Answer: 
To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Minor Seminary “Santo Tomás de Villanueva” in Toledo, the Vatican Postal and Philatelic Service issued a special commemorative postmark on March 19, 2025. This circular cancellation, measuring 38 mm in diameter, features the official centenary logo of the seminary. Surrounding the emblem are the inscriptions: “IN ANNIVERSARIO SEMINARII MINORIS TOLETANI A SANCTO THOMA DE VILLANOVA”, the date “19.03.2025”, and the designation “POSTE VATICANE”. The postmark not only honors the seminary’s century-long mission of priestly formation but also pays tribute to its namesake, Saint Thomas of Villanova.
Saint Thomas of Villanova (1488–1555) was a Spanish Augustinian friar, archbishop, and renowned preacher known for his deep intellectual gifts and radical charity. Born in Fuenllana and raised in Villanueva de los Infantes, he became a professor at the University of Alcalá before joining the Augustinian order. As Archbishop of Valencia, he was celebrated for his reforms, his care for the poor, and his insistence on the education of clergy—making him a fitting patron for a seminary. Canonized in 1658, he remains a model of pastoral zeal and academic excellence.
Although no specific Vatican stamp was issued for this occasion, the special postmark adds philatelic and historical value to any Vatican postal item dated March 19, 2025. Collectors wishing to obtain this cancellation had to submit properly franked material to the Vatican’s Cancellations Department by April 16, 2025. This initiative reflected the Vatican’s ongoing tradition of using philately to commemorate milestones in Catholic education and spiritual formation.
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