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 150th Anniversary of the Vatican Pharmacy Date Issued: 02/19/2024 Scott #1846 Perforation; 14 x 13 1/4 Face Value: €1.25 Today’s Daily Email features two subjects that have appeared on the stamps of Vatican City: the Portuguese native Saint John of God and the Vatican Pharmacy. They are both featured on the stamp above. Let’s take a look at the story as to how they are connected. Today, March 8, marks the feast day for Saint John of God. The date coincides with both his date of birth (in 1495 at Montemor-o-Novo, Évora, Kingdom of Portugal) and date of death (in 1550 at Granada in present-day Spain). His life took an interesting path to sainthood.  Saint John of God, Saint Peter's Basilica Photo by Joseolgon From Wikimedia Commons, used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license Born João Duarte Cidade to André Cidade and Teresa Duarte, at the age of 8 João disappeared from his hometown. The reason for his disappearance is not clear, but what is known is that he eventually was given housing and work by a sheepherder in Oropesa, a municipality of Toledo, Spain. After a stay in Oropesa he joined the military. After a conflict with authorities in the military, he went back to Oropesa, but then returned to military life. After 18 years of additional military service, he left the military and returned to Oropesa. He worked as a stevedore (loading, unloading, and stowing cargo on ships). In 1537, at the age of 42, he had a conversion of heart after listening to a preaching on repentance by the mystic John of Avila. At this time, he became devout to the spiritual life, even to the extent of selling religious books. Around this time, he suffered a mental breakdown and was placed in an institution where the treatment was inhumane. While hospitalized, he was visited by John of Avila, who became his spiritual advisor. While he was in the hospital, John of Avila suggested that he serve in the hospital as a volunteer nurse. When he was released from the hospital, he made a pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Exremadura, Spain. While there, he had a vision of the Blessed Mother telling him to work for the poor and sick. He would later go to Granada, where he started a home for the sick and homeless. It was from these beginnings that, along with others who joined his ministry and with funds from King Philip II of Spain, he put into motion the founding of a religious order of monks to serve the poor and sick. He died at Granada at the age of 55 in 1550. Following the inspiration and groundbreaking work of Saint John of God, twenty-two years after his death, in 1572, the formation of the order known as the “Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God” was approved by the Holy See. To this day the order, also known as the “Fatebenefratelli” (which roughly translates to "Do-Good Brothers"), remains dedicated to the care of the poor, sick and those with mental disorders. Upon the capture of Rome in 1870, Pope Pius IX sought autonomy for basic services in the Vatican. On March 2, 1874, at his request, the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (Fatebenefratelli) set up the pharmacy in Vatican City. The first pharmacist was Brother Eusebio Ludvig Fronmen. The Vatican Pharmacy is one of the largest pharmacies in the world. It carries medicines that are even unavailable in Italy. All medicines provided are authorized by the country of origin. The Vatican Pharmacy’s clients are those who work in the Vatican, tourists and others. The Vatican is the world’s smallest state by both area and population, approximately 700 living inside Vatican City and a work force both inside and outside of the Vatican of about 4,800. The Vatican does provide health care services to its residents and employees. On February 19, 2024, Vatican City released a single-stamp issue commemorating the establishment of the Vatican Pharmacy. The postage stamp celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Vatican Pharmacy was designed by Raul Berzosa, and depicts St. John of God, founder of the Fatebenefratelli, standing between a customer and a pharmacist. The lower center of the stamp features the logo of the Fatebenefratelli Order (a pomegranate crowned with a cross), and the background shows Saint Peter’s Basilica. This stamp marks the third time Saint John of God has appeared on a stamp from Vatican City. He first appeared in 1986 on a stamp from the set honoring “Patrons of Hospitals and of the Sick”. In 1995, he was featured on a stamp from the set commemorating “Three Notable Saints”. 
 Saint John of God: Scott 775 (1986) and Scott 994 (1995) REFERENCES:  Vatican Pharmacy First Day Cover Issued: 02/19/2024 by the Vatican Post Office Stamp Scott #1846 |
