Rice bowls

CRS Rice Bowl is the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services, the official relief and development agency of the  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Through CRS Rice Bowl, faith communities in every diocese throughout the United States put their faith into action through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lenten alms donated through CRS Rice Bowl support the work of CRS in roughly 45 different countries each year. Twenty five percent of all donations to CRS Rice Bowl stay in the local diocese, supporting hunger and poverty alleviation efforts. Since its inception in 1975, CRS Rice Bowl has raised nearly $300 million.Through CRS Rice Bowl, we share the journey with members of our human family around the world, and commit our Lenten prayers, fasting and almsgiving to deepening our faith and serving those in need.
 
While the temptations of the desert tell us to be afraid, to cling to what we have and look out only for ourselves, the invitation of Lent beckons us forth to encounter the needs of the world through:

• A renewed life of PRAYER in God that unites our needs with the needs of the world, through the stories of members of our global human family.
• A commitment to FAST that reminds us that God is ever faithful and frees us from the fear of not having or being enough.
• A readiness to GIVE ALMS so as to share what we have with our brothers and sisters around the world.