St. Anthony

If you weren't aware, the news is generally strewn with everything bad that has recently happened, and if you hadn't begun to notice the general malaise within your own life, you could certainly find it on the front page.

That is, unless you've chosen to bypass the "frontlines" and take a breather to read up on BBC's "Also in the News" section (go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/ and look right). Today's features include a piece on a French specialty bakery that bakes only for dogs and a convincing article on how going back to work after the holidays will make us all happier.

My favorite piece came some months ago, however, and was entitled "Patron of lost items goes missing." While the remainder of the article was stoically serious about the event, I couldn't get over the humor in the title. The patron of lost and stolen items had himself been stolen. Do you think the thieves saw the irony of their act?

I recently looked for an update on the fate of the patron and to my surprise, he had been recovered. After 2 1/2 months, a couple found the statute in a rubbish tip. Do you think that the couple had prayed to the patron of lost and stolen items in order to find the patron of lost and stolen items? Whatever the case, he reappeared, a bit disheveled, but back on task. Let's hope he keeps a better tab on himself in the future.

-----------------------
For the full story on the patron St. Anthony go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/4342034.stm