'Share the Journey' through CRS Rice Bowl

Published: February 14, 2018

As Pope Francis asks us to “Share the Journey” with migrants and refugees around the world, Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl offers Catholics in the United States a way to encounter Lent, to encounter the causes of migration and displacement, and to learn about the challenges faced by families around the world in their dioceses, parishes and homes.

CRS Rice Bowl, now in its fifth decade, encourages participants to perform a simple act of Lenten sacrifice by substituting a low-cost meatless meal for more expensive dining once a week during Lent and put the money saved in a cardboard "rice bowl." Donations may also be made online.

Download the CRS Rice Bowl app to get reflections on the Sunday readings, lives of the saints, stations of the cross, seven sorrows of Mary and more. Resources are available in English and Spanish.

That concept remains at the heart of the program even as it has expanded to include a broader Lenten experience. Participants can access prayer resources and reflections, a daily Lenten calendar, digital retreat, weekly stories of hope that introduce families from around the world and recipes from various countries for meatless meals that can be enjoyed on Fridays during Lent. These materials are designed for families, parishes, educators and dioceses in English and Spanish.

The money collected in the rice bowls, which is turned in at the end of Lent, is distributed both around the world and in local dioceses to combat hunger. Seventy-five percent goes to support CRS’ humanitarian and development programs overseas, and 25 percent remains in the local diocese from which the donation came. In the Diocese of Little Rock, that 25 percent goes to to assist low-income people through Catholic Charities of Arkansas.

For more information about CRS Rice Bowl, visit CRS Rice Bowl or contact Rebecca Cargile at (501) 664-0340, ext. 355.