Hanoi (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in Vietnam is offering a valuable service to society, but it would like to do even more if the government would give permission. Catholic women religious, the Daughters of Charity, have spent more than 600,000 dollars to help children in the Mekong Delta to attend school and they also run a centre for terminally ill AIDS patients. A nun of the same congregation, Sister Nguyen Thi Man, was awarded the Third-Order Medal for her service to people with leprosy in Di Linh, in Lam Dong province. Moreover Than Hoa diocese in northern Vietnam the Daughters of Charity contributed one million dong to build a hostel for students of a state-run university. Another Catholic institution, a kindergarten run by the Sisters of St Paul of Chartres, in My Tho, Tien Giang province, is a model for the whole country. The Prime Minster recently gave these Sisters special mention. Another Catholic religious congregation which has obtained government applause are the St John of God Hospitaller Brothers in Dong Nai province, whose outstanding contribution to healthcare has won provincial government praise. (Fides Service 27/1/2003)