For Charity

His old parishioners in Tuscany remembered Don Attilio Bellachioma as a compassionate man who spent most of his time, and all his money, distributing charity to the poor. Even after he retired, half-blind after 37 years of parish work, to a home for aged priests in Perugia, he scraped together regular contributions for his favorite orphanages.

Don Attilio had only one vice--he loved to gamble. Each week, almost as regularly as his charitable contributions, he would spend a few lire on a lottery ticket. "I never hope to win," he once admitted, "because I don't believe that our Lord could use the lottery as a means of helping people needing help."

Last week lottery officials awarded the 4O-million-lire (some $63,000) first prize in the Merano Sweepstakes. The winner: Father Attilio Bellachioma. Said Don Attilio: "It will all be used for charity."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.