Released to the public on 19 February, 2024 and is available for philatelic collectors and enthusiasts. Don Bosco's dream had been depicted in a painting on canvas made in 1999 by the Italian artist Mario Bogani and had been preserved in the Upper Basilica of the Don Bosco - Colle Don Bosco, in Castelnuovo Don Bosco in the province of Asti. It depicts a child (Don Bosco, precisely) held by the hand of a woman dressed in heavenly clothing (the Madonna) and next to them the figure of Jesus. All around are the other images of that dream, which profoundly marked the life of little John and directed his later choices. There are wild animals and sheep, but also young men at different moments: two embrace, others intent on negative deeds are rebuked by a priest, while next to them is the image of a priest looking at other young men sitting intent on reflection. A dream that Don Bosco himself described extensively in his memoirs and that the Rector Major of the Salesians, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, described as the "inspirational source of his educational philosophy permeated by three principles: reason, religion, loving-kindness".
The stamp issued by the Vatican Post does not reproduce the entire work, but concentrates on the upper right-hand part with the central figures of the child held by the hand of the Madonna with Jesus beside him.
The stamp of €1.30, will also have an accompanying brochure (with a set of several stamps of the same series with a frame). Thus, the release envelope will contain 9 stamps (for a face value of €11.70) with the inscription "The dream of St John Bosco" at the top, the words "Vatican City State" at the bottom and the dates "1824" and "2024" on the right and left side of the sheetlet.
This is not the first time that the Vatican Post has issued a stamp commemorating the figure and the mission of St John Bosco. A stamp with the image of the saint seen in profile, was also issued on the occasion of the World Catholic Press Exhibition, back in 1936. There were actually two: one with a value of 25 cents and a second one with a value of 80 cents. The eight-piece set also includes two stamps dedicated to St Francis de Sales launched during the press conference cum exhibition coordinated by Alcide De Gasperi.
In 1988, on the occasion of the centenary of Don Bosco's death, the Vatican Post dedicated a 'triptych', i.e. three stamps that together created a single scene, subdivided into three portions worth respectively 500, 1,000 and 2,000 lire (old Italian currency). The last Vatican postal issue on Don Bosco dates back to 2015, for the bicentenary of his birth: Don Bosco with the celebratory inscription and stylized young people celebrating with a value 0.80€ cents. It was a Vatican, Italian and joint European postal release of a postal cover embedded with 6 stamps and a flap dedicated to Don Bosco's words.
The Italian Post Office had further dedicated a postage stamp on the centenary of his death (1988) - not without some critical voices on the choice to do so. In 1929 the Italian Postal Service chose to celebrate Don Bosco's beatification with Erinnofili, i.e. non-postal stamp printed commemorative envelope.
Widespread devotion to Don Bosco in many countries has been manifested through dedications of postage stamps to him, especially on the centenary of his death (1988) and on the 200th anniversary of his birth (2015). Belgium, on the other hand, had also issued a commemorative stamp in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his canonization.
Philatelic commemoration of the death centenary was also done by Austria, Guatemala, India, Bolivia and Peru (besides Italy and the Vatican). This list alone is an indication of the worldwide popularity of the founder of the Salesians. There were also many similar releases for the 200th anniversary of his birth by Italy, the Vatican, Republic of San Marino and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Slovakia, Austria, Kenya, Brazil and Portugal. Now in 2024, this new Vatican stamp will be added to this list and is certainly looked forward to by collectors and philatelists.
Enrico Lenzi
Source: Avvenire
