Saint Gianna Beretta Molla on a new stamp
The Polish Post is introducing a stamp commemorating Gianna Beretta Molla, a saint who gave her life to save her own child. A limited edition of 100,000 stamps will be available at post offices from April 30th.
The Polish Post uses philatelic publications to commemorate important figures in the history of the Church. The latest issue commemorates Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian physician and young mother who consciously sacrificed her own life to give birth to her daughter.
Gianna Beretta Molla was born on October 4, 1922, in Magneta, Lombardy. She was the 10th child of devout Christian parents, who, as lay people, belonged to the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. Gianna distinguished herself not only as a pediatrician but also as a devoted wife and wonderful mother. Her entire life was based on love for God and others. In 1961, while expecting her fourth child, she received a devastating diagnosis: a fibroma had developed in her uterus. To save her life, doctors would have to remove her uterus and the life growing within. The 39-year-old Gianna firmly declared that she would undertake her own treatment after the birth of her child. As a doctor, she realized that only one life could be saved, and yet she chose the child's life. Until her final days, she accompanied her three small children and her husband with great serenity. Despite doctors' efforts, she died a week after giving birth. Her daughter also became a doctor in the future, like her Holy mother.
" People like Gianna Beretta Molla show modern people that extraordinary deeds can be accomplished in ordinary lives. The choice of this brave woman, doctor, and mother is one of those heroic acts that stem from faith and strong moral principles. Gianna simply wanted her child to live, because every life deserves respect, and no price was too high for her to preserve it. Our latest stamp with the image of St. Gianna is another one that showcases the extraordinary deeds of ordinary people. Perhaps this issue and the story surrounding her will give courage to mothers who experience great dilemmas and problems while expecting their child, " says Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of Poczta Polska.
Gianna Beretta Molli was beatified in Rome on April 24, 1994. Shortly thereafter, on May 16, 2004, John Paul II declared her a saint. Her liturgical feast day is celebrated on April 28 as the patron saint of mothers experiencing difficulties while expecting a child.
The altar with the relics of Gianna Beretta Molli is located in the Parish of St. Anthony in Toruń. On April 30th, a conference and Mass will be held to commemorate this year's anniversaries of the Saint's birth and death, providing an opportunity to remember this extraordinary and fascinating figure.
About the stamp:
Author of the stamp design: Agnieszka Sancewicz
Number of stamps: 1
Value: PLN 3.60
Circulation: 100,000
Printing technique: rotogravure
Stamp format: 39.5 x 31.25 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 50 stamps per sheet
Date of introduction into circulation: April 30, 2022
This and other philatelic publications of Poczta Polska can be purchased at post offices and in the online store .