Fifty years ago, Catholics in Allentown, Pennsylvania, organized to help families facing famine in Africa. That help came in the form of a small cardboard box, marking the beginning of “Operation Rice Bowl.” Today, as we celebrate CRS Rice Bowl’s 50th anniversary, the program is a tradition for millions of Catholics in the United States who continue to answer the Gospel call, supporting families experiencing hunger around the world.
I have learned a lot about Catholic Relief Services. I have come to see the CRS Rice Bowl collection as an example of the definition of “catholic” – universal! The definition recognizes that the universe has no borders – it encompasses the whole world. After all, Jesus called us to reach out to “all nations,” and that’s what we as Catholics of the USA have done with our contributions to CRS through our Lenten Rice Bowls.
We have enabled CRS to show Christ’s love to our global brothers and sisters by the services provided – food, medicine, water, farming assistance, disaster relief, and more. Funds are divided: 25% help local diocesan outreaches, and 75% benefit CRS programs abroad.
Although Rice Bowl is celebrating 50 years, CRS has been working for us for 80 years. And while Jesus calls us to give without expecting a benefit, the fact is we do get benefits in return. I’d like to address three: fulfilling our Gospel call, disease control and respect.
Our Gospel call brings the parable of the Good Samaritan to mind. Recall that the Good Samaritan came upon a man on the side of the road, beaten and left to die. The Samaritan helped that man. At no time, did he ask, “Are you Jewish?” “Egyptian?” “A Samaritan?” Or any such questions. Rather, he saw the need and responded. That’s our Gospel call. Since we all can’t work around the world, we are nevertheless able to see the need globally and respond by supporting CRS.
We see real-time global needs on television, making our world smaller. With global travel, what happens in far-off countries no longer stays in far-off countries. Remember COVID-19? That brings me to disease control.
When CRS helps address, reduce and even eliminate a disease found in a remote village, it decreases the likelihood that the same disease will travel to the U.S. The medicines being provided are vital to the health of our global brothers and sisters, but their help also keeps us safer. That leads me to respect.
I have met people who have benefited from CRS work and heard firsthand their stories. I met Thomas Awiapo, who grew up in rural Ghana. He and his brothers were orphaned as children and never had enough to eat. One day he smelled lunch cooking at a nearby school – a CRS program. He wasn’t interested in school, but he started to attend so he could have something to eat. Today, he has a master’s degree in public administration.
During a webinar a man told of his trip with CRS. While driving through a small village in a truck marked “CRS,” the members of the community came out joyfully welcoming them, treating them like royalty. When he asked why, a villager said, “30 years ago we received help from CRS, and that is why I am alive today.”
Our Rice Bowl contributions save lives! Our CRS work promotes lasting respect.
Alas, 50% of CRS programs have been terminated as part of the 83% of all US foreign aid ended. That federal aid supplemented our efforts to help our global brothers and sisters, because our Rice Bowl contributions and the annual CRS collection can’t meet the need alone.
Bill O’Keefe, executive vice president for mission and mobilization at Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, told OSV News that, with global hunger rising and the termination of U.S. funds, Rice Bowl has “never been more needed.”
Here’s our challenge: Let’s all try to donate at least $50 to Rice Bowl this Lent – that would represent $1 for each of the 50 years of CRS’ lifesaving work. Give online at https://www.crsricebowl.org/, learn the facts about CRS at https://www.crs.org/ and advocate to reinstitute foreign aid at https://support.crs.org/act/foreign-aid-operations?ms=mamcrs2025app00her01.
Rascher is Executive Director of the Office of Catholic Social Services for the Diocese of Trenton and is diocesan liaison to CRS.
Some information for this column was provided by OSV News.