NamDinh (VNA) – Upholding the spirit of “living a good religious andsecular life”, Catholic followers in the northern province of Nam Dinh have compliedwith the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws while activelyengaging in patriotic emulation movements to contribute to local and nationaldevelopment.

PriestHoang Van Tuan, Chairman of the provincial Committee for Solidarity ofCatholics, said to promote the movement of “building advanced parishes andexemplary Catholic families”, the committee has added some criteria relevant tolocal conditions to the movement implementation.

Over the last five years, more than890 parishes have been recognised as advanced ones and over 151,760 Catholicfamilies won the “Exemplary Catholic Family” title.

The committee has also coordinatedwith the provincial Public Security Department to combine the “self-management,self-prevention, and self-protection” model with emulation movements such asthose on building advanced and crime-free parishes and exemplary Catholicfamilies.

Those movements have been carried outstrongly and fruitfully, the priest noted, adding that many parishes andCatholic clans have held meetings to disseminate the Party’s guidelines and theState’s policies and laws and raise public awareness of hostile forces’ sabotageplots, worked to contribute to the great national solidarity bloc, and helpedpromote the practice of “living a good secular and religious life”.

Some pastoral councils have signedagreements with local administrations on firecracker trafficking prevention. Everyyear, the Bui Chu Episcopal Palace issues a letter to call on followers to joinhands in the combat against crimes, including drug, gambling, prostitution, andillegal racing, to help maintain security and order, he went on.

In response to all-level Partycommittees and administrations’ call for COVID-19 prevention and control, theHanoi and Bui Chu episcopal palaces also released appeals for followers to joincommon efforts. All parishes, Catholic orders, seminaries, and followers haveseriously adhered to the Government, authorities, and churches’ instructions inthe pandemic fight, Tuan noted.

Since 2017, Catholic followers in NamDinh have donated over 180ha of agricultural and residential land to roadexpansion without claiming compensation. They have also contributed billions ofVND to the upgrade and construction of roads, lighting systems, culturalcentres, schools, and clinics.

Nam Dinh province is home to morethan 720 parishes and Catholic clans with about 470,000 followers./.