The confirmation of the Society of Jesus by Pope Paul III in 1540 (Scott Vatican 212)

The confirmation of the Society of Jesus by Pope Paul III in 1540 (Scott Vatican 213)


September On this date in 1919 the appointment of Bishop William F. O'Hare, SJ as Vicar Apostolic of Jamaica


More

LUIS TEIXEIRA, whose maps appear on one or two stamps, is said to have been a 16th century Portuguese Jesuit cartographer. Although this is asserted by many printed and online sources, the evidence seems to point to his being a married layman with children. I would be happy to receive definitive proof one way or the other.

PERSONALIZED CHINESE POSTAL CARDS. Closer inspection of several Chinese postal cards that had appeared on this site in April and May reveal them to be personalized. Consumers may print their own images on the blank glossy reverse side of the card. Entrepreneurs are offering topical collectors excessive numbers of designs on topics they have shown an interest in and presumably print them to order. We have left one example on our site for your information.

ON GOING THANKS. And my constant gratitude to Rafael Mateos, SJ and Mag. Wilhelm Remeš who continue to supply me with both philatelic material and information about Jesuit connections that I had been hitherto unaware of.

A BOOK by Walter Nissel and Wilhelm Remeš — Die Jesuiten in der Philatelie — is a wonderful source of information about Jesuits on stamps with more than 550 photos. Read more about it. Remeš is also making available to collectors and other interested in the Jesuits a custom made stamp, cancellation and envelope marking the triple Jesuit Jubilee year of 2005-2006. More

Jesuit Stamps

Numerous Jesuits and Jesuit institutions have appeared or been alluded to on stamps, postal stationary, and postal markings from all around the world. Many of these are displayed on this site. This site tends to be more liberal in the inclusion of personalized stamps and those with slight reference to Jesuits, rather than omiting an item the reader might be interested in. And while they are not philatelic material, we also include some bank notes or coins with a Jesuit reference.

Once the Jesuits were approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 (upper left and right), they began to spread as teachers throughout Europe and as missionaries to the new worlds East and West. When they were suppressed by Papal decree in 1773, their churches, schools, missions, and undertakings were lost, and the lives of individual Jesuits, many mentioned on this site, were dramatically changed. When Pope Pius VII restored the Order in 1814, they began from scratch their apostolic work for the good of souls and of the Church. Their efforts before and since the Suppression have been recognized in various ways, among them through the philatelic items mentioned on this site.

The United States of America in 1898 was the first to honor a Jesuit, Fr. Jacques Marquette, with a stamp. And since then many others have been honored as saints and martyrs, missionaries and explorers, educators and scholars, scientists and mathematicians, churchmen, statesmen, pastors and artists. May this collection call to mind their mission, lives and institutions in both the old and the restored Society.

Acknowledgments

I am deeply indebted and grateful to Rafael Mateos, SJ, and to Wilhelm Remeš, author of Die Jesuiten in der Philatelie, fellow collectors of Jesuit Philatelica, who have shared with me their vast knowledge of this field and many of the images on this website, and also to Fr. José M. de Vera, SJ, Director of the Press and Information Office of the Society of Jesus and Editor of the Jesuit Year Book for permitting me use of material from the Jesuit Year Book from 1963 to the present, particularly from the Philatelic Pages written by Francesco Salvo, SJ, Félix Sánchez Vallejo, SJ, Ètienne N. Degrez, SJ and others. These people have been my guide to Jesuit Philatelica, and at times the sole source of information or images of stamps with some Jesuit reference.

My thanks also for contributions to this collection to: Joseph Billotti, SJ, Jailton Caldeira Brant , Greg Ciesielski, Joseph Daoust, SJ, Dennis Dillon, SJ, Roland Francart, SJ, Xarles Garcia Torres, Noelene Keough, Bob Kolacki, Betsy Lewandowski, Dr. Antonino LoNardo, Jasson Aníbal Mujica Sánchez SJ, Luis Ong, Jr., Gregorio F. Paredes, Wilhelm Remeš, Vincent Romano, Marguerite St. Clare, Richard Sartor, Don Serva, SJ, Robin Tong, and Gerardo Villar, SJ.

This is a work in progress. I welcome your feedback, suggestions, corrections and contributions.