Anniversaries & Events 2014

The Mauritius Post issued on 28 May 2014 a set of four stamps on the theme 'Anniversaries & Events'.

Rs8 - 150th Death Anniversary of Blessed Father Laval (1864-2014)

Father  Jacques Désiré Laval (1803-1864) - 'Père Laval' in French and Mauritian Creole - left his parish of Pinterville in Normandy, France and arrived in Port Louis on 14 September 1841.

Given his sense of devotion to duty and his humane approach, the then Bishop of Port Louis, Allan Collier, conferred upon him the mission of catechisation of the population of former slaves. There were around 67,000 of them, whom he found in absolute poverty and totally illiterate. Moreover, most of them had hardly been baptised.

For 23 years, he consecrated his whole mission in Mauritius to the cause of the most needy among them. It is thanks to his relentless effort that the descendants of African and Malagasy slaves were converted to Catholicism.

At the age of 61 through relentless hard work he was broken in health.  'L'Apôtre des noirs' ('The Apostle of the Blacks' in English) as he became known, passed away on 9 September 1864. His death was deeply mourned by the whole population. His funeral was attended by a huge crowd estimated at 40,000 who took his coffin from Saint Louis Cathedral in the centre of Port Lois to Sainte Croix,  a distance of 5 km on the outskirts of the city, for burial. His vault has now become one of the most renowned places of worship in Mauritius.

For the past 150 years, on the night of 8 September each year, people from all walks of life and hailing from every corner of the island and even from abroad, come to his sepulture in Sainte Croix in rememberance of his love and strong dedication for the poor and the down-trodden and in quest for salvation.

In virtue of a decree on  22 June 1972, Pope Paul VI proclaimed that Father Laval had practised christian virtues to a heroic degree. At a formal ceremony held in Rome on April 24, 1979, Father Laval was beatified by Pope John Paul II and is now known as the Blessed Father Laval ("Bienheureux Père Laval" in French), pending his canonisation.

Rs14 - 10th Anniversary of the Creation of the Ombudsperson for Children's Office

The Office of the Ombudsperson for Children was set up on 10 December 2003 pursuant to the Ombudsperson for Children's Act 2003. Mrs. Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra was the first Ombudsperson for Children. The first of its kind in Africa, the Ombudsperson for Children has the statutory duty to:

a) ensure that the rights, needs and interests of children are given full consideration by public bodies, private authorities, individuals and association of individuals;

b) promote the rights and best interests of children;

c) promote compliance with the Convention.

It investigates into cases of violation of the rights of children and advises the relevant authorities on legislations, policies and practices in the best interests of children.

Mrs. Rookmeenee Narainamah Narayen, former Judge of the Supreme Court, is the present Ombudsperson for Children. She took office on 10 December 2011.

Rs15 - 200th Anniversary of the Arrival of Reverend Jean Joseph Le Brun in Mauritius (1814-2014)

Reverend Jean Le Brun is regarded as the precursor of free education in Mauritius. Soon after his arrival on the island on 18 May 1814 he started setting up schools, the first one at Chaussée Street, Port Louis, on the site of 'Maison Mabille', for those who could not attend private schools on account of their limited resources and of class discrimination.

Reverend Jean Le Brun worked with determination for the emancipation of the coloured people, the liberated slaves and the indentured labourers who constituted the classes subject to discrimination. In 1826, he deposed before the Eastern Enquiry Commission, and on 22 June 1829 an order in council gave coloured people full legal rights.

Reverend Le Brun was the first protestant missionary to set foot on the island. As a missionary, he also set up churches in various parts of the island, preaching the Gospel and providing free education as well.  

Born on 7 September 1789 in Jersey, Channel Islands, Jean Le Brun passed away on 21 February 1865 in Port Louis, Mauritius, where he was buried in the Western Cemetery.

Rs25 - 25 Years of the Introduction of Mobile Telephone in Mauritius (1989-2014)

Mauritius takes pride in being one of the first countries in the southern hemisphere to have introduced mobile telephone.

In the wake of the first cellular service in September 1983 in the United States, a Mauritian private company, Emtel Ltd., the pioneer in the sector, successfully launched, in May 1989, the first mobile telephone in Mauritius. Thereafter, other telecommunication operators followed suit.

Improved technology has enabled migration from basic telephony to an array of facilities for the users ranging from SMS, MMS, e-mails, wireless connectivity and all sorts of mobile applications are being developed for a variety of services. This increased connectivity has fundamentally transformed the Mauritian society.

Cellular communication has played a vital role in the socio-economic and cultural development of Mauritius, by connecting the outer islands of Rodrigues and Agaléga for instance.  In May 2014, there were around 1.5 million cellular subscribers in Mauritius.

Unofficial FDC registered at Port Louis GPO

Technical Details

Release date: 28 May 2014

Stamps Denominations & Illustrations: 

  Rs8 - 150th Death Anniversary of Bienheureux Père Laval

  Rs14 - 10th Anniversary of the Creation of the Ombudsperson fro Children's Office

  Rs15 - 200th Anniversary of the Arrival of Reverend Jean Joseph Le Brun in Mauritius

  Rs25 - 25 Years of the Introduction of Mobile Telephone in Mauritius

Design: Graphic Department (The Mauritius Post Ltd.)

Size:  29.94 mm x 44.45 mm

Printer: BDT International Security Printing Ltd.

Process: Lithography

Number per sheet: 50 stamps set in two panes of 25

Perforation gauge: 14 × 2 cm

Watermark: w18 - CASCO