CRS Rice Bowls

Dear Families, 

This Lent, our community will participate in CRS Rice Bowl as Catholic Relief Services celebrates 50 years of the program. CRS Rice Bowl started in Allentown, Pennsylvania, by parishioners to help families facing famine in The Sahel region of Africa. Shortly after, it was adopted by the United States bishops and made an official program of CRS.

At this very moment, millions of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers are facing life-threatening levels of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. At the root of this crisis is a perfect storm of poverty, climate change, conflict and inequality.

There is no one solution to breaking the cycle of hunger for every community around the world—but we can do our part through CRS Rice Bowl by answering Jesus’ invitation us to share bread for life with our sisters and brothers during Lent—so all may live with dignity. 

Throughout these 40 days, we will learn about families in Nigeria, Guatemala and Bangladesh who are building resilience in the face of adversity and helping their community live healthy lives. This is all possible because of our donations of Lenten alms to CRS Rice Bowl. We also help our local community through the program because 25% of every donation stays in our diocese to fight hunger and poverty.

CRS Rice Bowl provides resources for daily reflection throughout the liturgical season. Consider these suggestions in your family’s Lenten plan:

· Use your CRS Rice Bowl and Lenten Calendar each day to guide your prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

· Visit crsricebowl.org to read weekly Stories of Hope and watch the accompanying videos.

· Use the CRS Rice Bowl recipes from crsricebowl.org/recipe to prepare simple, meatless meals on the Fridays of Lent to eat in solidarity with our global family.

During this holy season, may your Lenten journey be a transformative and enriching experience as you put your faith into action for our sisters and brothers experiencing the greatest need.

Rice bowls will be collected at the end of Lent, so stay tuned to learn more. Thank you for participating in CRS Rice Bowl.

Sincerely,
Your Walpole Catholic Collaborative Clergy & Staff

NOTE: Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl beginning on Ash Wednesday, available at both Blessed Sacrament and Saint Mary parishes. RETURN ON PALM SUNDAY.