Party building

Truly deserving of the title "ambassador of the people's hearts".- Final lesson: Fulfilling both worldly and spiritual duties

Khanh Ly - Thanh Phuc / Technical support: Hong Toai • November 9, 2025 08:28

For over 20 years, shouldering the dual role of Party Secretary and Village Head, elected representative Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh has always held the belief: "As a Vietnamese citizen, whether religious or secular, we all have a duty to contribute to the development of our homeland." In him, religion and life are intertwined, radiating the spirit of "Reverence for God and love for the country"...

Khanh Ly - Thanh Phuc /Technique:Hong Toai• November 9, 2025

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For over 20 years, Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh has shouldered the dual role of Party Secretary and Village Head, as well as elected representative. He has always believed: "As a Vietnamese citizen, whether religious or secular, we all have a duty to contribute to the development of our homeland." In him, religion and life are intertwined, radiating the spirit of "Reverence for God and love for the country"...

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Born in 1969 into a Catholic family living a virtuous and moral life in Trung Hau parish, Son La parish, Tan Son commune, Do Luong district (formerly), now Van Hien commune, Catholic parishioner Tran Ngoc Canh grew up in an environment of faith and patriotism.

Imbued with the teachings in Pope Benedict XVI's "Address and Message":"By living lives founded on charity, integrity, and respect for the common good, lay Catholics must demonstrate that good Catholics are also good citizens."In 1988, the young man volunteered to enlist in the 228th Regiment, 365th Division, Air Defense - Air Force Command. Three years in the military helped him become stronger and understand the ideal of serving the Fatherland and the people.

In 1991, after being discharged from the army, he started his career in traditional carpentry, then switched to trading to stabilize his life. Alongside his work and production, he actively participated in social activities, earning the trust of veteran Party members in his village branch, who selected him as a model "key figure" to be nurtured, enlightened, and admitted into the Party. Despite the many obstacles faced by Catholic youth joining the Party at that time, Tran Ngoc Canh remained steadfast in his goal: "To join the Party to serve the Fatherland and the people." In 2001, he was admitted into the Party, becoming a full Party member in 2022.

Shortly afterwards, he was trusted by party members and the people to be elected as Secretary and Head of Tan Son 6 hamlet for over 20 consecutive years, and also served as a representative of the People's Council of Tan Son commune (formerly), now Van Hien commune, from 2005 to the present.

Bearing multiple responsibilities and working in an area with both Catholic and non-Catholic residents, fulfilling his duties was no easy task. However, through his intelligence, humility, and dedication to the community, he skillfully reconciled differences, building trust and unity among the people.

The work at the grassroots level is fraught with difficulties, but Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh always prioritizes "integrity," "trust," and the spirit of "democracy" and "setting an example." As the head of a Party branch with 41 members, of whom he is the only Catholic, Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh consistently receives high trust due to his commitment to "matching words with actions," living harmoniously, and fostering unity and solidarity.

Together with the Party branch committee, he concretized the Party and State's guidelines and policies into practical resolutions suitable to the local situation. Mr. Nguyen Tat Binh (72 years old, 30 years of Party membership), a member of the Tan Son 6 Party branch, commented: "Party branch secretary and village head Tran Ngoc Canh is a role model and very skilled in mobilizing the people. Thanks to him, the village has many practical public works projects, and he is always at the forefront of every movement."

In fact, over the years, Mr. Canh has mobilized the people and called upon combined resources to support the hamlet in building a new rural area, such as completing the construction of the largest stadium in the commune, worth over 2.1 billion VND. He also directly spearheaded the social mobilization efforts to install streetlights, build roads with national flags, and beautify roads with flowers and trees… All initiatives have been implemented transparently and democratically, adhering to the motto "the people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people inspect".

As a member of the People's Council, he always stayed close to the grassroots, listened to the people, and protected the legitimate rights of voters. Thanks to his dedication, many voter requests were resolved promptly, contributing to raising people's trust in the Party committee and the government.

For example, the people's desire to upgrade the road leading to the carpentry village has been addressed by the government and relevant agencies. The road has now been paved with asphalt, with the province contributing 60%, the commune 30%, and the people contributing 10%.

"As an elected representative, I always strive to be a bridge to bring the voices of the people, including Catholic compatriots, closer to the government at all levels. That is also how I contribute to strengthening national unity," Mr. Canh confided.

When the Party and State adopted the policy of streamlining the administrative apparatus and implementing a two-tiered government system, Mr. Canh was one of the first grassroots officials to proactively disseminate information, helping people understand the determination to reform the administration, streamline the apparatus, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of serving the people in accordance with the comprehensive reform spirit of the Party and State.

He himself was aware that this change required not only the commune officials but also the village officials to adapt more quickly and professionally to meet the demands of the new situation, especially in applying technology and building a digital rural area. Therefore, in addition to disseminating information and mobilizing the people, he also personally learned and applied technology to management, using computers to draft documents, create files for managing households, population, and party members; and established Zalo groups to transmit information quickly and efficiently.

Despite the increasing workload and pressure, he remains persistent and dedicated: from compiling support files for 106 households whose rice crops were damaged after typhoon No. 5, to beautifying flower-lined and flag-lined streets, and summarizing year-end activities... For him, each task is a responsibility and a joy in serving the people.

Not only did Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh excel in his role as a "bridge" between the Party committee, the government, and the people, but he also skillfully connected secular and religious matters. He always sought the support of the priest and the Parish Pastoral Council to mobilize the people to participate in various movements, thereby building Tan Son 6 hamlet into a model example of successful initiatives."The parish is peaceful, free from crime and social vices," "Catholics and non-Catholics unite to build a new rural area," "Smart villages and hamlets".

Through his practical actions, he contributed to spreading the spirit of "respecting God and loving the country," strengthening people's faith, and building increasingly strong relationships between Catholics and non-Catholics.

Besides excelling in community affairs, Party Branch Secretary and Village Head Tran Ngoc Canh is also respected for his exemplary role in building a cultured family and raising his children to be well-educated. His eldest son graduated from the Academy of Finance and is working at a factory of the Hoa Sen Group; his second son graduated with a degree in information technology engineering and is working in Japan; and his youngest son is currently in high school.

Having dedicated over twenty years to community service, Catholic parishioner Tran Ngoc Canh has received numerous prestigious awards, most recently a Certificate of Merit from the Steering Committee of the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" movement in Nghe An province for the period 2021-2025; he was also a delegate to the Nghe An Provincial Emulation Congress in 2025, and was honored to be selected as a model to attend the National Emulation Congress.

However, for him, the greatest reward is the people's trust. "What makes me happiest is being loved and trusted by the people. That is the motivation for me to continue striving, 'living the Gospel in the heart of the nation, serving the happiness of my compatriots'," he shared.

Living and acting in the spirit of the 1980 Pastoral Letter of the Vietnamese Bishops' Conference, layperson and elected representative Tran Ngoc Canh has found the true value of a harmonious combination of faith in God and civic responsibility. For him, "fulfilling both worldly and religious duties" is not just a duty, but a journey of complete dedication to his homeland and country.