Bishop's Message on Lent and CRS Rice Bowl

Dear Friends in Christ, 

Lent is a time of repentance and of uniting ourselves to Christ during his 40 days in the desert. During this sacred season, CRS Rice Bowl—Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program—invites us to reflect on how caring for our neighbor is caring for Christ. For I was hungry, and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink (Matthew 25:35).

CRS Rice Bowl provides resources to bring Lenten spirituality to life for families, parishes and school communities while continuing to connect Catholics in our diocese with our global human family.  

This year, CRS invites you to journey to Madagascar, El Salvador, and Timor-Leste to learn about the root causes of hunger and how communities—with the support of CRS and faith communities like yours—are making sure they have the right nutritious food to thrive. Through stories, videos, and lesson plans, your community will learn about the global issue of hunger and malnutrition and our Gospel call to feed the hungry. With prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we can continue Jesus’ mission to care for all in need. 

I encourage you to order a CRS Rice Bowl and Lenten Calendar for each family in your community. These free materials are available in English and Spanish. You may also visit crsricebowl.org or crsplatodearroz.org to find additional resources, including:  

• Lenten devotions and prayers
• Lesson plans, videos, and activity sheets for Catholic school teachers and religious educators
• Ideas for in-person or virtual community gatherings and simple Lenten meal events

Thank you for inviting families in your faith community to an enriched Lenten journey through CRS Rice Bowl. Together, we can respond to Christ’s call to help those in need and ensure everyone reaches his or her God-given human potential. 

Sincerely Yours in Christ,