March 2026

A Lenten Prayer

God of Hope,

You journey with us through the desert.

You challenge us to become more like Christ. 

And So We Pray...

A teenage girl holds a book, preparing to walk a path to school.

Give Alms This Lent

Mother sits next to her children, making toys out of household items.

Join Catholics across the United States in sharing their gifts through CRS Rice Bowl, the Lenten program that fights hunger and poverty in more than 100 countries. A portion of your donation stays in your diocese.

‌

“Almsgiving is the wing of prayer. If you do not provide your prayer with wings, it will hardly fly.”

—Saint John Chrysostom

Make a Donation

Sign Up and Enrich Your Lent

With CRS Rice Bowl

Sign up to receive CRS Rice Bowl’s weekly emails and download a free 2026 Lenten calendar. Each week you’ll receive stories, resources and tips to guide you through the Lenten season, helping you to deepen your faith.

Get My Free Calendar

Fridays During Lent

Fast and Abstain from Meat

Tostadas with beans and guacamole on a plate.

We invite you to explore CRS Rice Bowl’s meatless recipes from around the world and experience global solidarity in a simple way.

Catholics aged 18-59  fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Catholics aged 14 and older abstain from meat on all Fridays during Lent.

Explore Recipes 

Pray the Stations of the Cross

Pray the Stations of the Cross and meditate on Christ’s suffering for us, while calling to mind the daily sufferings of our sisters and brothers.

During Lent, it’s tradition to pray the 14 Stations of the Cross on Fridays, accompanying Our Lord on his journey to Calvary, where he was crucified.

Pray Now

A girl prays at the table before eating.

“It is my hope therefore that the Rice Bowl program and other initiatives offered by Catholic Relief Services will continue to serve as examples of how to fulfill the Gospel’s command to love and serve our neighbor in a communal way.”

‌

—Pope Francis, Letter to CRS in 2025

The CRS Briefing is a monthly service to our supporters. We aspire to keep you informed of our progress and up to date on issues that affect the people we serve in more than 100 countries around the world.

‌

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, easing suffering and providing assistance to people in need without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations to CRS are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. 

Photos by Benny Manser, Laura Elizabeth Pohl, Cony Cardona and Lauren Carroll for CRS

228 West Lexington Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3413

[email protected] | 877-435-7277

Update email preferences or unsubscribe | privacy policy