Peace in Phu Xuan Parish

Combating social evils

Quynh Tam commune is located more than 10 km from the center of Quynh Luu district, in the southwesternmost part of the district. The commune has 2,082 households with 9,634 inhabitants; its area is 22.32 km².²Spanning a semi-mountainous terrain and bordering three districts: Nghia Dan, Yen Thanh, and Dien Chau, Quynh Tam commune enjoys many advantages for economic development and trade. However, this also makes the security and order situation in the area potentially complex. Prior to 2019, Quynh Tam commune was known as a hotspot for security and order issues in Quynh Luu district, with complex crime rates, including property theft, illegal gambling, and especially drug abuse.

Furthermore, many young people in the area work as long-distance truck drivers, often gathering with friends to drink alcohol after each trip, leading to fights. Not only that, Phu Xuan Parish frequently receives visitors from neighboring areas for religious services. During their stay in the area, some unscrupulous individuals have enticed and lured local young people into petty theft and other social vices.

Recognizing this situation, the commune authorities determined that in order to combat social evils and prevent and fight crime in the area, they had to gradually address the root causes. Therefore, in 2019, the "Peaceful Parish" model was established, attracting the participation of a large number of Catholic parishioners of Phu Xuan Parish.

To implement the model"A peaceful parish"The commune authorities, together with the Public Security Department, established criteria to ensure the achievement of "Safety and Security" standards. In addition, they formed 25 neighborhood groups in two hamlets and organized the signing of commitments for "Safe Neighborhood Groups"; they also coordinated with priests and parish pastoral councils to disseminate information and encourage people to strictly abide by the policies and laws of the State.

The inter-communal flag-lined road was built with contributions from the parishioners of Phu Xuan Parish. Photo: An Quynh

Thanks to these efforts, the security and order situation in the area has seen many positive changes from 2019 to the present. The head of the Quỳnh Tam commune police, Mr. Hồ Quang Thạch, stated: “The commune police regularly coordinate with priests and parish pastoral councils to discuss security and order. When children show signs of violating the law, we cooperate to deter and prevent such behavior.” Over the past five years, the authorities have coordinated to arrest four individuals involved in three cases related to drug trafficking and possession; handled two theft cases in the area; and prosecuted five individuals involved in gambling…

From these initial positive changes, the parishioners of Phu Xuan Parish have deeply understood what constitutes right words and actions, building a movement of "All citizens protecting national security" closely linked to the peaceful lives of the local people.

Building a safe parish

After five years of implementation, the "Peaceful Parish" model has gained the consensus of a large number of people, especially the parish priest of Phu Xuan. Since then, the parish, together with the local government, has helped people live and work peacefully, maintaining unity and solidarity, working together to build a new rural area, a peaceful parish, and a life of virtue and morality. Parishioners have also actively participated in movements launched by the local authorities, especially the emulation movement to build new rural areas, create safe and secure residential areas, and promote economic development.

Cameras have been installed on many streets to ensure security and order. Photo: An Quynh

Based on the spirit of the "Peaceful Parish" model, the parish has established a self-governing security and order team with 40 members who are parishioners in the area. Through this model, parishioners have been mobilized to ensure security and order, build a parish free from social vices, and promote a civilized lifestyle. Each resident becomes an "eyes and ears" for reporting crimes and preventing new social vices from emerging, thus cleaning up the area. In the last two years, parishioners have provided the authorities with 10 valuable pieces of information, helping the police to investigate and handle cases promptly.

In many problematic areas, the commune's police force, in coordination with the Pastoral Council, has encouraged residents to install public cameras along inter-commune roads. Recognizing the benefits, the people have responded very positively. Currently, there are 8 cameras in the commune directly connected to the commune police station. These cameras, installed at key gateways and strategic locations, have contributed to reducing incidents that disrupt security and order. The number of disruptive and unruly youth incidents has significantly decreased.

“When the model was first introduced, the local authorities were worried that the results might not meet the people's expectations. However, what we wanted was to create the best and safest living conditions so that people could focus on production. At the same time, we wanted to build a strong bond of solidarity between the community and the government. Then, any difficult issues would be easier to resolve,” shared Mr. Le Dinh Hung, Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Quynh Tam commune.

Thanks to the effectiveness of the "Peaceful Parish" model, Quynh Tam commune has ensured security and order in the area, as well as created a close bond between the Parish Pastoral Council and the local government. Quynh Tam commune achieved the new rural development goal in 2018 and is expected to achieve the advanced new rural development goal in 2024. This achievement is partly due to the efforts of the parishioners of Phu Xuan Parish.

Furthermore, in response to the "Clear Roads, Spacious Sidewalks, Civilized Villages" and "Roads with Flags and Lights of Great Unity" movements of the Fatherland Front Committee of Quynh Tam commune, the parishioners of Phu Xuan parish contributed over 400 million VND and 438 poles to build a street lighting system, helping to reduce traffic accidents and property theft.

The camera system transmits images to the commune police for monitoring and handling. Photo: An Quynh

Particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Parish Priest and the Pastoral Council, along with the parishioners, actively participated in supporting the fight against the pandemic. For example, the parish provided clean water for quarantine areas, kitchens, and checkpoints. They donated over 10 million VND to the district's vaccine fund, as well as cash and other essential supplies. Furthermore, Phu Xuan Parish also called on its parishioners working and living away from home to support 141 households in the village facing difficulties due to Covid-19, raising 36 million VND. Many parishes and families actively participated in the "Good People, Good Deeds" movement and the "Culturally Advanced Family" initiative, with 100% of Catholic households registering. Several parishes were recognized as "Peaceful Religious Villages" and "Culturally Advanced Parishes," contributing to maintaining security, order, and social safety, as well as building national unity.

Based on the achievements, in 2022, Phu Xuan Parish was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Director of the Provincial Police for its outstanding achievements in building the movement of "Parishes and sub-parishes safe in terms of security and order".