Calista Vinton - The Five-franc Piece That Grew Into A Chapel

The Five-franc Piece That Grew Into A Chapel

Mrs. Vinton, who was still very ill, rested at the home of Deacon Granger in Suffield, Connecticut. She held conversation gatherings in her sickroom. A poor lady named Mary Ann Bestor had been given a five-franc piece to buy a warm dress for the winter. She wanted to contribute something to the cause of mission but was fearful that people would blame her for "giving from the depth of her poverty". Consequently, she concealed the money in the toe of one of a pair of stockings she was knitting; she handed them to Myah A and told him to give them to Mrs. Vinton and tell her that the contents of the toe were for the mission to the Karens.

When Mrs. Vinton learned how poor Mary Ann was, she wanted to do something special with that holy money. She mentioned about it to a deacon from Hartford. The deacon said, "It is cold weather, Frankie should have a wrapper", and handed her a ten-dollar bill, which she wrapped around the five-franc piece "to keep him warm". The next day, another ten-dollar bill was given by another Hartford deacon, "to buy Frankie an overcoat, as the weather had grown colder". A lady from Suffield, hearing the story, said, "These are stinging nights to sleep alone: Frankie must have a bedfellow", and a five-dollar gold piece was laid by his side.

Mrs. Vinton thought if she could get some more wrappers, she would send Frankie to Boston to buy some bibles for the Karens. She wrote the "Frankie" story and sent it to the pastor of Suffield Church. The pastor keenly appreciated the wit and read the letter from the pulpit Thirty dollars were donated to "purchase Frankie suitable clothes for the journey". Mrs. Vinton sent off "Frankie and the wrappers" to a Boston publisher with a note about his story. The publisher returned "Frankie" with additional wrappers and the bibles. Next, Mrs. Vinton sent "Frankie" to a doctor in Philadelphia to buy a box of medicine for the Karens. The doctor returned "Frankie" with more wrappers and a box of medicine. "Frankie's" travel kept continuing from cities to cities, churches to churches. Rev. and Mrs. Vinton then decided they would build a house of the Lord for the Karens and it would be called Frank's Chapel. But unknown to them, war, pestilence, famine and censure awaited them and the Frank's Chapel would not be materialized for another five years.