February 22 • First Sunday of Lent
Give me back the joy of your salvation—Psalm 51: 14
For many years now, Cathedral parish has generously supported the CRS Rice Bowl and, hopefully, this year you will continue to reach out and help our brothers and sisters around the world. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has a wonderful website that has stories of the people your donations help. It is a wonderful way to journey through Lent week by week. On the site, you can read the stories, watch the videos, find recipes, family activities and reflections. Welcome to CRS Rice Bowl
The following is a story of hope from Ghana.
One thousand days: From conception to a child’s second birthday, every day is vital for their development. But in rural Ghana, poverty prevents access to essential health and nutrition services, causing children to miss critical milestones. This can lead to serious health issues, academic struggles and limited job opportunities in adulthood.
To address this, Catholic Relief Services teamed up with the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne on a project in Walewale, Ghana, to help children up to 3 years old live happy and healthy lives by improving early childhood development. The project began more than four years ago when the sisters met with the chiefs and elders of the community about establishing a space at the Our Lady of Rocio Clinic to provide mothers and children with health education services and early childhood development activities. As part of the project, community volunteers were trained in skills like making early learning toys and starting savings and lending groups.
Georgina was one of the first volunteers and is now a lead mother in her community who trains female neighbors in what she has learned. A mother of three, Georgina brings two of her children to the space to learn how to make simple, inexpensive toys that engage children’s senses and stimulate learning and development. She says that her children are seeing the benefits. “They teach them how to count: one, two, three. ABCs,” Georgina says.
Early childhood development cannot stop at the walls of the center. Mothers must make play spaces at home for their children and volunteers must teach new mothers what they’ve learned so that this knowledge will spread and other children can thrive.
THE USHERS WILL BE HANDING OUT CRS RICE BOWLS AFTER ALL WEEKEND MASSES—PLEASE TAKE ONE HOME. Help be the joy this world needs!
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC