100th anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima

POSTMARK NOVELTY - This year for the first time two first day cancellations are available Note: it is not possible to have both cancellations in a single stamps set.

On the 13th May 1917 the Holy Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, Fatima, asking them to pray the Rosary every day, to consecrate themselves to her Immaculate Heart, to do penance and to convert. Today the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima is the destination of many pilgrims coming from all over the world. The €1.00 value shows the Basilica of Fatima, built on the site of the apparitions, while the €2.90 stamp depicts the Holy Virgin’s apparition to the shepherd children. On the background of both values, circles of light stand out against the sky, reminding of the miracle of the sun occurred on the 13th October 1917.