In the process of building new rural areas in Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces, in addition to doing a good job of propagating the role of the people in building and enjoying the results of new rural areas, local Party committees and authorities also promote the role of priests, dignitaries, and officials by regularly meeting, exchanging, and maintaining close relationships with the heads of parishes and religious groups.

Parishioners decorate a Christmas tree at Phu Nhai Minor Basilica, Xuan Phuong Commune, Xuan Truong District (Nam Dinh).

Parishioners are imbued with the spirit of "respecting God, loving the country", "living a good life, living a good religion" through the teachings and admonitions of priests, thereby making efforts to contribute to building their homeland into a rich, beautiful and civilized countryside. These days, the atmosphere of preparing to welcome Christmas is bustling throughout the alleys and residential areas of Xuan Phuong commune, Xuan Truong district (Nam Dinh province). In the evening, on the road leading to Phu Nhai Minor Basilica, star-shaped LED lights and national flags appear, lighting up the countryside of the parish. Livable countryside A week before Christmas, parishioners of Phu Nhai Parish gathered at the church, carrying out preparations for Christmas Eve. For Catholic families, this is a solemn occasion, when those who work far away arrange to return home to reunite with their loved ones in the sacred and colorful space of the church on Christmas Eve. Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Phuong Commune Pham Xuan Vu said that the commune has more than 2,000 households with 7,200 people, of which Catholics account for more than 73% of the population. As a locality with a stable political system, guaranteed security and order, and consensus and cooperation of Catholics and non-Catholics, in recent years the commune has maintained a fairly good economic growth rate, the rural appearance has improved and achieved many achievements throughout the process of building a new countryside. In November 2023, Xuan Phuong commune was recognized as a model new rural commune. Previously, all eight hamlets of the commune were recognized as model new rural residential areas. With a complete and spacious infrastructure system, a clean and fresh environment, cultural life and an average income of 86 million VND/person/year, Xuan Phuong has become a livable countryside, a leading flag in the emulation movements of Xuan Truong district. Xuan Truong district has more than 190,000 people, of which Catholics account for about 30%, concentrated in the communes of Xuan Ngoc, Xuan Tien, Xuan Phuong, Tho Nghiep... In the district, there is the Bui Chu Bishop's Palace, which is the center for Catholic activities in six southern districts of Nam Dinh province and part of Nam Dinh city; there is Phu Nhai Shrine, which is named the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary... The district has 389 Catholic party members. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Truong district, Tran Van Vy, said that in the process of building new rural areas in the district, religious dignitaries and followers are the core force in propagating and mobilizing parishioners to contribute labor and material resources to build their homeland. With the support of all classes of people, the district completed the task of building new rural areas in 2017. To date, 20 communes and towns of the district have been recognized as meeting advanced new rural standards, of which six communes have met model new rural standards. The district is striving to complete the criteria to propose the Prime Minister to recognize the district as meeting advanced new rural standards in 2024, one year earlier than the target set by the Resolution of the District Party Congress. These days, the Christmas atmosphere in Kim Son district (Ninh Binh province), where more than 47% of the population is Catholic, is also very joyful. Many parishioners said that the Christmas atmosphere this year is more joyful than previous years because Kim Son district has just received a certificate of recognition as a new rural district, finishing two years ahead of schedule and being one of the first districts in the country to be recognized as a new rural district according to the criteria of the 2021-2025 period with higher requirements and quality. Coming to Xuan Chinh commune, Kim Son district, we were taken to visit and introduced to the changes of our hometown by the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, Vu Huy Nam, a young cadre who is a Catholic. Xuan Chinh was established in early 2020, on the basis of merging Xuan Thien commune and Chinh Tam commune of Kim Son district; Catholics account for nearly 85% of the population. Although it is a purely agricultural commune, far from the district center, thanks to the joint efforts and consensus of cadres and people, the commune has successfully implemented the new rural program; in which, the people have contributed more than 91 billion VND, equal to nearly 40% of the total resources for building new rural areas of the commune. Up to now, the socio-economy of the commune has changed in a positive direction, many households have high-rise buildings; solid, airy, clean and beautiful roads; the poverty rate is below 2%, the average income of people reaches more than 50 million VND/year. Promoting the role of religious organizations The reality of the process of building new rural areas in the provinces of Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh shows the great role of religious dignitaries and Catholics in accompanying and contributing to the construction of new rural areas, significantly changing the appearance and life of farmers in rural areas. Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Phuong commune Pham Xuan Vu said that from 2020 to now, parishioners have contributed about 500 working days of environmental sanitation, landscape construction; voluntarily contributed billions of VND to install lighting systems on the roads; planted flower roads; purchased more than 1,300 pairs of waste sorting bins, built and renovated the cultural house and the hamlet sports area... To ensure security and order in the area, from the end of 2022, the commune built a model of "Religious dignitaries participating in protecting security and order", inviting four heads of the religious committee of a parish and three parishes to regularly attend meetings and exchange with the police force as an extended working group. When an incident arises that risks causing insecurity and disorder, the dignitaries quickly grasp it, and the religious committee immediately takes action with the assistance and guidance of the commune police. After one year of implementation, this model has been very effective, the number of law violations and criminal offenses in the locality has decreased significantly compared to 2022.

