Cir. 24.12
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Religious Men and Women, Lay Faithful;
During Lent, we’re invited to deepen our relationship and unite our hearts more fully with God and with one another. We can do this in an intentional way through the Catholic tradition of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. CRS Rice Bowl—Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program—invites us to encounter God and our global family by practicing these Lenten pillars and by reflecting on how the Eucharist—the Bread of Life— compels us to share bread for life with all members of our human family. That’s why again this year, I’m inviting you and your parish to use CRS Rice Bowl this Lent.
CRS Rice Bowl provides resources to bring Lenten spirituality to life for families, and parishes while continuing to connect Catholics in our Eparchy with our global human family.
This year, journey with CRS to Uganda, El Salvador and Indonesia to learn how issues like hunger and climate change are impacting our sisters and brothers around the world. Find out how families—with the support of faith communities like yours—are working hard to provide nutritious food for their children, build sustainable livelihoods and create healthy and thriving futures. Through stories, videos and lesson plans, your community will learn about our Gospel call to care for our common home so we can respond to global issues such as hunger and malnutrition and push back on climate change.
I again would like all our parishes and missions to participate in this Lenten program. Please provide each family in your community with the attached 2024 CRS Rice Bowl Maronite Lenten Calendar. If you did not receive CRS Rice Bowls last Lent, please visit crsricebowl.org to order one for each family. Please include “St. Maron” after the name of your parish or mission when ordering, so we can better track our Eparchy’s participation. Additional CRS Rice Bowl resources also are available on the webpage, including:
Lenten devotions and prayers
Lesson plans, videos and activity sheets for religious educators
Ideas for community gatherings and simple Lenten meal events
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact our CRS Diocese Director, Deacon Joseph Chebli, at (908) 578-3690 / josephchebli@gmail.com with any questions about how to incorporate CRS Rice Bowl into the life of your parish this Lent.
Thank you for inviting families in your faith community to an enriched Lenten journey through CRS Rice Bowl. Together, we can respond to Christ’s call to help those in need and ensure everyone reaches his or her God- given human potential.
Yours in Christ,
+ Gregory John Mansour
Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn
Chairman Emeritus, CRS Board of Directors