by Thanh Thuy

The initiative brought together various associations in the archdiocese, including the local Caritas. The focus was on poor districts, like that of Can Gio where the number of Catholics has risen in the past few years with hundreds of baptisms. Christmas is an occasion of "great joy" for children, a Vietnamese priest said.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - During the weeks of Advent, various Catholic associations in the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Min City, including Legio, Catholic Mothers and Caritas, have sponsored pastoral activities, prayer meetings and initiatives of solidarity.

One of the projects involved about a thousand of needy children and senior citizens, especially in some of the city's poorest and most problem-afflicted districts, with Caritas volunteers helping out priests, nuns and lay Catholics in the distribution of rice, instant noodles, sweets and milk.

The area is located in Can Gio district and includes wetlands with alkaline waters. Most of the residents are poor who struggle every day to feed their children. Help is offered to everyone, Catholics and non-Catholics.

The Thanh Tam Social Centre is one of the initiatives of the past few years. Run by nuns, it houses some 40 disabled children and 60 hardship cases. Previously, many of them had to walk dozens of kilometres to go to school. Now they can benefit from the assistance and care provided by the nuns. "Christmas celebrations are a motive of great joy," said Fr Francis Assisi Hoang Minh Duc, from Saigon Caritas.

An Thoi Dong municipality has a small parish. Home to about 55,000, mostly non-Catholics, the town is part of Can Gio district. After a long period during which religion was banned and Communist and atheism prevailed, the area has now seen a religious revival that touches Christian as well.

According to the archdiocese, there was a handful of Catholics before 2000.  Thanks to the work of evangelisation of priests, nuns and lay Catholics, the community has grown with 900 new baptised members and 100 catechumens each year.

"In 1993, I was under house arrest on orders of the Communist government," said Fr Stephen Chan Tin. "Every Friday and Saturday, I could do the Mass in a private home." Now the situation is different, so much so that a parish was created in 2006. "Today we have 300 Catholics."

• vietnam
• christmas
• caritas
• help
• poor