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Stamp Exhibition At Goa's Pilar Monastery Provides 'Insight' Into Christian Faith
By SAR NEWS
PANAJI, GOA (SAR NEWS) - A set of 150 stamps related to Catholic faith on display at the Pilar Monastery, some 12 kilometers south of here, is attracting Christians in this west Indian coastal State.
The exhibition displays thematically arranged stamps on Christian themes from all over the world. Coinciding with the decennial exposition of the relics of Basque Jesuit missioner Saint Francis Xavier beginning November 21 at Old Goa, near Pilar, the November10-22 exhibition titled "Faith Expression In Stamps" is drawing hundreds.
The stamps mounted on panels with magnifying glass perpendicular to the ground has issues related to the exposition of Saint Xavier right from 1931, with one of them showing the cut hand of the Basque missioner, which was sent to Rome as proof of his sanctity. Another stamp has the signature of the saint, besides the tomb designed by Marcelo Mastrilli, a Jesuit who left for Japan never to see his design fructify following his death as a martyr.
"What makes the exhibition interesting is that the organisers have taken pains to project the history and provide elaborate details about the stamps - most of which the visitors are unaware of," Tony Martins, a college lecturer, told SAR News, November 16.
"Even the errors in philately has been brought to the fore as in the case of one stamp issued by Portuguese-India in 1948 in honour of Blessed Jose Vaz, but carries the picture of Antonio Vieira, a Portuguese preacher," said Maclaron de Sa, a stamp collector.
The collection also has a first-day cover highlighting the death of St. Xavier. Spain, however, hogs a significant portion of the space and has issues related on the miracles performed by Christ - multiplication of loaves, Jesus with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, besides 15 stamps on the mysteries of the Rosary, with a rare stamp of Jesus being supported by an angel issued in 1969.
The Vatican, Malawi and Austria have dedicated philately on Resurrection, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Ghost on Mary and the Apostles.
"What was interesting to see was Islamic countries like Oman issuing ten stamps on the death of Christ, Iran issuing in 1963 stamp on Mother and Child, and Burundi's 14 issues on the Way of the Cross with African influence," remarked Rene Gama, a mother, who had come along with her kids, one of whom is scheduled to receive the First Holy Communion in January.
She said the stamps offered an interesting "insight to kids on Christian faith". There are at least 11 stamps focusing on the Flight to Egypt and public ministry of Jesus issued by various countries right from 1961 to 2000.
The Nativity and Childhood of Jesus has a special series produced by the Republic of Dahomey, with 5 stamps issued by Lanka, Malta, Austria and Brazil. Stamps on display also show cribs from Greece, Ireland and Ras-al-Khaima.
What, however, attracted much curiosity at the exhibition was Spain's issue of 250 pestas rare stamp on the circumcision of Jesus. Father Cosme Jose Costa, Director of Pilar Museum, told SAR News that stamps are a statement of a country. It is rather interesting to see so many countries producing stamps on Christian themes, he added.
