For 50 years, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have dropped coins and bills into familiar cardboard Operation Rice Bowl boxes during Lent, answering Catholic Relief Services (CRS) call to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Over time, their generosity has added up to nearly $15 million, part of the more than $350 million donated to CRS Rice Bowl nationwide since 1975.
Now, two parishes in the archdiocese are embracing a new twist on this longstanding tradition: a Dollar-a-Day model. Instead of the loose change, faithful are invited to donate $40 over the 40 days of Lent, offering a manageable goal that’s helping to boost participation and impact.
Father Kevin Gallager, pastor of St. Denis Parish in Havertown, introduced the dollar-day approach to the annual collection.
He initiated a Dollar-a-Day Lenten campaign and asked parishioners to donate $40 to CRS Rice Bowl over the 40 days of the liturgical season. Instead of distributing the traditional cardboard boxes, the parish provides a purple envelope for people to use for their contributions.
“St. Denis Parish is concerned about feeding the hungry and bringing support and relief to those most in need around the world to truly be the face of Christ,” Father Gallagher said. “We can’t be there, but we can give our charity.”
The results have been remarkable. This year alone, St. Denis raised $33,000, and another $10,365 was raised through the same initiative at Sacred Heart Parish, where Father Gallagher served as administrator during Lent.
Over three years, St. Denis parishioners have contributed nearly $100,000 to CRS Rice Bowl through the Dollar-a-Day campaign.
St. Denis formed a CRS chapter four years ago to further engage the parish community in advocacy and community giving.
In recent months CRS, the official relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been significantly impacted by government cuts and the elimination of 83 percent of programs that were funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
CRS received more than half of its funding from USAID, and the cuts have forced the organization to lay off staff and eliminate programs.
In a social media post in late May, Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, who serves as chairman of Catholic Relief Services, stated that he was “devastated by the recent loss of funding for so many of our programs.”
“The impact on those suffering from hunger and poverty in some of the poorest regions of the globe will be catastrophic,” he wrote. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the critical work of CRS around the world to bring the compassionate love of Christ to those most in need.”
Yet even amid such challenges, Anne Ayella, archdiocesan director for Catholic Relief Services, emphasized the impact the CRS Rice Bowl collection continues to have today in filling that gap
“The beauty of Rice Bowl is that it can be used to fill unexpected gaps in funding,” she said. “If there’s an unforeseen emergency, Rice Bowl can help fill that need.”
To date this year, 164 parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have donated $358,872 to CRS Rice Bowl, she said.
Seventy-five percent of the annual collection helps provide food for 200 million people in more than 120 countries, according to the CRS Rice Bowl website.
The remaining 25 percent of the money stays local helping Catholic Charities of Philadelphia’s Nutritional Development Services feed families through 50 food cupboards and soup kitchens in the five-county area.
Ayella has been inspired by the enduring generosity of Catholics in the Archdiocese and encouraged by efforts like the Dollar-a-Day campaign.
“Every year I’m just overwhelmed that their generosity continues,” she said. “Sometimes you think with donor fatigue and people hear the same thing year after year, but people are very positive about it. I can’t say enough about their overwhelming generosity.”
And at places like St. Denis and Sacred Heart, the Dollar-a-Day model is quickly becoming a meaningful Lenten tradition.
“It’s something that is a part of who we are, and it marks our Lenten journey,” Father Gallagher said. “They anticipate it now.”
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