The Archdiocese of Philadelphia marks the beginning of its 38th consecutive year participating in Catholic Relief Services' Rice Bowl, a nationwide effort to fight poverty and hunger. Administered by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Rice Bowl encourages participants to live in solidarity with the poor through prayer, fasting and alms giving. Bishop John J. McIntyre will preside at this year's Rice Bowl kick-off event, at which he will bless the rice bowls.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013
1:30 p.m.
Saint Vincent de Paul Society Food Cupboard
Blessed Virgin Mary Parish
47 MacDade Boulevard, Darby, PA 19023

At the event, Bishop McIntyre will encourage families to place money that they would have spent on meals into the rice bowls to remember those who are poor and hungry, concluding with prayer for a successful campaign throughout the Archdiocese.

Also during the event, Maureen McCullough, CRS Regional Director, will explain the components of CRS' Rice Bowl. Blessed Virgin Mary School students will share stories about people worldwide touched by the program, and cupboard coordinators, Dottie and Dan Gallagher and Saint Vincent de Paul Society members will share how CRS's Rice Bowl supports local people in need.

Parishioners in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia donated almost $382,000 to CRS's Rice Bowl during Lent 2012. Of that amount, about $94,000 stayed in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and helped the Office for Nutritional Development Services fight hunger in the region. The remainder was distributed to Catholic Relief Services to combat hunger and other basic human needs overseas.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.

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Editor's Note: For more information on CRS's Rice Bowl please contact Anne H. Ayella, CRS Archdiocesan Director at 267-262-8901. For more information on Catholic Relief Services please visit http://orb.crs.org

Contact
Jhoselyn Martinez
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747