Help your parish deepen their participation in the body of Christ this Lent through CRS Rice Bowl. Rooted in the history of the Eucharistic Congress, CRS Rice Bowl invites faith communities in the United States to encounter God and our global family throughout Lent by practicing the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Use these free resources to kick off CRS Rice Bowl in your parish and learn together how the Eucharist—the Bread of Life—calls us to share bread for life with our sisters and brothers most in need around the world.
Get Started
- Talk with your pastor to get his support and ask for help engaging the wider community, recruiting volunteers and promoting CRS Rice Bowl.
- Place your order for free CRS Rice Bowl materials at least three weeks before Lent at crsricebowl.org/order.
- Promote CRS Rice Bowl in your community with the CRS Rice Bowl poster, downloadable ads and other communication resources available.
- Distribute CRS Rice Bowls at Mass to every family on the Sunday before Lent or Ash Wednesday.
- Use CRS Rice Bowl resources throughout Lent to enhance your community’s experience, including weekly Prayers of the Faithful and bulletin announcements, Stations of the Cross and meatless recipes from around the world.
- Create your community’s personalized online giving page to easily collect alms throughout Lent.
Planning Tools
Find the tools you need to begin planning your faith community’s CRS Rice Bowl Lenten experience. Get started by watching this video with 5 simple steps.
Order free CRS Rice Bowl materials online for your parish community, or call 800-222-0025. All orders ship in early January.
End-of-Lent Planning
It’s important to inform parishioners how CRS Rice Bowl donations will be collected at the end of Lent. To assist in that effort, all participating communities will receive a “Mid-Lent Mailing.” Some helpful hints:
- Steps to Collect CRS Rice Bowls: These tips will help you plan a successful end-of-Lent collection.
- Envelope Template: If your community prefers a second collection-style envelope, download and print this envelope.
Communication Tools
CRS Rice Bowl offers a suite of digital and print tools to help you communicate with parishioners.
Include a short blurb in your school newsletter, featuring information about CRS Rice Bowl, the weekly Stories of Hope and the impact of your community’s almsgiving.
If your parish is interested in hearing a first-hand account of how far your CRS Rice Bowl funds go, invite a CRS Global Fellow—a priest or deacon who witnesses the work of CRS and shares about it with communities in the U.S.—to your parish. There is no cost and no second collection, just a thank you, for your support and an inspirational message about the impact your community can make through CRS Rice Bowl. To schedule, email globalfellows@crs.org.
Liturgical Resources
Integrate CRS Rice Bowl into your parish’s liturgical life with these faith resources.
Online Community Giving
Interested in starting a CRS Rice Bowl fundraising page to collect your community’s Lenten alms? Register your community giving page today in less than 10 minutes. Then, invite your parish, school or community to turn in their rice bowls through your personalized link.
