Rice bowls serve up charity around world

Catholics throughout the Albany Diocese are being asked to participate again in the annual Operation Rice Bowl, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. CRS is the overseas relief arm of American Catholics.

Handed out in some parishes at last weekend's Masses and in others this coming weekend, the "rice bowls" are cardboard containers into which Catholics are asked to place donations during Lent.

"We believe that the Catholic community embraces this opportunity to live for others during Lent," said Kenneth Hackett, executive director of CRS. "Operation Rice Bowl embodies the Catholic spirit of seeing Christ in the poor and suffering."

Participants are asked to fast at least once a week, to donate the money saved from that meal and to say prayers handed out with the containers.

The theme for the 1997 collection is "Ambassadors for Christ," reflecting, said Mr. Hackett, St. Paul's call to believers to "represent Christ to the foreigner, the stranger, those less known to us, the marginalized and most especially the poor near and far."

Last year, the program raised $4.3 million for CRS development projects around the world, including the development of safe drinking water supplies, job training and health programs for children.

(02-13-97) [[In-content Ad]]