For the occasion of the 350th Anniversary of the foundation of the Sena tal-Fratellanza tal-Immakulata, MaltaPost has said that a special hand postmark will be used on Saturday, the 7th of December 2013 at the Victoria Post Office.
In 1663 the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady was founded in the church to help in the organisation of the feast, and with the commission to Preciado of the beautiful altarpiece canvas of the Immaculate Conception a few decades later, the church of St Francis at Victoria grew into a centre of devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
In 1698 a wooden statue of Our Lady representing the Immaculate Conception was first used in the festa procession. The feast is still celebrated every 8th December.
Orders for this special hand postmark may be placed online at maltaphilately.com or by mail from the Philatelic Bureau, MaltaPost p.l.c. 305, Triq Hal Qormi, Marsa, MTP 1001 – Telephone 2596 1740 – e-mail: info@maltaphilately.com [1]