Maltese Charity
THE HUNGARIAN MALTESE CHARITY SERVICE IS 25 YEARS OLD
Magyar Posta is commemorating the 25th anniversary of
the foundation of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service by issuing a regular
stamp. The Charity Service’s well-known emblem is in the centre of the design
and is framed by the motto that has guided all branches of the Maltese order
worldwide for over nine hundred years: “Tuitio
fidei et obsequium pauperum” – Defence of the Faith and assistance to the poor.
The first day cover for the
stamp shows some characteristic scenes of the organisation’s activities and the
commemorative postmark includes the jubilee logo, designed by graphic artist György Kara. The stamp with a HUF 300
face value was produced at the printers Pénzjegynyomda
Zrt. using a combination of offset varnish and embossing, and the number of
copies will be determined dependent on demand. The stamp is available at
selected post offices and Filaposta in Hungary from 4 February, but may also be purchased from Magyar Posta’s online store.
In the autumn of 1987 Csilla Freifrau von
Boeselager from Germany met the parish priest of the Sacred Family church in
Zugliget, Budapest, Imre Kozma. They were both seeking ways of supporting the
poor, and discussed underequipped hospitals and social homes, pensioners
struggling to make a living, the difficulties young families with many children
face, as well as the problems of moral values and spiritual life, and ways of
providing help. As a result, in the spirit of the nine-hundred-year-old ideal
of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Ungarischer Malteser
Caritas-Dienst was founded in Germany in December 1988. The Hungarian Maltese
Charity Service came into being on 4 February 1989 and its founding president
was Father Imre Kozma. The symbol of the organisation is the eight-pointed
cross representing the eight beatitudes of the gospel.
The
Hungarian Maltese Charity Service cooperates with numerous organisations in
carrying out its charitable and rescue activities, and is held in high esteem
by the public. It fulfils a major role in caring for the homeless and has
launched a unique programme to support physically and mentally disabled people.
The charity plays an important role in providing care for the elderly and
supporting families in distressed situations. The organisation lays great
emphasis on looking after abandoned, orphaned and vulnerable children and young
people.
The
Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, which has almost eight thousand members in
seven regional organisations and one hundred and fifty local groups, is one of
the country’s largest civil organisations. Source:
maltai.hu
HUNGARIAN MALTESE CHARITY
SERVICE:
Order
code: 2014020010031 (stamp),
2014020060032 (FDC)
Date of issue: 4 February
2014
Face value: HUF 300
Number
of copies issued: dependent on demand.
Perforated size: 30 x 30 mm (50 stamps/sheet)
Printed
by Pénzjegynyomda Zrt.
Designed by György Kara