Brilliant parishes in Christmas season

These days, parishioners are busy preparing and celebrating Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023. A great festive season of parishioners with activities such as decorating Christmas trees, caves, hanging flags, flowers etc. for a solemn, cozy and peaceful Christmas is taking place everywhere.

Nguyen Van Loi (right), Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee, Head of Provincial National Assembly’s Delegation; and local leaders give gifts to typical parishioners of Tan Lap Parish, North Tan district Uyen on occasion of Christmas and New Year 2023. 

To strengthen community cohesion

At Chanh My ward of Thu Dau Mot city, parishioners are busy with Christmas activities but also do not forget to be vigilant against crime. According to Pastoral Council of My Hao Parish, this area has currently 370 households with about 2,000 people; 100% people are Catholics. Most people have lived here for a long time, hence local security is well tightened.

"A parish of Peace - Civilization" in Lac An commune, North Tan Uyen district. This is also a model that Lac An commune has built and successfully implemented in recent years.

Lac An commune is divided into 5 hamlets with a total population of 2,108 households, 9,561 people (of which Catholics account for 87%). The commune has 8 parishes, 12 churches, 5 temples, 10 priests, and 8 parishes with 81 members. Religious activities of the parishes are stable, mainly annual ceremonies, transferring dignitaries, building and embellishing worship facilities.

Colonel Pham Quoc Dung, Deputy Director of the Provincial Public Security, visits and congratulates Bishop's Office of Phu Cuong Diocese on occasion of Christmas and New Year. 

Senior Lieutenant Ho Van Phu, Head of Lac An Commune Police, assessed that, in the past two years, the model of safe and civilized parish in Lac An commune has been useful for maintaining social security and order, crime prevention and fighting, and local military work performance. This model in Lac An commune, with five criteria that is suitable to the local characteristics, is supported by dignitaries and parishioners, and gained some good results.

The parishioners always believe in the leadership of the Party, management and administration of the government, and actively take part in patriotic emulation movements launched by localities.

In the past few days, the atmosphere in these places seems to be more cheerful and busier than usual. People prepare Christmas caves, clean their houses, streets, and alleys in parishes to celebrate the great festive season. Churches are brightly decorated, religious hamlets are increasingly spacious, making parish villages more beautiful and cleaner.

To live a good life

Thuong Phuc parish in Hamlet 3, Lac An Commune, are decorating their church for the Christmas Eve. Do Hoai Vinh, Head of Hamlet 3, happily said: Hamlet 3 has more than 500 households, most are Catholics.

Lac An commune has now changed its face, local economy is developing, so the parishioners here are in good condition to prepare for a more beautiful and happy Christmas. Everyone contributes money and effort to decorate roads more beautiful and brighter.

Nguyen Thi Xuan Trang, Chairwoman of Lac An Commune Women's Union, said: “Every year, the commune Women's Union has gifts for Catholic union officials having difficult circumstances. This year, the union will give 5 gifts so that on these days everyone can have warm, happy holidays”.

In Quyet Thang quarter (Binh Thang ward, Di An city) and Bung parish (Hung Dinh ward, Thuan An city), faces of children were joyful as receiving Christmas gifts in mid-December. Mass organizations have cooperated with churches to organize many meaningful programs such as giving charity gifts, visiting and taking care of needy people.

Trinh Thi Hong Nhung, Women Union’s Chairwoman of Hung Dinh ward, Thuan An City said: “We always organize a merry Christmas celebration to create a playground for children and give gifts to poor women and children. This year, the Women Union has given more than 100 gifts to children living in hardship so that they can have a peaceful Christmas."

Also on this occasion, the Provincial Women's Union organized a delegation to visit and extend Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023 greetings. The delegation visited and sent Christmas wishes to Sister Tran Thi My Le, nun of Mary’s Daughters Congregation, member of Executive Committee of the Provincial Women's Union, tenure 2021-2026.

Truong Thanh Nga, President of the Provincial Women's Union, wished Sister Tran Thi My Le and dignitaries, women Catholics in the province a peaceful and happy Christmas. "I hope that in the coming time, the Provincial Women's Union and Mary’s Daughters Congregation will have many exchange activities, especially focusing on taking care of orphans and children having difficult circumstances", said Truong Thanh Nga.

Visiting and wishing dignitaries, heads of religious organizations and establishments in the province, and celebrating Christmas with parishioners is also an act of solidarity, harmony, and respect for the right of religious freedom. All are aiming for a life full of love, towards a civilized, progressive, and happy society. 

Provincial Police’s Delegation visited and congratulated Bishop's Office of Phu Cuong Diocese on Christmas 2022

On December 21, a delegation of Binh Duong Provincial Police led by Colonel Pham Quoc Dung, Deputy Director of the Provincial Public Security, visited and extended greetings to the Bishop's Office of Phu Cuong Diocese on Christmas and New Year.

At destinations, Colonel Pham Quoc Dung cordially sent greetings and wishes of a joyful, peaceful, and happy Christmas to the dignitaries, priests and parishioners. The Deputy Director of Provincial Public Security wished that the dignitaries would continue to mobilize and encourage parishioners to well implement guidelines, policies and laws of the Party and State, participate in maintaining social security and order, promote patriotic traditions, live a good life and contribute to building Binh Duong's homeland.

Reported by Q.Nhu, T.Hanh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh