Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

(From the March 19, 2009 edition of the Inland Register)

The work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. bishops’ overseas development and emergency relief agency, came to life for children at area Catholic schools as they listened to Thomas Awiapo of northern Ghana tell his story during his recent visit to Spokane.

Orphaned at an early age, Awiapo experienced a radical change when CRS came to his village and built a school. “They tricked me into coming to school,” Awiapo said, “by giving me a lunch each day. I was hungry all the time.”

Awiapo thanked the Catholic students for helping children from his and other villages through their gifts to Operation Rice Bowl, CRS’s annual Lenten program in which participants pray with their families, fast in solidarity with those who hunger, learn about the challenges of poverty overseas, and give sacrificial contributions to those in need. In 2008, the program raised $9 million for CRS’ work overseas.

“The children of my village asked me to thank you,” he told the students.