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<img height='250' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1402.jpg' > 
Our Lady Of Europe 
Scott 1402 (2009) 
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The Feast of Our Lady of Europe is celebrated annually on May 5th, honoring the Virgin Mary as the patroness of Gibraltar and protectress of Europe. This devotion dates to the 14th century, over 700 years ago starting in 1309. It is centered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe at Europa Point, Gibraltar, and the feast day was officially approved by Pope John Paul II in 2000.
 
Our Lady of Europe is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in connection with a statue of her that is located in the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned in Gibraltar. The statue is believed to have been carved in Genoa, Italy in the late 15th or early 16th century, and was brought to Gibraltar by a group of Italian sailors in the early 18th century.
 
The devotion to Our Lady of Europe has deep roots in Gibraltar's history and culture, and the statue has become an important symbol of the city's identity. It is said that during the Great Siege of Gibraltar in the late 18th century when the city was under attack from the Spanish, the people of Gibraltar prayed to Our Lady of Europe for protection and were spared from harm.
 
The feast day of Our Lady of Europe is celebrated on May 5th each year and is an important religious and cultural event in Gibraltar. The day is marked by a procession through the streets of the city, during which the statue of Our Lady of Europe is carried from the cathedral to the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe, a small chapel located on the site of an ancient Muslim mosque.
 
The devotion to Our Lady of Europe extends beyond Gibraltar, and there are other churches and shrines dedicated to her in various parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain.
 
Pope John Paul II declared Our Lady of Europe as the Patroness of Gibraltar and approved her feast day to be celebrated on May 5th in the year 2000. The decision was made in response to a request from the Bishop of Gibraltar, who had requested that the Vatican officially recognize the devotion to Our Lady of Europe in the city. Pope John Paul II granted the request and issued a papal decree in which he declared May 5th as the Feast Day of Our Lady of Europe. Since then, the feast day has been celebrated annually in Gibraltar and is an important part of the city's religious and cultural heritage. 
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In 2009, Vatican City issued the stamp shown at the top of this article. Jointly issued with Gibraltar, the stamp celebrates the 700 years of devotion to Our Lady of Europe. Issued in the form of a minisheet of four stamps, the selvage of the Vatican City minisheet shows the iconic Rock of Gibraltar, which stands at the Strait of Gibraltar, the passageway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is estimated that one ship passes through the Strait every five minutes. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and city situated east of the Rock, located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. Here is another look at "the Rock":
 
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<img height='350' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Rock_of_Gibraltar_northwest.jpg'> 
Rock of Gibraltar (West Face) 
From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain</center>
 
As a note, my wife Mary and I just passed through the Strait of Gibraltar last week on our cruise through the Mediterranean. Today we are in Rome, visiting the Vatican Central Post Office and meeting with Father Felice Bruno, the head of the Vatican Post Office and Philatelic Service. Hopefully the Swiss Guards at Saint Anne's Gate don't give us any trouble--they should be in a good mood since tomorrow, May 6, is the day they renew their oath to the pope.
 
REFERENCES: 
<li>UFN, February 10, 2009, <a href='https://www.vaticanstamps.org/UFN/images/2009-2-02-1.jpg'>700 Years of Devotion to Our Lady of Europe</a> 
<li>Wikipedia, <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar'>Gibraltar</a> 
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search

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