World Hunger Day, on May 28, reminds us that more than 44 million Americans, including 13 million children, face food insecurity in the richest nation on Earth. This persistent crisis, now exacerbated by inflation and other post-pandemic economic pressures, represents more than just a policy failure. It is a moral indictment of our society and a clear call for Catholic leadership to address systemic poverty.
Despite this widespread food insecurity, federal nutrition programs are under threat. Republican congressional leaders have proposed a federal budget that would mean massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food stamps to low-income households. Project 2025, the blueprint for the second Trump administration published in 2023 by the Heritage Foundation and other conservative think tanks, seeks to weaken nutrition programs, including SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), that millions of vulnerable Americans depend on.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has long advocated for robust federal nutrition programs, but our current political moment demands more comprehensive action from the church itself.
Parishes across the United States maintain food pantries and soup kitchens, but is this enough? While direct aid remains crucial, the Catholic Church’s network of institutions and its moral authority have the power to transform our country’s approach to hunger from charitable Band-Aids to systemic solutions. Catholic social teaching provides a framework for reimagining how we address food insecurity through both local action (following the principle of subsidiarity) and the use of larger societal structures to ensure universal human dignity.
Consider urban initiatives like those at various parishes in Philadelphia, where traditional food assistance has evolved into community “food sovereignty” initiatives. Food sovereignty goes beyond addressing immediate hunger needs, emphasizing local control over how food is produced, distributed and consumed. Such programs partner with local farmers, operate urban gardens and offer nutrition education. This holistic approach recognizes that food insecurity is not simply about a lack of food; solutions must also include nutrition knowledge, building sustainable food systems and providing access to healthy food.
But individual parish initiatives alone, however innovative, cannot solve this crisis. The Catholic Church in the United States comprises over 16,700 parishes, more than 6,000 elementary and secondary schools, and hundreds of hospitals and social service agencies. Imagine if this network became the backbone of a coordinated campaign against hunger, combining immediate assistance with advocacy for systemic change.
Such a campaign could operate on multiple levels. At the parish level, food ministries could expand beyond emergency assistance to include nutrition education, cooking classes and community gardens. Catholic schools could integrate “food justice” into their curricula—teaching students about equitable access to nutritious food that honors diverse cultural traditions and is produced through ecologically sound methods—and establish farm-to-school programs. These programs would connect schools with local farms to provide students with fresher, more nutritious meals while supporting local agriculture and providing food education that encourages healthy eating habits.
Catholic health care systems could also prescribe “food as medicine,” partnering with local food initiatives to treat diet-related diseases that disproportionately affect low-income communities.
More ambitiously, dioceses could leverage their real estate holdings to create food hubs connecting urban and rural communities (and work for the legal right to do this where current zoning laws forbid it). Vacant church properties could become greenhouses or food processing facilities, creating jobs while increasing access to healthy food in underserved areas.
The theological basis for such action is clear. The Eucharist is a meal that nourishes both body and soul. When Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes, he did not just feed the hungry; he also created a community of sharing that transformed scarcity into abundance. Today’s church is called to perform a similar transformation.
Critics might argue that such initiatives exceed the church’s proper role or divert resources from other priorities. But food security touches every aspect of human dignity that Catholic social teaching defends. Hunger affects educational outcomes, family stability, health and the ability to fully participate in society. Moreover, food insecurity disproportionately affects the communities that the church is especially called to serve—including children, the elderly, immigrants and working families struggling to make ends meet.
The church’s historical role in American social reforms also offers a precedent. In the early 20th century, Catholic institutions were instrumental in establishing labor protections, health care improvements and educational opportunities for immigrant and working-class communities. Today’s food crisis demands similar leadership and innovation.
Practical steps toward this vision could include:
- Establishing a national Catholic food security initiative coordinating resources and best practices across dioceses
- Creating diocesan-level offices focused on food justice and sustainable agriculture
- Developing partnerships between Catholic institutions and sustainable agriculture programs
- Incorporating food justice into seminary formation and lay ministry training
- Launching a Catholic-led advocacy campaign for federal and state policy reforms
The time for such action is now. Federal nutrition programs reach millions, but they already leave significant gaps that may widen dramatically if proposed spending cuts become reality. The current charitable food system, while essential, cannot alone address the scale and complexity of modern food insecurity.
The Catholic Church’s combination of moral authority, institutional resources and grassroots presence makes it uniquely suited to lead a transformative response.
This leadership role would also strengthen the church’s evangelizing mission. In an era when many question religious institutions’ relevance, addressing food insecurity in innovative ways demonstrates Catholic social teaching in action. It shows that our faith offers practical solutions to contemporary challenges while remaining rooted in eternal truths about human dignity and community.
As Pope Francis reminded us, “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” The Catholic Church in the United States has prayed faithfully for the hungry. Now we must feed them—not just through charity, but by transforming the systems that perpetuate hunger in our land of plenty.
The solution to American hunger is within our grasp. What is needed is the moral vision and institutional commitment to make it reality. The Catholic Church, with its rich social teaching, vast network of institutions and commitment to human dignity, must lead the way. Our faith demands no less.
