I read a news article today and I had to get my day planner out to assure myself that it is April 23rd and not April 1st again.

You’ll probably assume I’m very cruel for laughing at this poor man but I’ve had bad experiences with Priests and Nuns during my traumatic upbringing at a RC School. Anyway, here is the story directly from the Guardian, the BBC cover it as well but this version is just so much more amusing.

Brazilian priest missing after balloon lift-off (Carrie: I kid you not, you see why I had to read it now, right?)

A Brazilian priest is missing after drifting out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons, authorities said yesterday.

Father Adelir Antonio de Carli began his flight suspended in a harness-like seat from 1,000 balloons on Sunday in the southern port of Paranaguá. (Carrie: Admit it, despite the dire circumstances of his disappearance you must be laughing at the image of a Brazilian priest suspended in a harness beneath 1,000 balloons, if you don’t find that funny there’s no hope for you at all.)

He had intended to fly west for 20 hours - the record is 19 hours - but unexpected winds carried the 42-year-old Roman Catholic priest out over the south Atlantic on a south-easterly course. (Carrie: Perhaps it’s me but I see a bit of a “rut-roh” cartoon styley image of this. Complete with said priest seeing the ocean and frantically blowing to get himself away from the coast.)

Denise Gallas, the coordinator of the parish where De Carli works, said he was last heard from on Sunday evening, when he used his mobile phone to give his coordinates. "He was already over the ocean then," she said. (Carrie: OK, now that image is a Brazilian priest suspended in a harness beneath 1,000 balloons on a mobile phone over the sea, come on! You HAVE to find that funny!)

De Carli, who flew about 55 miles before losing contact, had wanted to draw attention to the work of his parish in Paranaguá, which is largely aimed at lorry drivers who transport goods to and from the port. (Carrie: Mission achieved, I know more about Paranaguá than I knew before.)

Rescue workers in helicopters and fishing boats searched the coast south of Paranaguá, in Santa Catarina state. "We found bits of balloons all along the coast," said João dos Santos, deputy fire commander in the coastal town of São Francisco do Sul. (Carrie: If you haven’t found this funny so far then stop reading now because I’m going to upset you when I ask you to picture a Brazilian fisherman standing, lip aquiver, with a popped balloon in hand.)

De Carli's seat was lined with airtight pockets that can be pumped up and there are several islands in the region that he could have washed up on, Dos Santos said. "The search will continue for some time," he said. (Carrie: OK, now that image is a Brazilain priest suspended in a harness beneath 1,000 balloons, on a mobile phone, over the sea, frantically pumping up his chair.)

The chaplain, who had reached an altitude of more than 5,000 metres (16,400ft), carried water, cereal bars and energy capsules. During a test flight in January, he was blown across the border into Argentina. (Carrie: It went so well on the test flight that he decided to try again!)

Anyone who is worried about him, I wouldn’t worry yourself. God will look after him.