Maine Parishioners Contribute Over $52,000 to CRS Rice Bowl

Parishioners in the Diocese of Portland combined to raise over $52,000 for the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl program during the forty days of Lent in 2022. CRS Rice Bowl is a faith-in-action program that encourages Catholics to fill cardboard bowls with monetary donations, giving alms to those in need and honoring Jesus’ call to serve our neighbors.

Individuals and families in the Diocese of Portland have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years as part of the program. According to CRS, 75% of the donations given through CRS Rice Bowl will go to Catholic Relief Services to support humanitarian aid projects that bring vital hope and live-saving aid to the poorest of the poor overseas, while 25% of donations stay in the Diocese of Portland to fight hunger and poverty locally, for instance, helping food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.