This year marks the 40th anniversary of Catholic Relief Service’s Rice Bowl, the Lenten program known for its iconic cardboard “rice bowl” used by millions of Catholics across the United States.
The CRS Rice Bowl has become a tradition for Catholic families, parishes and religious educators. Since its inception, it has raised $250 million to fight poverty and hunger across the country and overseas.
“When we step back and consider that this paper rice bowl has made it possible to give real, life-saving assistance to so many, we see the power the 40 days of Lent have produced over the last four decades,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for Catholic Relief Services.
Rosenhauer was the guest speaker at Hawaii’s Red Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace Jan. 20.
She said it was “right time to step forward” and fill each cardboard bowl with $40 “for those who need our help.”
For Thomas Awiapo of Ghana, the CRS Rice Bowl saved his life. As a hungry orphan who had lost two brothers to starvation, he was welcomed into a school where lunch, funded through CRS Rice Bowl, was served. He was given a meal and an education.
Awiapo later earned a master’s degree in public administration and spends each Lent speaking to students in the United States about the power CRS Rice Bowl has to change people’s lives.
The CRS Rice Bowl began in Allentown, Penn., as a response to a famine in Africa. The U.S. bishops adopted the program as a national response to hunger around the world, calling it “Operation Rice Bowl.”
Today, CRS Rice Bowl donations support CRS’ programs in 93 countries, providing life-saving help to impoverished communities. Twenty-five percent of contributions remain in the dioceses where they were given to fund food pantries, community gardens and other outreach programs for vulnerable populations in the U.S.
The program has evolved to incorporate a variety of resources to make Lent a deeper and more fulfilling experience. One of the newest developments is the Rice Bowl app for mobile devices. The app can be personalized to help users stick to their Lenten goals of prayer, sacrifice and charitable giving. It includes built-in social media and videos, and it is available in Spanish.
The program offers the “CRS Global Kitchen” video with Father Leo Patalinghug, host of GracebeforeMeals.com, who cooks five meatless recipes from this year’s CRS recipe collection.
Another series, “What is Lent?,” features eight prominent Catholic figures answering that question. They discuss prayer, fasting, almsgiving and solidarity.
To learn more about CRS Rice Bowl visit crsricebowl.org. Download the app from the iTunes or Google Play stores. To follow CRS Rice Bowl on Twitter or Facebook, search @CRSRiceBowl or #4Lent4Life.
