The Polish Post commemorates the 30th anniversary of Radio Maryja with a stamp and envelope
The Polish Post Office is launching a commemorative stamp and first-day-of-use envelope to mark the 30th anniversary of Radio Maryja, which falls on December 8th. The issuance was carried out in close cooperation with the Catholic broadcaster.
The stamp, introduced into circulation on December 4th of this year, features a montage of two religious photographs. The first, by Arturo Mari, depicts St. John Paul II. The second depicts a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, located in the chapel at Radio Maryja's headquarters in Toruń. The circles surrounding the work of sacred art allude to radio waves. The issue's title, "30th Anniversary of Radio Maryja," appears in the upper left corner.
The stamp is complemented by a first-day-of-use envelope. The envelope features a replica of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which accompanied St. John Paul II in his private chapel at the Vatican for almost his entire pontificate. Currently, the image resides in the chancel of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, and St. John Paul II in Toruń, a faithful replica of the Vatican chapel. The envelope also features a quote uttered by the Polish Pope on March 29, 1995, in Rome, referring to Radio Maryja. The date stamp, reminiscent of a rosary, also draws attention. It features the name of the issue and the date it was put into circulation.
Radio Maryja was founded on December 4, 1991, in Toruń, at the initiative of the monks of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). It is the most widely distributed religious radio station in Poland, with programming focused on evangelization, prayer, meditation, religious music, and socio-political journalism. Radio Maryja began broadcasting on December 9, 1991, initially as a local station and, in 1994, nationwide. Since May 2, 2006, an eight-member Program Council has overseen the program and content broadcast on the radio. Four members are appointed by the Polish Episcopate and four are appointed by the Redemptorist Order.
The stamp commemorating the 30th anniversary of Radio Maryja is not the first philatelic issue commemorating the establishment of Poland's largest Catholic radio station. In December 2016, the Polish Post presented a stamp commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Toruń radio station. The stamp dedicated to this event featured an image of Mary and the inscription "25th Anniversary of Radio Maryja." The stamp was supplemented by the issuance of first-day-of-circulation envelopes bearing a quote from St. John Paul II: "Radio Maryja's valuable contribution to the new evangelization builds families strong with God, educating society, and especially the young generation, in the civilization of love."
About the stamp:
stamp design author: Poczta Polska SA
number of stamps: 1
sales sheet: 12 stamps
value: PLN 4.10
circulation: 168,000 pcs
printing technique: offset
stamp format: 31.25 x 43 mm
paper: fluorescent
date of introduction into circulation: December 4, 2021