The young faces of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925) will be immortalized in special stamps issued on the occasion of their canonization. The canonization ceremony will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 7, in St. Peter’s Square.
To pay tribute to these two young witnesses of the Gospel, the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Governorate of Vatican City State, in collaboration with the postal authorities of Italy, the Republic of San Marino, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, have prepared a special issue of commemorative stamps, according to the service’s website.
One of the stamps depicts the portrait of Pier Giorgio Frassati painted by artist Alberto Falchetti (1878–1951), a member of the Frassati family. The other shows a photograph of Carlo Acutis wearing a red shirt and carrying a backpack, taken during a school trip to Mount Subasio, near Assisi, shortly before his untimely death from fulminant leukemia.
The Vatican Postal and Philatelic Service will issue 60,000 of the Acutis stamp and 50,000 of the Frassati stamp in collaboration with the Ministry of Enterprises, the San Marino Post Office, and the official postal service of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, with a face value of 1.35 euros ($1.60) each.
Special postmarks
In addition, two postmarks have been created to commemorate the canonization, reflecting the saintly lives of these two young men. The postmark for Acutis graphically reproduces the photo on the stamp, along with the symbol of the Eucharist with the monogram of Christ. The Frassati postmark features his signature and the inscription “Verso l’alto” (“to the heights”), which he wrote on a photo of himself scaling a mountain a month before his death.
For Acutis, in addition to the stamp, a special commemorative folder has also been issued as well as official first-day envelopes and the postmark from the “day of issue” at a cost of 10 euros ($11.66).
The new stamps and folder will be available for sale immediately after the canonization at the post office on St. Peter’s Square and at all Vatican post offices the following day.
The issuing of the new stamps seeks to underscore the power of the two young men’s Christian witness.
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This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
