The Month of Mary

With all of the glitz and glamour it can be easy to forget that the Principality of Monaco is one of the few remaining officially Catholic monarchies in the world, but, so it is and May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course the Archdiocese of Monaco observes all the proper Marian holidays along with the special feasts of St Devote and St Rainier and others special to Monaco and the House of Grimaldi. One of the ways the Principality has recognized religious figures, including the Holy Mother, is by issuing special stamps. In the past quite a few stamps were issued with religious themes or honoring religious occasions. One such example, featuring the Blessed Virgin Mary, was this one from 1958 marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception. It features the Roman Pontiffs Pius XII and Blessed Pius IX flanking the image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.