The quotation Lighthouses are more useful than churches is often misattributed to Benjamin Franklin. However, he wrote this in a letter to his wife in 1757 after describing a narrow escape from a shipwreck off the British coast.
The bell ringing for church, we went thither immediately, and with hearts full of gratitude, returned sincere thanks to God for the mercies we had received.
Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint; but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house.
I rather like the quote as it neatly captures the spirit of the Enlightenment where the ideology of the Catholic Church was superseded by human reason.
And it reminds me of the story of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré that I visited some years ago when speaking at a conference in Quebec. The account is probably a myth, but I still find it enjoyable.
The Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré was established in 1658, after an intervention of the good Saint Anne.
The story goes that the crew of a small ship from Brittany was going up the St. Lawrence River, in order to emigrate to Canada, when suddenly a storm arose in the night.
Death was almost certain, when, remembering the good Saint Anne of their country, the Bretons promised her a sanctuary if she saved them from their peril.
In the early hours of the morning, their ship had drifted to dry land, and a blue sky was shining above their heads. They began building the chapel almost immediately.
Credit: Encyclopedia.com
I can’t help but think Franklin knew the story.
Knowledge Letter: Issue: 259 (Subscribe)
Tags: Benjamin Franklin (8) | Catholic Church (2) | The Enlightenment (28)
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Photo Credits: Midjourney (Public Domain)
