New stamps commemorating the beatifications of the Primate of the Millennium and Mother Czacka
The Polish Post is introducing two stamps commemorating the beatification process of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka. Both stamps are scheduled for issuance on September 12th, the day of the beatification mass.
The official presentation of the stamps took place on September 10th of this year at the headquarters of the Polish Post Office in Warsaw, with the participation of the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz; the president of the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski, Paweł Kacprzyk; the Rev. Canon Dr. Matteo Campagnaro, administrator of the House of the Archbishops of Warsaw; and Rev. Paweł Rytel-Adrianik, director of the Office for International Communication of the Polish Episcopal Conference.
" Poczta Polska, through its philatelic publications, promotes the achievements of the national heritage and commemorates great people who have made a lasting mark on Polish history. As a company with over 460 years of tradition and the national postal operator, we are committed to fulfilling this mission. The attitudes and activities of the Primate of the Millennium and Mother Czacka are unequivocal testaments to ethical values and role models for current and future generations, " said Tomasz Zdzikot, President of the Management Board of Poczta Polska.
On the "Beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński" stamp, the author of the design, Agnieszka Sobczyńska, depicted the figure of the Primate of the Millennium against the background of a crowd of the faithful during the celebration of Holy Mass at Jasna Góra.
" The Polish Post has always commemorated the religious dimension of events in Poland, including church events, with stamps. The entire pontificate of St. John Paul II is worth mentioning here. I am very pleased that this double beatification is reflected and commemorated in Polish Post stamps, " said Cardinal Dr. Kazimierz Nycz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw, during the ceremony.
In a letter sent to the president of the management board of Poczta Polska and the guests gathered at the ceremonial presentation of the stamps, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, Metropolitan of Poznań, wrote: The beatification of Cardinal Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka is an epoch-making event, just as the activities of both the Primate of the Millennium and the blind founder of the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski were epoch-making.
Both struggled with darkness, though of different kinds. Cardinal Wyszyński with the darkness of a totalitarian system that robbed Poles of their freedom, right to self-determination, and dignity, leading to the enslavement and degradation of individuals and the entire nation. Mother Czacka with the darkness of human hearts, locked in the hopelessness of their disabilities, and with the darkness of human hearts insensitive to the suffering of others.
" The Polish Post Office is one of the most enduring institutions of Polish statehood, embedded in the history of our country and our nation. Therefore, we are reminding people of the roots of our statehood, inextricably linked to the history of the Catholic Church and the Christian faith – just as Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński so beautifully reminded us when organizing the unforgettable, massive celebrations of the Millennium of the Baptism of Poland ," added Tomasz Zdzikot.
Stefan Wyszyński served as bishop of the Lublin Diocese for almost sixty years, serving as archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw, and as Primate of Poland from 1948 to 1981. He based his primacy on the Marian devotion in which he had been nurtured since childhood. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Poland, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Eagle.
The design of the "Beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński" stamp by Agnieszka Sobczyńska was created thanks to close cooperation and consultations with representatives of the Metropolitan Curia in Warsaw, including Anna Rastawicka – a promoter of Cardinal Wyszyński's teachings, associated with the Primate's Institute, who for years was one of the Cardinal's closest circle.
The "Beatification of Mother Elizabeth Róża Czacka" stamp, designed by Bożydar Grozdew, depicts the founder of the Society for the Care of the Blind in Laski and the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross. The tag, covered with a rose pattern—a Christian symbol of love and suffering—bears an inscription in dotted Braille: "Mother Czacka."
About the Beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński stamp
designer: Agnieszka Sobczyńska
number of stamps: 1
value: PLN 4
circulation: 250,000 pcs
printing technique: offset
stamp format: 43 x 31.25 mm
paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 4 stamps
date of introduction into circulation: September 12, 2021
About the stamp Beatification of Mother Elizabeth Róża Czacka
designer: Bożydar Grozdew
number of stamps: 1
value: PLN 4
circulation: 168,000 pcs
printing technique: offset and dry embossing
stamp format: 43 x 31.25 mm
paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 6 stamps + 6 tags
date of introduction into circulation: September 12, 2021
These and other philatelic publications of Poczta Polska can be purchased at post offices and in the online store .