YEN BAI, Vietnam (UCAN) -- A priest of a northern parish hit hard by recent flooding says a priest should not only provide pastoral care to parishioners but also be ready to live and die for them, especially when they are in danger.

Father Michael Tran Van Thin, pastor of Nhan Nghia parish, says he followed God's will in reaching out to protect people's lives and possessions from the area's worst flooding in 40 years. In addition to helping those in need, he also urged others not directly threatened by the floodwaters to help flood victims by providing shelter.

According to state-run media, heavy rains Aug. 7-10 caused flooding in 10 northern provinces that left 119 people dead, 40 missing and 86 injured. The floods destroyed 18,686 houses, 15,218 hectares of crops and 220 bridges.

The worst-hit provinces were Lao Cai and Yen Bai, which reported 88 of the fatalities, 35 people missing and 77 injured. Those two and six of the other eight flood-affected provinces lie in the territory of Hung Hoa diocese.

Father Thin's parish is based in Bao Dap, 210 kilometers northwest of Ha Noi, but also covers three other villages in Yen Bai province. Founded in 1964, it serves 3,000 Catholics in a population of 30,000.

Most local residents are farmers, whose leaf-roofed earthen houses were submerged in water between 2 and 5 meters deep. Four hundred families were immediately affected, losing crops, animals, poultry and fish pens to floodwaters that left their fields covered in sand or mud up to a meter deep.

The diocese initially offered 50 cases of instant noodles, containing 30 cups each, and 20 million dong (US$1,212) to people affected the most. The money was used to buy rice for them. Local government authorities also offered local people a case of instant noodles and 10 kilograms of rice each. They also plan to repair damaged houses and offer the people rice and other seeds to plant.

Father Thin, 44, who was ordained in 2001, started serving as Ngan Nghia parish priest this past Jan. 4. He spoke with UCA News on August 23 about his efforts to help local people survive and protect their possessions from the recent floods. The interview follows:

UCA NEWS: What did you do for local people during the floods?

FATHER MICHAEL TRAN VAN THIN: Most local Catholics live along the 20-kilometer-long bank of the Hong (Red) River, whose source is in neighboring China. When flood water started to rise in our area, I informed the local people of possible dangers and urged them to help one another move children and elderly people, and their property to higher places. Two hundred and fifty local Catholic residents had to move to higher ground.

I asked those whose houses were not inundated to kindly welcome victims regardless of their background, as well as their belongings. So during the floods from Aug. 7 to 13, local people provided accommodations while I provided food. I am happy that no one drowned. I told them it was most important to come to people's rescue and protect their belongings from the floods.

On those days, without wearing shoes or hat, other people and I waded through floodwaters or traveled by boat across the river to tie people's houses to big trees so they would not be washed away. We also moved people's belongings to higher places and, after the floods, cleaned mud out of their houses. I had to swim against strong currents to rescue children who were caught in houses inundated by floodwater.

After the floods, I immediately bought rice and instant noodles worth 10 million dong (US$600), which was what I had then, and offered it to local victims to help ease their hunger.

Later, I also met government authorities from the four villages in the parish territory and gave them 4 million dong as the local Church's relief aid to show our cooperation with the government in serving the flood victims. Some authorities remarked, 'You love the people, and rushed to visit and provide relief supplies to them before we did.'

What was your personal experience?

Many Catholics advised me against wading through strong currents to reach inundated houses. They worried that if I were washed away, they would not have anyone to rely on. I told them they should not prevent my work but should work with me to protect victims, because God was sending me to help people in danger. I remember a boatman refused to carry me across the risen river, because he feared I might be in danger of losing my life. But I persuaded him to take me by telling him many people in danger were waiting for me.

Many people living near either of the riverbanks did not move to higher spots because they did not want to leave their houses. I asked some young people to force them out of their houses and to carry mentally ill villagers whom nobody helped to safe places before flood water washed away their homes.

After the floods, we thanked God for our safety and asked ourselves why we dared risk our life to save others.

Why did you take this risk?

It is very simple. Lay Catholics respect and treat me as their father. It means I must love and take care of them as much as a man does for his own family. The father has to know what his children need, what they lack and what danger they face. So I have to do my best to protect my children from the devastating floods and offer them food. If I did nothing for them or ignored all their needs, I would not be a priest of Jesus.

Also, priests today not only administer rites and sacraments but sympathize and journey with lay Catholics, sharing their ups and downs.

After the floods, lay Catholics and I understand one another much better and have a very close relationship.

What challenges face local people after the floods?

Father Michael Tran Van Thin helps a non-Catholic family clear mud and debris from their home on Aug. 11, after recent floods in northern Vietnam.

At the moment they still survive on their rice and other food they kept safe from the floods, but they will surely face severe famine in the coming months. That is because all their rice, corn, sweet potato and vegetable crops that were near to being harvested have been destroyed. It will take them a long time to carry away mud and sand that covered their fields during the flood. The next rice crop will not be harvested until February.

I am very concerned, because these people typically live on only 240 square meters of farmland each and they have no other jobs.

Now some people are trying to restore their farmland so they can plant again, and many others whose farmland was damaged heavily have to fish in the river and streams or collect firewood for a living.

Do you have any plans to help them return to their normal life?

Although I am a poor priest, I have some small plans for them. I plan to buy 5,000 kilograms of chemical fertilizer, worth 20 million dong. That will be offered to people who suffered the most severe damage and are the poorest among local people. If benefactors give me enough money to help my parishioners in the future, the beneficiaries will not have to repay their debts to me when they harvest their crops next year. Otherwise I need the repayments to be able to help other people.

In all, the 400 local families who are flood victims here will need 40,000 kilograms of chemical fertilizer for their next crops, but I cannot meet this need.

It is important that local people help one another before others help them. I ask them to save their daily expenses and donate as much money as they can to the parish to help buy seeds for the poorest, and books and pens for children in need for the new school year, which starts in September.

I also asked them not to sell their property, animals or poultry right now to traders, who would buy them for a low price.

I wish the local government and Church would offer more relief aid for the local flood victims so they could return to their normal life soon.

END