Live a 'good life and good religion', spread good values

With the spirit of great national unity, in recent years, Catholic and Protestant compatriots in Vinh Long province have practiced "Good life, good religion" with many practical activities, making important contributions to social security work, building new rural areas, joining hands to build an increasingly prosperous and beautiful homeland.

A shining example of "good life, good religion"

Photo caption — Volunteer groups participate in cooking at the 5,000 VND Kitchen of Ward 4 Church, Vinh Long City, Vinh Long Province.

Over the past 4 months, the kitchen at the Church in Ward 4, Vinh Long City has become a familiar destination for many poor and disabled people. Every 5 days a week, the kitchen operates to provide nutritious lunches to the needy. With practical meaning, the kitchen has mobilized the joint efforts of more than 10 volunteer groups with over 100 members taking turns to maintain the operation. Each meal with a variety of salty and soup dishes given to the poor costs only 5,000 VND/portion as a way to share with them to reduce some of their living expenses. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh, Cho Lach District, Ben Tre Province said that every month, her volunteer group will spend a day to cook at the Church in Ward 4 kitchen. With the spirit of volunteerism and sharing, in addition to contributing to cooking delicious meals, the members of the group also contribute additional funds to make the meals more quality. Sharing the work of supporting the poor and disabled, from early morning, Mr. Nguyen Huu Giang, Cho Lach district, was busy cleaning, preparing tables and chairs, guiding people to the dining table, especially supporting the disabled to have a seat to comfortably eat lunch. Mr. Giang shared: "We find this work very practical because it shares some of the difficulties with the poor workers and the disabled. We always encourage each other to try to maintain and improve the quality of meals, to better serve the people". Since the kitchen at Ward 4 Church has been operating, many poor and disabled workers have come here together. The laughter and harmony between people in the same situation make the meal atmosphere more cozy. Mr. Phan Van Hung in Ward 3, Vinh Long city said that he is disabled in the legs, selling lottery tickets every day so his income is not much. Since the 5,000 VND kitchen opened, he often comes here for lunch to save money and have a little extra money to save for living expenses.

According to Father Truong Thanh Son, parish priest of Ward 4, Vinh Long city, realizing that there are still many disabled people, lottery ticket sellers, and people in difficult circumstances who have to struggle to cover the cost of lunch, the church established a kitchen with a price of 5,000 VND/meal to help people have a delicious, hygienic lunch and especially reduce costs. Through the launch, it has received active participation from parishioners, contributing labor and costs to maintain the kitchen. The valuable thing is that even poor households, when given rice by any place, also contribute to support and help each other have a full meal. Along with social charity activities, Catholics and Protestants also actively respond to the movement "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas", actively work in production, contributing to the development and stability of the province's economy and society. In Chanh An commune, Mang Thit district, there are about 600 parishioners. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chanh An Commune Dang Truong Hoai Linh said that in recent times, the parish and local parishioners have actively participated with the government in implementing social security work and welfare projects such as building rural roads, traffic bridges, street lights, etc. Parishioners have contributed money and working days to carry out many social security works and rural traffic projects, contributing to maintaining and improving the quality of the criteria for building advanced new rural areas.

Having a new, spacious road right on Christmas, the people of My Chanh hamlet, Chanh An commune are excited by the attention of the government and the solidarity in the parish. From a muddy, difficult-to-travel road, the parishioners here actively contributed to open the road, and now the road has been upgraded to a rural road with a length of more than 370m and a width of 2.5m. What is more exciting is that this is a project of the joint efforts of the local government and the people here. Agreeing with the motto "The State and the people work together", the local people donated land and contributed working days to complete the road.

Mr. Bui Van Sinh, Chanh An commune, Mang Thit district excitedly said: “When the policy of building the road was announced, the people were very supportive, proactively cleaned up, cleared the land and contributed working days to carry out the project. In just one day, the people here worked together to complete the road. The working atmosphere was very exciting, everyone was excited because when the road was completed, it would be clear, easy to travel and trade goods. The people also discussed building embankments and planting flowers along the road to create a beautiful landscape for the road.” Unite to build the homeland According to the Catholic Solidarity Committee of Vinh Long province, in recent times, Catholics and Protestants in Vinh Long province have actively participated in charitable activities such as giving gifts to the poor, charity kitchens, distributing medicine, examining patients and buying health insurance cards for the poor... Responding to the Campaign to support the "For the Poor" fund launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front of the province, in 2023, Catholics in the province contributed to building and repairing over 35 houses for poor families with a total amount of 745 million VND, mobilizing donations of over 7 billion VND to serve the field of humanitarian charity, gratitude - repayment. In addition, Catholics actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, practice a good cultural lifestyle in religious and secular activities, mass movements to prevent and denounce crimes, educate and reform in families and communities, and movements to prevent social evils... In particular, Catholic and Protestant places of worship are bright spots in environmental protection and cultural life for followers and people to learn and follow, contributing to building the homeland and country to become more and more developed, civilized, and prosperous.

According to the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh The, with the direction of "Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of compatriots", Catholics and Protestants in the province have actively participated in patriotic emulation movements launched by the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations at all levels; actively participated in local labor production, contributing to the development and socio-economic stability of the province. Catholics and Protestants have effectively carried out social protection, humanitarian charity, health care, education, bringing the spirit of love and service to compatriots, especially to the disadvantaged in society. Those activities demonstrate the profound humanitarian spirit, spreading the spirit of "the rich help the poor" of the nation and the good values of Catholics and Protestants; true to the spirit of "Serving our compatriots is also serving God". Mr. Nguyen Thanh The affirmed that religious compatriots are an important part of the great national unity bloc. Vinh Long province always pays attention to and creates conditions for religious organizations to operate in accordance with the law, respects the freedom of belief of the people, and promotes the cultural and ethical values of religions. The province believes that with their position, role and prestige, dignitaries, officials, priests, pastors and monks will, together with the Party Committee, government and the Fatherland Front, encourage Catholic compatriots and believers to continue participating in campaigns and patriotic emulation movements, constantly improving the material and spiritual life of the people, uniting religions and religions, and contributing to the construction and development of the homeland and the country.