BRAZIL, 1934, the 4th centenary of Anchieta's birth, Scott 394-397

Born on March 19, 1534 in São Cristóvão de la Laguna on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Anchieta studied at the Jesuit College at Coimbra in Portugal, and in 1551 joined the Jesuit Order. He went to Brazil in 1553 and worked there until his death in 1597. Anchieta worked with Manuel da Nóbrega and succeeded him as superior of the Jesuit province of Brazil. He helped found several schools and taught at many of them. He also helped found the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Anchieta and other Jesuits ministered to the Portuguese in Brazil, but their primary work was with the natives, bringing them into small settlements where they could be educated, catechized, and protected from exploitation and slavery. This missionary strategy foreshadowed the famous reductions in Paraguay.

Anchieta devised a writing system for Tupi, the main native language in the area, and wrote a Tupi grammar and dictionary, several catechisms, songs, poetry and other works that make him the founder of Brazilian literature. Once, held as a hostage for three months, he wrote his long Poem do Virgin on the sand of Iperoig Beach to pass the time. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 20th of June, 1980, and was added to the calendar of the saints by Pope Francis on 3 April 2014.

   
BRAZIL, 1941, the 4th centenary of the Society of Jesus, Scott 509
BRAZIL, 1954, the 4th centenary of São Paulo, Scott 773
SPAIN, 1965, Builders of the New World series, based on an anonymous portrait at the University of São Paulo's Museu Paulista, Scott 1317, 1321

 
BRAZIL, December 8, 1980, the beatification of Anchieta, Scott 1725
To the right a cinderella mailed from Brazil with regular postage in August 2003

 

  
BRAZIL and PORTUGAL, 1997, the 4th centenary of his death, Scott Brazil 2639, Portugal 2168, their Lisbon cancels
BRAZIL, 1997, special cancel for the 4th centenary of Anchieta's death

SAN MARINO, 2004, the 450th anniversary of the founding of São Paulo by Nóbrega and Anchieta
both seen here, one in surplice and stole, the other holding the cross, Scott 1608

 

BRAZIL, 2007, The Steps of Anchieta, Scott 3011 and its FDI cancel
and a FDI cover (March 19, 2007) with a variety of subsequent special cancels

The Steps of Anchieta (Os Passos de Anchieta) is one of the first Christian roads of the Americas. It is also a project of local people to reestablish and maintain this tourist, environmental, cultural, religious, and historical route. The Steps of Anchieta is a reconstruction of the 60 mile route that José Anchieta walked every 14 days along the coastline of the State of Espiritu Santo, between the town of Rerigtiba, where lived for the ten last years of his life with the Temiminós Indians, and the Colégio de São Tiago in Vitória, where the Jesuits taught catechism and other subjects. The last time he traversed this route was in his funeral cortège, about 3000 natives carrying him the distance. They had nicknamed him Abará-bebe (The Holy Flier) because of the speed with which he walked. In 1998 a group of persons resolved to rescue that route and reestablish it, and then they began a large annual 4-day walk, averaging about 3,000 participants. This 2007 postal issue marks the 10th Steps of Anchieta.

  
BRAZIL, 1980, for Anchieta's beatification, first week of issue for Scott 1725
SPAIN, 1984, for the 450th anniversary of Anchieta's birth
BRAZIL, 1984, for the 450th anniversary of Anchieta's birth

   
BRAZIL, 1989, FDI cancel for Scott 2172, the 20th anniversary of the Padre Anchieta Foundation
SPAIN, 1998, for the anniversary of the Padre Anchieta Retirement Home, Tenerife
BRAZIL, 1997, Colégio Padre Anchieta, Rua Batista De Azevedo, 340 , Osasco, SP
(not a Jesuit colleg but named for Anchieta) celebrated its 30th anniversary
BRAZIL, 2009, for the anniversary of São Paulo's city hall, the Palácio Anchieta

 
BRAZIL, 1985, postmark from Anchieta, in the state of Espirito Santo
BRAZIL, 2009, postmark from a postal agency of a Curitiba city, Paraná by the name of Padre Anchieta.

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