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Saint Josemaría Stamp Issued in Japan

April 22, 2004

Tags: Devotion
The Japanese Post Office has issued a set of stamps with pictures of Saint Josemaría, the Founder of Opus Dei.

The stamp carries a picture of the Saint and the words “Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Founder of Opus Dei” in Japanese characters.

Saint Josemaría always felt a special love for the Far East. In 1935 he encouraged Msgr Alvaro del Portillo to start studying Japanese.

When it finally became possible to start the work of Opus Dei there, he was delighted. When the first letter arrived from the faithful of Opus Dei in Japan, he noted on the envelope:

‘The first letter from Japan! Sancta Maria Stella Maris, filios tuos adiuva! (Holy Mary, Star of the Sea, help your children!)’ From then on, when the post came, if there was a letter from Japan he would open the envelope and put it to one side. He put the other letters in a pile and read them later. But the first one he read was always the letter from Japan. His children there had a very special place in his heart, because they were in a wonderful country, with such a difficult language, and where most people did not yet know Christ.