70th anniversary of the Jasna Góra Appeal on a postage stamp

On December 8th of this year, Poczta Polska introduced a postage stamp from the issue " I Am. I Remember. I Keep Watch. 70 Years of the Jasna Góra Appeal." This is a symbolic commemoration of the most characteristic service at the Częstochowa sanctuary for the homeland – the Jasna Góra Appeal, which over time became a common daily prayer for Poles.

The stamp depicts a fragment of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa. A distinctive feature by which everyone will recognize the Jasna Góra Image is the scars on the face of Our Lady. The Jasna Góra Image bears the marks of wounds and pain. A First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelope was also issued as part of the issue. It features a photograph taken next to the miraculous Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra, featuring Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland; Father Jerzy Tomziński, a Pauline monk; and Maria Okońska, founder of the Primate Wyszyński Institute. The photograph comes from the collections of the Primate Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński Institute. The issue is accompanied by a special date stamp, used on December 8, 2023, at the Częstochowa 1 Post Office.

" This stamp is a tribute to Poczta Polska. The 70-year tradition of daily prayer carries a particularly important and timeless message. 'I am. I remember. I keep watch' are words that should be in the heart of every Pole – patriot, Catholic – this is where national identity is built. It is a spiritual guide and a motivation for action in everyday life, " says Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of Poczta Polska.

On December 8, 1953, at 9:00 PM, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary took place in the Chapel of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady. It was a joint prayer for the Church and the Homeland, and also for the release of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. On that same day, the Primate of the Millennium, imprisoned by the communist authorities, entrusted himself to the Blessed Mother in a maternal bond of love. Following the example of the Primate of Poland, who, after being detained by the security services, took with him only a rosary and a breviary of his personal belongings, at the hour of the Appeal, Poles kneel before the Miraculous Image, uniting in prayer for the Nation. Entire families participate, not only before the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Chapel, but also in their homes, on the Trail of the Visitation of the copy of the Częstochowa Image, during ongoing pilgrimages. Those who are lonely, sick, and those in exile entrust their concerns to her.

The essence of the Jasna Góra Appeal is best expressed in the words of the Polish Pope John Paul II:

"The words: I am with you, I remember, I am watching over you are a declaration of love with which we desire to respond to the love with which we have been eternally loved... To love means to be close to the Person we love and to carry Him in our hearts. To watch over means to be a person of conscience and to feel responsible for this great, common heritage called Poland."

About the stamp:

stamp designer: Poczta Polska SA
number of stamps: 1
value: PLN 3.90
circulation: 126,000 pcs
printing technique: offset
stamp format: 31.25 x 43 mm
sales sheet: 9 stamps
paper: fluorescent
date of circulation: December 8, 2023