St. Patrick's Day Postmarks

Photo by Kristin Krause. 

In the same way that I encouraged you to romanticize your Valentines with special cancellations in this post, the same can be done for your St. Patrick's Day cards.  Don't send cards?  Well, now is the time to start!  Inexpensive packages of cards are available at grocery stores, drugstores, department stores, or, of course, you could make your own.  No time to make your own?  St. Patrick, MO will sign your name, address them, and send them out for you all with a special postmark and cachet!

Pictured above is the card I sent out in 2009, complete with enclosure, decorated envelope, and the St. Patrick, MO postmark. Below is the postmark they offered in 2010, and the one that will be on envelopes this year.

From the St. Patrick, MO website:

The Shrine of Saint Patrick will sell a specially designed envelope with a greeting card inside. The commemorative envelope has a Celtic cross. The greeting card has a photo of St. Patrick and an Irish verse. The envelope sells for $1.00 which includes the envelope, first class postage, pictorial cancellation, a St Patrick's Day greeting card and the shamrock cachet (designed Fr Francis O'Duignan in 1936). 

Church volunteers will address the envelope, write the sender's return address, sign the card with the sender's name, and mail on the day in March you specify, if you request it. The envelope can be mailed only on the day listed on the postmark unless it is mailed under separate cover. St Patrick's greetings sent out on his anniversary from his name city changes an ordinary envelope into a collector's item.

Please make all checks or money orders payable to the Shrine of St Patrick as all proceeds go to the Shrine. A different envelope, card and postmark are offered every year.

The Shrine of St Patrick has 7 postcards:

St Patrick stained glass window

St Patrick Statue (outside)

St Patrick Statue (inside)

Shrine of St. Patrick in summer

Shrine of St. Patrick in Winter

Greetings from St Patrick

Shrine of St. Patrick 

The Shrine postcards may be addressed, stamped and mailed for you by Shrine volunteers for $.50 cents each. An unstamped postcard sells for $.25 cents. Please choose by name.

A pictorial cancellation will be available at the St Patrick, Missouri Post Office March 1 - 30, 2011. The date changes daily. A heart with Celtic design and "Happy St Patrick's Day Station March 1 - 30, 2011, St. Patrick, MO" will be on the cancellation. There is no charge for the cancellation. Stamped, self-addressed envelopes requesting the special pictorial cancellation may be sent to: Postmaster, St. Patrick, Missouri 63466 USA.

Any day between March 1 and March 30 can be placed on your pictorial cancellation and your envelope mailed that day. Please specify your mailing date. Customers who want their envelope returned under protected cover should include a large, stamped, self-addressed envelope. If you want the shamrock cachet on your envelope, please mail to; Shrine of St Patrick, Attn: Pictorial Cancellation, Box 34, St Patrick, Missouri 63466 USA.

Would you like your St Patrick's Day cards to be mailed from St Patrick, Missouri?

If you prefer to send your own cards for the pictorial cancellation from the St Patrick, Missouri Post Office,  it is available March 1 - 30, 2011. The date changes daily. A heart with Celtic design and "Happy St Patrick's Day Station March 1 - 30, 2011, St. Patrick, MO" will be on the cancellation. There is no charge for the cancellation. Stamped, self-addressed envelopes requesting the special pictorial cancellation may be sent to: Postmaster, St. Patrick, Missouri 63466 USA. 

Other post offices also take part in St. Pat's cancellations (I try to get a different one every year).  Package up your sealed, addressed, and stamped cards and mail them to: Postmaster at the city of your choice from the list below.

Clover, SC 29710

Clover, VA 24534

Erin, NY 14838

Erin, TN 37061

Green, KS 67447

Green, OH 44232

Ireland, IN 47545

Ireland, WV 26376

Limerick, ME 04048

Saint Patrick, MO 63466

Shamrock, OK 74068

Shamrock, TX 79079

I've been doing this for years and it's a lot of fun to see what will come back stamped on your envelope.  The postmarks are generally, without fail, in green, and sometimes the additional stampingsare rather lavish and can be found on both the front and back of the envelope.  This is a great project for kids who can mail a card to themselves, and wait with great anticipation to see what they get back, and for Girl and Boy Scouts  (I wish I'd have known about it when I was a Den Mother!) as it teaches them a bit about the history of the holiday, a bit of geography of the US, and the pure joy in getting something personal in the mail.

An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

This post is linked to: