SISTER FLORENTINE: STAMP COLLECTION TO DEPICT THE BIBLE
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| Sister Florentine, St. Joseph Adoration Convent, Veluppadam, Varantharappilly, Thrissur |
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25000 stamps of Sister Florentine depict the Bible in sequence: from Creation in Old Testament to the Ascension of Jesus Christ. What prompted her to proclaim the glory of the Lord using this medium?
The random collection of stamps, which Sister Florentine gathered from a young age, had its significance and order during the visit of Pope to India in 1986. At that time, when the Sister was working in Rajagiri convent, Kalamassery, the Catholic Church and the HMT Philately Club, Kalamassery, decided to conduct a philatelic exhibition. A member of the philately club, Sadasivan, who had approached Sister Florantine with request for monetary help, happened to see her collection of stamps. He invited her to take part in the exhibition.
But Sister had never thought of such formal use for her stamps. In fact she did not even have sheets to hold the stamps. However, the incessant request of Sadasivan and the encouragement of Provincial Mother, Lambert, prompted her to consent to the exercise. As the day of reckoning approached, Sister was worried what show she would put up.
She went to the chapel and prayed to the Lord to show her a way. “ In the solitude I heard a voice urging me to open the Bible. When I opened, I saw the chapter on Creation.” Without loss of time, she arranged her stamps based on the theme of Biblical Creation.
In her 1st exhibition, she won 7 prizes. It was then that she understood the breadth of her collection. Why not depict the whole of Bible through stamps?, she thought. And with the help of her students and colleagues, she has been able to do that.
“This too is a form of praising the Lord”, she says about her collection.
Courtesy: R.Sarath Krishna (text), E.V.Ragesh/Sini Ramadas (photo), Mathrubhumi, December 22, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
