Rice Bowl

Richard A. Sokerka

Rice Bowl

We began the holy season of Lent yesterday, on Ash Wednesday. It is a time frame of 40 days set aside to prepare for Holy Week and the great feast of Easter through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and solidarity with the poor — all foundational building blocks for our Lenten journey.

One way to use those foundational building blocks of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and solidarity with the poor is to take part in Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl program, which this year is marking its 40th anniversary during these 40 days of Lent.

The largest and oldest Lenten program used by millions of Catholics across the U.S., it is known for its iconic and symbolic cardboard “rice bowl.” The program has evolved over multiple generations to become a tradition for Catholic families, parishes and religious educators. Since its inception, millions of Catholics have contributed alms totaling $250 million to support efforts that fight poverty and hunger in dioceses across the U.S. and overseas. CRS has humanitarian programs in 93 countries overseas, providing life-saving assistance and hope to impoverished and vulnerable communities. And 25 percent of all donations given to the Rice Bowl program stay right here in our own Diocese of Paterson to help the needy through our Catholic Charities agencies.

Pope Francis has said, “The scandal that millions of people suffer from hunger must not paralyze us, but push each and every one of us to act: singles, families, communities, institutions, governments, to eliminate this injustice.” People looking for a way to respond to his call this Lent will find that the CRS Rice Bowl program is a proven, powerful way to make an immediate difference in the lives of the poor.