Each year, CRS Rice Bowl invites families and individuals to make Lent more meaningful and personal while helping others. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Rice Bowl is the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services, the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. It calls on Catholics to perform a simple act of Lenten sacrifice — substitute a low-cost meatless meal for more expensive dining once a week throughout Lent and put the money saved in a cardboard rice bowl.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson recently wrote to parish pastors and administrators urging parishes and schools to order CRS Rice Bowl materials. “Each Lent, we are invited into a season of spiritual reflection and renewal,” Archbishop Carlson wrote. “CRS Rice Bowl is one way for families and faith communities to experience the season of Lent.”

Of the CRS Rice Bowl contributions, 75 percent support CRS’ humanitarian relief programs in nearly 100 countries. Dioceses keep 25 percent of the collection in the local community for hunger and poverty alleviation programs. In the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the funds support food pantries and other programs.

CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. Rice Bowl materials include prayer resources, a daily Lenten calendar, weekly stories of families from around the world and recipes from various countries for meatless meals.

For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org