U. S. Postal Service Issues Mother Teresa stamp

By Jim O'Donnell, Museum Specialist

The U. S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp in appreciation of the extraordinary humanitarian service of Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun, on September 5, 2010. Mother Teresa, (1910-1997), was born in what is now Macedonia of Albanian parents. She entered the religious order of the Sisters of Loreto at the age of eighteen, trained in Ireland and was posted to India in 1929. She founded her own order, the Missionaries of Charity, in 1950 to attend to the poorest of the poor. The order grew and so did her reputation. She was the subject of a documentary film and book Something Beautiful for God in 1969 by British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan in 1985 and honorary U. S. citizenship in 1996 by President Clinton. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003, the first step towards sainthood.

The First Day of Issue ceremony for the new Mother Teresa commemorative stamp took place on Sunday, September 5, 2010, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., the largest Roman Catholic church in North America.

A mass in honor of Mother Teresa was followed by a First Day of Issue ceremony. This program lists the agenda and the participants.

Postmaster General Jack Potter was perhaps the most passionate speaker. “ I am so very proud,” he said, “that our country, after making her an honorary citizen in 1996, is honoring Mother Teresa with such a lasting memorial."

After Postmaster Potter spoke, a large poster of the stamp was unveiled for all to see. From left to right the participants are Reverend Knestout, James H. Bibray, John E. Potter, Sister Cabrera, Archbishop Sambi, Reverend Rossi and Mitzi Betman.

Artist Thomas Blackshear II, who painted the portrait of Mother Teresa which appears on the stamp, was invited up to be photographed with the poster of the stamp. He has created artwork for a number of U.S. stamp issues. The stamp was designed by Derry Noyes.

Downstairs, the stamp was for sale and cancellations were available. Long lines of collectors waited to get their programs and stamps postmarked to mark their attendance at this historic event. LaDonna Cooke, of the U.S.P.S. stamp shop at the National Postal Museum, is visible at the far left.

Above is the First Day of Issue cover. A similar cover with a digital color postmark is also available from the U.S. Postal Service Stamp Fulfillment Center in Kansas City, Missouri (1-800-782-6724) or online at usps.com/shop. First Day of Issue covers featuring this stamp are available until November 5, 2010.

The 44-cent commemorative stamp was printed using the gravure process by Avery Dennison company. The stamp is available at post offices nationwide in self-adhesive panes of twenty and it is proving to be a very popular issue.