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Mother Teresa takes Nashville by the bun
December 28, 1996Web posted at: 10:25 p.m. EST NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- And you thought Elvis sightings were the rage in Tennessee. It turns out the home state of the King -- particularly in the music haven Nashville -- is caught up in the buzz surrounding a "miraculous," and rather sweet, likeness of Mother Teresa . The 1979 Nobel Peace laureate has been sighted -- on a cinnamon bun. Hundreds of people have flocked recently to the Bongo Java coffee shop near Belmont University, where the bun was sold and currently sits inside a glass container. Manager Ann Loree said a customer bought the bun back in October and, just as he was about to take a bite, noticed the uncanny likeness to the revered Roman Catholic missionary.
Throwing speculation to the wind, the staff at Bongo's decided to save the pastry, shellacking and enshrining it in the counter display. It's been good for business, too. The management has printed up "Miracle Bun" t-shirts and prayer cards. On Saturday, visitors were reportedly lining up for a peek at the bun. "It started out as a fun thing," says store owner Bob Bernstein. "But it's attracting an awful lot of attention." A local filmmaker has even made a short movie on the miniature Mother Teresa likeness. The film has reportedly sold 100 copies. And the Bongo staff plans to put a picture of the pastry on the Internet. But is this selling of a saint such a good idea? Loree says the staff thinks they were "chosen" to receive the bun, as a reward for their hard work. The real Mother Teresa is recovering at her home in India from heart surgery and several related ailments. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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