Rice Bowl is our chance to fulfill biblical mandate to help the poor

by Deacon Bill Scholl

Certainly, the first 100 days of Trump 47 portends interesting times. 

The budget freeze and shuttering of USAID by the president’s proxies has launched a blitzkrieg of bureaucratic disruption.

Reactions vary from outrage and alarm on the left to applause and exuberance on the right. Once again, the U.S. Catholic Church, a perennial partisan orphan, finds itself caught in the middle.

Catholic Relief Services, the global solidarity ministry of the U.S. church, has been forced to lay off staff because of the large reductions in U.S. foreign assistance. Since Lent is the time when our parishes raise money for CRS through Operation Rice Bowl, it’s good to reflect upon how our CRS helps the impoverished lift themselves out of poverty in over 100 countries.

While collaboration with the federal government, despite its red-taped constrictions, has enabled you and me as church through CRS to help millions, the loss of this funding will not stop us as a church from bringing the hopeful, helpful love of Christ to the world’s impoverished, malnourished and wrecked.

Each year, CRS through those cardboard Rice Bowls raises millions that leverages millions more in services across the world.

In 2023, federal funding was 62% of the CRS’ total revenue. However, it must be noted much of it comes as mandated purchases. For instance, while we’d prefer to help developing economies by purchasing food in- country, we’re required to distribute subsidized food from American farms. In other words, just because Panera donates “$10,000” worth of day-old bread to your shelter, it doesn’t mean your shelter really got $10,000.

While the loss of federal funding is difficult for the organization, distressing for staff losing employment and devastating for the communities CRS assists, our ministry, though diminished, will not be discouraged.

The American public is rightly scandalized by funding USAID provided to radically secular and frivolous projects. Only 6% of USAID comes through faith-based organizations like CRS. Because Catholic morals guide CRS, it’s able to steer its small share of funding away from such idiocy.

I’ve personally witnessed how CRS utilized PEPFAR funds to care for Tanzanians battling AIDS, saving lives while refusing to peddle condoms, which in HIV/AIDS work is no easy feat.

No matter how you might feel about the fund freezing and firing now happening at USAID, please remember its impact on CRS, our global ministry to the poor, as you discern your almsgiving this Lent.

The U.S. church’s disaster relief service is experiencing its own disaster. So, this Lent let’s give generously to the Rice Bowl campaign. For, “the generous will be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Pv 22:9).