Churches in the Cayman Islands boast some beautiful stained–glass windows, and the Cayman Islands Postal Service (CIPS) wants to share them with stamp collectors and remind residents of their beauty. The CIPS has therefore released six stamps and a First Day Cover in the Christmas 2007 – Stained–glass windows series.
The stamps feature stained–glass windows at Wesleyan Holiness Church (25¢); Elmslie Memorial Church (50¢); St. George’s Anglican Church (75¢); East End Seventh–Day Adventist Church (80¢); First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman ($1) and Frank Sound Church of God ($1.50). The image on the First Day Cover, which has all the stamps affixed to it, is a handmade quilt in the Little Cayman Baptist Church. The leaflet, which customers will receive with purchase of a First Day Cover, offers a brief history of the churches along with an explanation of the windows.
The stained-glass window stamp (80¢) at East End Seventh-day Adventist Church pictures a dove flying with an olive branch, signifying hope, which is part of the spiritual message of the Adventist church. The windows were donated by Mr. Linford Pierson, Verne Forbes and Will and Sybil Jackson.
With 3.273 adult baptized members, worshipping in 14 local congregations, the protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the major churches on the islands of Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman with a population of 45.000.
The Stamp Advisory Committee selected a quilt from the Sister Islands because it was thought that no churches in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman had stained–glass windows. However, the CIPS was informed just as the issue was being printed that there is, in fact, a church on the Brac with stained–glass windows.
Philatelic Manager Karen McField thanked the churches, staff and the Stamp Advisory Committee that helped make this issue a reality. “This was an easy subject, though the Stamp Advisory Committee had to make some difficult decisions. We wanted to ensure that the major denominations on the three islands were featured on the series.”
Christmas 2007 stamps are on sale since October 22 at all island post offices.
