Shrine does its job

A woman left US$40,000 ($54,000) worth of rare American coins near a Catholic shrine for safekeeping so the Virgin Mary could watch over her life savings while she was out of town.

Operators of the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, 80km northwest of Baltimore, thought they had been blessed with a big donation when a groundskeeper found two freezer bags filled with gold and silver.

The money was returned to her when she got back a week later.