The sense of comprehensive renewal in persons, programmes and action plans reflecting Vietnamese Catholics’ patriotism and active contributions to national work, benefitting both the religion and the individual has been defined by the HCM City 6 th Conference of Catholics for National Construction and Defence.

The sixth Conference of the ‘Ho Chi Minh City Catholics for National Construction and Defence’ opened in the southern economic hub on September 4 to discuss the orientation of the activities of the Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Catholics’ Unity.

More than 600 Catholic dignitaries, priests, followers, plus representatives of 21 district Committees for Catholics’ Unity and 450 families of Catholic war invalids and fallen combatants in the city attended the event.

In a letter sent to the Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Catholics’ Unity, Cardinal Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City diocese, said strategies to accelerate the current development process, foundations for sustainable development, respect for human dignity and the truth, the goal of education and development as well as basic values help people of all walks of life promote their patriotism.

Priest Nguyen Cong Danh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Catholics’ Unity, praised the active participation of Ho Chi Minh City Catholic dignitaries and followers in the patriotic movement, which has had a significant impact upon the national movement.

Reviewing the Catholics’ movement over the past five years, Priest Danh said that the Catholics have actively participated in a range of social, humanitarian, and national construction and defence activities.

The Catholics in the city contributed more than VND 120 billion to social welfare funds, and the city has commended more than 430 Catholic residential quarters and nearly 10,000 individual Catholics for their good deeds, he said.

Almost all Catholics have stable jobs and many of them are successful entrepreneurs.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet presented the Labour Order, third class, to the Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Catholics’ Unity in recognition of its outstanding achievements and contributions to the national construction and defence between 2003 and 2008.

The President also granted the National Great Unity Order to Priest Nguyen Cong Danh, Chairman of the Committee; Priest Phan Khac Tu, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Committee; and Priest Truong Ba Can, Vice Chairman of the Committee and Editor-in-chief of the Catholic newspaper.

Addressing the congress, the Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Nguyen Van Dua, said he hoped that priests and their congregations would continue contributing to the development of both the city and the nation, benefiting both their country and the Catholic religion.

The congress re-elected Priest Nguyen Cong Danh as Chairman and elected 12 priests as vice chairs, of the Committee. (VNA)