Scene at the congress (Photo: nhandan.org.vn) Dong Nai (VNA) – Catholics in the southern province of Dong Nai donated more than 700 billion VND (30.8 million USD) to charitable activities from 2012 – 2017.
The information was released at the 7th congress of Catholics in Dong Nai province on April 19. The event was attended by President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, provincial leaders and 300 delegates who represent more than 925,000 Catholics in the province.
According to the Committee for Solidarity of Catholics of Dong Nai province, the Xuan Loc Diocese is running 30 charitable medical clinics and establishments caring for disabled children and lonely elderly people. The medical clinics provide free checkups and treatment for thousands of poor patients per day.
Dong Nai is leading the country in new-style rural area building, with 8 out of its 11 districts meeting the criterion. The achievements saw significant contributions of the local Catholic community, who had donated money and land for the construction of rural roads and other public infrastructure.
The local Catholic community built 36 schools, over 100 kindergartens, and a vocational training school, the first of its kind in Vietnam run by Catholics.
The committee affirmed that it will continue encouraging Catholics to promote national solidarity, obey the law, and follow the ideology and lifestyle of late President Ho Chi Minh.
Nguyen Quoc Vu, head of the provincial Committee for Religious Affairs, praised the Dong Nai Committee for Solidarity of Catholics’ efforts to encourage local Catholics to participate in patriotic emulation movements and contribute to the province’s social-economic development.
The Party Committees, administrations and organizations at all levels of Dong Nai province have paid attention to activities of the Catholic community, he said.
At the congress, Priest Tran Xuan Thao was re-elected as Chairman of the Dong Nai Committee for Solidarity of Catholics.-VNA
VNA
