The Polish Post commemorates the Year of St. Joseph with a new philatelic issue
The Polish Post, commemorating the Year of St. Joseph with a new philatelic issue on Saturday, May 1, 2021, is introducing a postage stamp dedicated to the celebration of the Year of St. Joseph – the patron saint of the family. The 3.30-dollar circulation stamp will be issued in a multi-million-dollar edition and will be used to cover unregistered mail.
The image of St. Joseph holding the infant Jesus, featured on a Polish Post stamp, was painted before 1780 using oil on canvas. Based on its distinctive stylistic features, the painting can be attributed to Jan Godzki, a painter from Piotrków Trybunalski. This magnificent work of late Baroque sacred art is located in the Collegiate Basilica of All Saints in Sieradz, within the Diocese of Włocławek. In 1945, the image of St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus in the painting was adorned with a silver robe donated by the residents of Sieradz as a votive offering for saving the church and the city from wartime destruction. A replica of the painting was brought to the Vatican on the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis's pontificate.
" The celebration of the Year of St. Joseph, which we commemorate with our new philatelic publication, is also an excellent opportunity to highlight the important social role of family. This time, the main motif of our stamp is a painting from the side altar of the main nave of the Minor Basilica in Sieradz. The way the subject is presented is noteworthy, drawing on iconographic patterns created in 17th-century Italian painting (especially Guido Reni). The way the figures are depicted emphasizes the strong spiritual bond between the Infant Jesus and St. Joseph, as well as the latter's caring nature. I am convinced that the choice of this extraordinary image of St. Joseph from an 18th-century painting will inspire many recipients to reflect more deeply on the subject of family. I believe it will also encourage them to delve deeper into the history of Polish cultural heritage – including the achievements of sacred art, which constitute a key element of our national heritage," says Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of the Management Board of Poczta Polska.
In order to highlight the unique qualities of this extraordinary work of art and achieve a three-dimensional effect, the stamp was printed on fluorescent paper with shimmering fragments, including gold.
In addition to the stamp, Poczta Polska is issuing a limited edition First Day Delivery (FDC) envelope. It features a composition with a carpentry tool, symbolically referencing St. Joseph's craft, and a quote from Karol Wojtyła's play "The Radiation of Fatherhood."
A lily – an attribute of St. Joseph – is placed on the date stamp.
About the stamp:
author of the design: Jarosław Ochendzan
number of stamps: 1
value: PLN 3.30
circulation: 18,000,000 pcs
printing technique: rotogravure
stamp format: 25.5 x 31.25 mm
sales sheet: 100 stamps
paper: fluorescent
date of introduction into circulation: May 1, 2021