Priest Tests Power of Prayer, Receives a Lotto Manna

--It isn’t a miracle compared to the turning of water into wine, but Father Joseph J. Faraone turned a $5 lottery card into a $1.17-million jackpot--providing some heaven-sent relief for his debt-burdened parish. “For the whole parish, it’s like Christmas all over again,” said the 37-year-old Roman Catholic priest as he claimed his winnings in New York’s Lotto game. And for the parishioners of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in New York’s suburban Yorktown Heights, Faraone is a clerical Santa Claus who has promised to give half of his winnings to help retire the debt on their new $2-million church. As he played the lottery, he said, “I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if I could arrange for the state to help pay for the church?” Father Faraone will receive 21 payments of $55,766, minus 20% taken out for taxes. The priest said he was content with his current $350 monthly stipend and was determined to share his winnings “with those I love and those who have shared their love with me, my family and friends.”

--Some of the most interesting action at the annual Oscar Awards ceremonies takes place offstage. In 1974, for example, Katharine Hepburn was set to present the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award to friend Lawrence Weingarten. TV Guide magazine said Hepburn, who avoids the limelight, watched the live ceremonies by television from her limousine outside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles while awaiting her cue. She then hurried inside, presented the award, returned to her car and left. Another star was reluctant to appear as a nominee lest he be seen showing disappointment if he lost, the article said. The producers agreed to bar any reaction shots when the Best Actor was named, so Dustin Hoffman agreed to show up and won for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”

--The bride wore white lace and ruffles, the bridegroom had a green tuxedo. With both newlyweds bearing Irish names, St. Patrick’s Day was a fitting wedding day. But the runway they marched down is usually reserved for strippers, and 10 minutes later “a little bundle of dynamite” jumped on stage in a leather outfit and began her number. Ed McMahon and Sally Keener Mullaney were wed in the Two O’Clock Club, in Baltimore’s Block, the tough entertainment district. McMahon, 40, is a bartender at the club, and his 32-year-old wife, a go-go dancer for 16 years. “I’m happy that he got married--it’s about time!” said Ruth McMahon, the groom’s mother. “I would have preferred it if it had taken place in a church.” “I was overwhelmed. A wedding is a wedding no matter where it is,” said Kristi Coffee, who dances at the same club as the new Mrs. McMahon.