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Rice Bowl Gratitude: Together on a Lenten Journey of Eucharist and Hunger

April 21, 2025

(Photo credit: CRS Social Media)

From the Office for Social Ministry

As the Easter Season celebrates the culmination of our Paschal in the joyful Resurrection, CRS wants to thank all for sharing in the Lenten journey and how the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving impact not only our lives but also the lives of our sisters and brothers in our local community and around the world. As we strive to live in true global solidarity and are nourished by the Bread of Life, let us share bread for life to ensure everyone has enough to eat amid this global food crisis. When we come together to tackle hunger, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

For example, on the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert, the Sahel region spans Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan and Eritrea. In the Sahel, temperatures are high and rain is uncommon. In 1976, during a long drought, crops failed, livestock was lost and a lack of food threatened the lives of millions of our sisters and brothers. It was in that same year that Catholics from around the world participated in the 41st International Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme of the Congress, “The Eucharist and the Hungers of the Human Family,” emphasized the central role of the Eucharist in addressing the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of people, particularly in the context of challenges such as hunger, poverty and social injustice. 

The Eucharist, which means thanks giving, makes visible our communion with our sisters and brothers and our shared responsibility as one human family. As Catholics, we believe no person should go hungry; however, our world is currently facing levels of hunger that experts believe could be the new normal. That’s why it is more important than ever for us to recommit each Lent—and throughout the year—to supporting our global family experiencing these challenges. We thank you for your continued support and for more on CRS efforts worldwide,  please visit www.crs.org. We thank all for turning in their Rice Bowl donations to their parishes so they can be processed through the Diocese Financial Department as soon as possible.