More than a bowl of rice
By Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz
Hawaii Catholic Herald
“We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family. There are no frontiers or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalization of indifference.”
In this quote from “Laudato Si’,” his encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis highlights the need for people of the world to come together and work for the common good.
The pontiff’s words echo the premise of Catholic Relief Services’ annual Rice Bowl campaign. A popular Lenten tradition, CRS Rice Bowl aims to make a difference for the poor around the globe through the prayers, fasting and almsgiving of parishioners and families in the U.S.
The Diocese of Honolulu this year is encouraging more participation in Rice Bowl initiatives. Resources are available online at www.crsricebowl.org and through the diocesan Office for Social Ministry to foster increased service and deeper spiritual formation with Rice Bowl contributions during Lent, which begins Feb. 10.
“CRS Rice Bowl connects our desire to help the hungry and meet the needs of our brothers and sisters through an intentional act of giving some portion of our resources each day,” said David Coleman, director of Catholic Relief Services for Hawaii.
“Participating in the program develops in us a spirituality, a way of living with God in gratitude for all the blessings we have received,” Coleman added. “In gratitude, we come to know our God of Mercy personally through the simple act of giving, praying, and sharing the stories of those in need.”
CRS Rice Bowl started 41 years ago as a project by the faithful in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who wanted to aid those affected by famine in Africa. They began the campaign’s trademark collection of monetary “alms” during Lent in a small cardboard box, with a slit cut on top for deposits.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted Rice Bowl as a national program in 1976, and it became the official Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services in 1977.
According to the CRS Rice Bowl website, 13,635 Catholic parishes and schools in the U.S. participated in the campaign in 2015. In more than 40 years, roughly $250 million has been distributed through CRS Rice Bowl to aid programs aimed at fighting hunger and poverty.
Seventy-five percent of the money collected in a diocese’s Rice Bowl campaign goes toward CRS’ worldwide humanitarian efforts. Examples of such projects include agriculture improvements for farmers, water and sanitation upgrades, nutrition services for mothers and children, and education.
The other 25 percent of funds raised in a diocese remains with its local programs. Hawaii CRS director Coleman noted that these contributions primarily go toward the hunger and homelessness programs of the diocesan Office for Social Ministry.
Going beyond food pantries
Jeanne Uwimbabazi smiles at her daughter Elissa Izibyose while feeding her porridge during a CRS health and nutrition screening near Buruba Village, Muhanga District, Rwanda(Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl for Catholic Relief Services )
Blessed Sacrament Father Robert Stark, diocesan social ministry director, explained that most of their efforts are concentrated on the “One Ohana, Food for All” program. This program has launched various initiatives to provide nutritious and sustainable food for Islanders in need.
Among the “One Ohana, Food for All” projects are the cultivation of gardens with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a “backpack” program which distributes snacks and other rations to schoolchildren on Molokai.
“We are trying to get food ministries to build on food pantries and go beyond them,” Father Stark said.
“One Ohana, Food for All” has also extended its outreach to migrant communities from Micronesia and the Marshall Islands who have settled in Hawaii. Chuukese parishioners, for example, are learning to grow breadfruit on the Big Island and are working on a garden project with Chaminade University.
“These people can give back and use their culture to plant food that can be nutritious,” Father Stark said.
Similar stories of providence in other hunger-stricken countries can be found on the CRS Rice Bowl website. This year’s section “Stories of Hope” tells about the lives of folks in Colombia, Laos, Rwanda, Honduras and Madagascar who have been aided by CRS.
Families are invited to read and reflect on these stories, along with accompanying videos, during each week in Lent. For the sixth week, a social ministry project in a U.S. diocese is featured.
“It’s important for us to feel like we’re a part of a larger church, the universal Catholic church,” Father Stark said. The Rice Bowl campaign is “so much greater than dropping coins into a cardboard box. It is a way for us to show that we can manifest God’s mercy. It deepens the whole Lenten spirit.”
Multi-level participation
Odin, 12, son of Razanamalala Eliane who runs a farm thanks to CRS, carried the dried stalks of the family’s maize crop which is used as feed for the family’s livestock. (Photo by Heidi Yanulis for Catholic Relief Services )
Several diocesan departments reported ways they are trying to push Island participation in CRS Rice Bowl.
The Office of Religious Education has mailed Rice Bowl curriculum packets to all parishes. Jayne Mondoy, diocesan religious education director, said activities could include “engaging children and families in a 10-minute prayer service or dedicating an entire class period to explore the unique stories of each country.”
Lisa Gomes, Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry director, has encouraged youth ministry leaders to discuss Rice Bowl in their lesson plans as well. Diocesan young adult ministry coordinator Makana Aiona suggests that young adults could serve at their parishes the meatless ethnic recipes from the CRS Stories of Hope.
The diocese’s fourth annual “Stewardship Day,” Feb. 6 at St. Stephen Diocesan Center, will feature a workshop by Father Stark on CRS Rice Bowl.
Island parishioners and students are also getting involved through the Rice Bowl’s digital resources, such as apps and social media.
CRS director Coleman said of these efforts that “we come to those we serve not simply as the poor, but we come to see them as human persons.” Especially during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, “they give us the gift of seeing ourselves as one human family. We are not alone, and our joy in God’s merciful love grows each day.”
For more information on CRS Rice Bowl, contact the Office for Social Ministry at 203-6702.
