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Catholic Relief Services Lenten Rice Bowl

February 13, 2023

From the Office for Social Ministry

“Rice Bowl provides resources that “bring to life” the Lenten spirituality of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for families, parishes, and schools in our diocese, connecting us all with our global ‘ohaha.” - Bishop Larry Silva 2023 Rice Bowl Letter

On Ash Wednesday, Christians worldwide will gather to begin a 40-day Lenten journey to come closer to God through encountering Christ in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Rice Bowl is the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services-CRS, which is the official relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CRS Rice Bowl program is an opportunity to experience and understand how the journey and encounter with Christ through the traditional Lenten practices can connect with and impact our sisters and brothers in need here and around the world.

This Lent, the CRS Rice Bowl takes all on a journey to Honduras, the Philippines, and Kenya through Stories of Hope that demonstrate the ways Rice Bowl donations are changing lives. Since its inception in 1975, the CRS Rice Bowl program has raised more than $320 million to help prevent hunger and poverty in more than 100 countries each year. Twenty-five percent of Rice Bowl donations raised locally stays here in the islands, supporting social ministry projects that are part of the Diocese of Honolulu statewide initiative called “One Ohana: Food and Housing for All.” This initiative supports projects that engage parishioners in a broad range of outreach ministries, which include parish food pantries and community gardens, transitional and affordable housing for homeless families, legal and social services for vulnerable migrants and refugees fleeing violence in their home countries.

For more information on CRS Rice Bowl program and where to view and download all their resources (including videos on the Stories of Hope and the Stations of the Cross) please visit www.crsricebowl.org  For more on the Diocese of Honolulu statewide initiative One Ohana: Food and Housing for All, please visit the OSM website www.officeforsocialministry.org. where you can also find the full text of Bishop Larry Silva’s 2023 Rice Bowl letter which he concludes by stating “I strongly encourage all to participate in the CRS Lenten Rice Bowl journey to come closer to God and witness to Jesus by responding to Christ’s call to help our sisters and brothers in need.” If you need more Rice Bowl materials for your parish or school, please contact us at 808 203-6734. Let us begin this Lenten season with a Rice Bowl prayer. “Our Father, As we begin Lent, let our hearts be filled with your Spirit so that we may grow deeper in your love. May our prayer lead us to a sincere desire to be close to you. May fasting help us rely on you and transform us into better people. May our almsgiving be a chance to serve our one human family around the world.” Mahalo!