A man is struck by a bus on a busy street in New York City. He lies
dying on the sidewalk as a crowd of spectators gathers around. "A
priest. Somebody get me a priest!" the man gasps. A policeman
checks the crowd ---- no priest, no minister, no man of God of any kind.
"A PRIEST, PLEASE!" the dying man says again. Then out of the
crowd steps a little old Jewish man of at least eighty years of age.
"Mr. Policeman," says the man, "I'm not a priest. I'm not
even a Catholic. But for fifty years now I'm living behind St.
Elizabeth's Catholic Church on First Avenue, and every night I'm
listening to the Catholic litany. Maybe I can be of some comfort to
this man." The policeman agreed and brought the octogenarian over
to where the dying man lay. He kneels down, leans over the injured and
says in a solemn voice: "B-4. I-19. N-38. G-54. O-72. . ." [Explanation for Baptists, Brethren, Methodists etc.: they're Bingo
numbers!].
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