For the past years, Thanh An parish has launched many charitable programs for helping the poor in the locality. From monthly cash donations by parishioners, the parish has supported the construction or upgrade of houses for over 300 families. The parish has committed to assist two households in improving their accommodation each month, and each of these families would receive from 10 million to 20 million in cash.

Currently, Thanh An parish also runs monthly programs for sending free rice to several disadvantaged families in the locality and offering free meals to patients and their relatives at several hospitals in the province.

 Priest Peter Bùi Duy Tân, Head of Thanh An Parish

For mutual assistance amongst parishioners, the parish sets up a fund from a voluntary contribution of 20,000 VND by each family in the parish for assisting the funeral of any parish member, covering all costs related the burial of the dead.

Recently, Thanh An parish also launched a program to present coffins to any disadvantaged family having a member passed way, regardless of religious backgrounds.

Priest Peter Bùi Duy Tân, Head of Thanh An Parish, shared that although facing with many difficulties local people live in harmony and lovingly care for each other, especially the poor and those with sickness and other sufferings.

For encouraging education, physical training and entertainments amongst children and youth, the parish head and pastoral council have created playing grounds, bought sport equipments as well as hired sport instructors so that local children and youth could come and enjoy football, chess, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, and other entertainments.

 Mini football stadium in the Thanh An parish

For environmental protection, Thanh An parish often incorporates environmental issues into religious meetings and preaching for enhancing parishioners’ awareness and responsibility in ecological preservation, and encourages local Catholics to proactively respond to action plans for environmental protection both at home and the local community. The Catholic parish has also created a green and clean space within the parish church.

The Catholic parish has built its own cemetery with many green trees around and tombs of the same model of design orderly placed.

 Thanh An parish’s cemetery

With many practical contributions to the locality, Thanh An Parish has been awarded with certificates of recommendation from state authorities at administrative levels in many consecutive years for outstanding achievements in creating civilized lifestyles, promoting education and rural & urban development, and protecting the natural environment in the locality.

PTT