The event saw the presence of Priest Chairman of the provincial CSVC Peter Nguyễn Phước Tường, members of the board for Catholics solidarity in districts and 150 Catholic delegates.

Distinguished guests at the event included Chairman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Nguyễn Chí Trung and local authorities’ representatives.

As reported at the event, Catholicism in Tien Giang currently has over 52,000 followers, accounting for 2.96 % the provincial population with 57 priests, 52 Catholic worshipping places and one sister congregation.

Over the past five years, Catholics in Tien Giang province actively joint in social movements and programs launched by local authorities and achieved many practical results.

In the field of education, local Catholic parishes and congregations supported and presented scholarships, 20,000 notebooks, 5,000 school uniforms and 400 bicycles to poor pupils and students in remote areas.

 Catholic followers in the locality also contributed over 39 billion VND to social charities such as building 156 charity houses, presenting 10,000 gift boxes to poor people and wheelchairs to people with disabilities, taking care for 24 lonely elders, buying health insurance cards for disadvantage households, financing 285 heart and cataract operations.

In response the campaign motivating people to develop a new-style rural development, local Catholics have raised fund for building seven rural bridges, donated 10,000 m2 of land for developing rural roads, drilled clean water wells for 400 households and installed local lighting systems, etc

During the meeting, Tien Giang authorities presented certificates of merit to 19 Catholic groups and 16 individuals for their practical contributions to socio-economic development in the locality during the 2015-2020 tenure.

Presenting certificates of merit to Catholic groups

Presenting certificates of merit to individuals

PH