To ensure security and order in the area, from the end of 2022, the commune has built a model of "Religious dignitaries participating in protecting security and order", inviting four heads of the religious committee of a parish and three parishes to regularly attend meetings and exchange with the police force as an extended working group. When an incident arises that risks causing insecurity and disorder, the dignitaries quickly grasp it, and the religious committee immediately takes action with the assistance and guidance of the commune police. Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Phuong Commune Pham Xuan Vu

To gain consensus and join hands to contribute to the homeland of Catholic compatriots, the commune government regularly meets, exchanges, and maintains close relationships with the leaders of parishes and sub-parishes, thereby promoting the role of priests, dignitaries, and officials. Parishioners are imbued with the spirit of "respecting God, loving the country", "living a good life, living a good religion", and making efforts to contribute to the common work through the preaching and teachings of priests. Priest Giuse Pham Quang Vinh, parish priest of Phu Nhai parish, said that, in order to carry out the commandment "A good Catholic must be a good citizen", all religious and belief activities in the parish are inseparable from the common activities of society. Every year, the parish organizes a major festival, with the participation of about 30,000 parishioners and receives attention and support from the local government. The priest always teaches parishioners to aim for honesty and charity, to strive to fulfill their duties well and to contribute to movements to build and develop their homeland.

In order to fulfill the commandment "A good Catholic must be a good citizen", all religious and belief activities in the parish are inseparable from the common activities of society. Every year, the parish organizes a major festival, with the participation of about 30,000 parishioners and receives attention and support from the local government. Father Giuse Pham Quang Vinh, Parish Priest of Phu Nhai Parish

Priest Tran Cong Hoan, Parish Priest of Xuan Hoi (Xuan Chinh Commune, Kim Son District, Ninh Binh), who has just been commended by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Kim Son District for his positive contributions to the construction of new rural areas, shared the "secret" to mobilizing parishioners is to be close to them, coordinate well with the local government to aim at making the lives of parishioners happier. The movement "All people unite to build new rural areas, civilized urban areas, live well, and live a good life" in Ninh Binh province has recorded many advanced examples who are Catholics. A typical example is party member Pham Van Nghiem, a Catholic, currently the Party Cell Secretary, Head of the Front Work Committee of Tay Lang Noi village (Gia Lap commune, Gia Vien district). Mr. Nghiem actively took the lead, mobilizing organizations, individuals, businesses and people to contribute more than 5 billion VND to build the village cultural center; mobilized people to contribute more than 500 million VND to expand and upgrade traffic routes in the village, hamlet... Up to now, all traffic routes in the village have been concreted; nearly 90% of households have flat-roofed houses, solid high-rise buildings; the average income per capita in the area has reached more than 75 million VND/year; Tay Lang Noi village has been recognized as a model new rural residential area. Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ninh Binh province Le Van Kien said that up to now, all districts and cities of Ninh Binh have met the standards and completed the task of building new rural areas; of which nearly 30% of communes have met the advanced new rural standards, nearly 15% of communes have met the model new rural standards. The province is focusing on completing the criteria for a new rural province in 2024. The key to success in building a new rural area in the province is to effectively implement solutions suitable to the local situation, mobilize the participation of the entire political system, and the response and active and effective participation of all the people, including significant contributions from religious dignitaries and religious people in the area.

People

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