PORTLAND---Parishes and schools in the Diocese of Portland combined to raise over $62,000 for the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl program during the forty days of Lent in 2018. CRS Rice Bowl is a faith-in-action program that encourages Catholics to fill cardboard bowls with monetary donations, giving alms to those in need and honoring Jesus’ call to serve our neighbors.
Over 50 Catholic parishes, schools, and groups in Maine participated in the 2018 program, contributing a total of $62,312.57. It marks the sixth straight year that total contributions have risen in the diocese, including an over $17,000 increase from just two years ago ($45,070 in 2016).
According to Catholic Relief Services, 75% of the donations support CRS’ humanitarian relief programs in nearly 100 countries worldwide, while 25% of the proceeds are given to hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in the donors’ communities.
Four Maine parishes eclipsed $4,000 in donations this year:
Good Shepherd Parish (Most Holy Trinity Church, Saco; St. Joseph Church, Biddeford; St. Margaret Church, Old Orchard Beach; and St. Philip Church, Lyman) with $7,170.38;
St. Paul the Apostle Parish (St. John Church, Bangor; St. Mary Church, Bangor; St. Joseph Church, Brewer; St. Teresa Church, Brewer; St. Matthew Church, Hampden; and St. Gabriel Church, Winterport) with $5,258.91;
Holy Spirit Parish (St. Martha Church, Kennebunk; St. Mary Church, Wells) with $4,897.89; and
All Saints Parish (St. Charles Borromeo Church, Brunswick; St. John the Baptist Church, Brunswick; St. Mary Church, Bath; Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Boothbay Harbor; St. Katharine Drexel Church, Harpswell; St. Ambrose Church, Richmond; and St. Patrick Church, Newcastle) with $4,874.
In addition, St. Matthew Parish in Limerick, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Calais, St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Sanford, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn, St. Michael Parish in Augusta, St. Brendan the Navigator Parish in Camden, Parish of the Ascension of the Lord in Kittery, Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou, Christ the King Parish in Skowhegan, Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth, Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville, Our Lady of Hope Parish in Portland, and St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent all donated more than $1,000 dollars. Students at Catholic schools in Maine also combined to donate nearly $2,000 to the cause.
Since 2011, the Diocese of Portland has collected over $360,000 for the program. For more information, contact Dave Guthro, Communications Director for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7810 or
dave.guthro@portlanddiocese.org.