A woman's surprise gift to church

While the global economic crisis has forced many to cut back on spending, one elderly worshipper in Sweden left over 9,000 euros in cash at her local church collection, an official has disclosed. The unidentified woman, believed to be in her seventies, made the gift on April 12, 2009 after pastors appealed for donations for international aid projects, Krister Klint, a verger at the Caroli Church in the southwestern Swedish town of Boraas, told AFP. "When the service was over, she came forward and said in broken Swedish that she wanted to make a donation. She had a homemade brown envelope in her hand. So she handed it over to church wardens, and they took it into the back room with the rest of the collection," Krister said. "They opened the envelope and were shocked to find a note on which it was written '100,000 kronor' (9,200 euros, 12,200 dollars). There was a wad of money with 1,000- and 500-kronor bills," he added. Klint told AFP the church usually collects around 70,000 to 80,000 kronor each year, but had no idea as to the identity or the whereabouts of the mystery donor. "I've never seen her before. I'm not sure she will like all this attention, seeing as she made an anonymous donation. But surely it can't be wrong to express your joy over such a generous act?," he said. All of the collections made by the Caroli Church will go towards aid projects in developing countries.