of the entire Catholic community, in recent years, Yen Son has supported the construction and repair of houses for more than 50 poor households and households with housing difficulties.”

The newly built houses in the countryside not only erase the worries of rain and sun, but also symbolize the increasingly strong solidarity between religions. There, the spirit of “helping each other” and “loving others as oneself” is cultivated and spread by the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels, becoming the glue that binds religions and ethnic groups together. Thereby, continuing to strengthen people’s trust and building an increasingly strong national solidarity bloc.

Article and photos: Minh Hai

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/nhung-ngoi-nha-am-tinh-doan-ket-luong-giao-251116112139819.html