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ALMSGIVING OPPORTUNITIES IN FF

The Family and Children Faith Formation Office coordinates three important almsgiving opportunities for the parish: The Gathering of the Fish, the Lenten Rice Bowls and weekly offertory envelopes for kids.

The Gathering of the Fish
Beginning in October, students are asked to bring canned goods and other non-perishable items to Faith Formation classes. These items are given to our St. Vincent de Paul program for distribution to needy parishioners, community members, and local food banks. Each child who brings a canned good places a symbolic paper fish or loaf in a basket. The loaves and fishes represent the donations of the children.

This is a lovely habit to begin with your family. Faith Formation classes are lived faith experiences and sharing with the poor is at the heart of Jesus' message and instruction. Bring one or more canned goods to each class and support this important work.

Lenten Rice Bowls
Operation Rice Bowl is the official Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services. 75% of Rice Bowl proceeds are used to fund development projects designed to increase food security in communities in over 40 countries around the world. 25% of contributions support hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in dioceses in the United States. Students are given Lenten rice bowls to take home so that their family can participate in the three pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving.

If your child participated in the Lenten Rice Bowl program, please convert the change collected into one check. Make the check payable to St. Thomas a'Becket and put RICE BOWL in the memo line. That makes it much easier for us to process. Thank you!

Church Offertory Envelopes for Kids
We also have children's offertory envelopes for use on the weekends. Students may get their box of envelopes from our office. At the beginning of the school year, they are located on the credenza just outside our office window.

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