wfn.org | Taiwan Post Office Issues Stamp Honoring Canadian Missionary Pioneer

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

Taiwan Church News 2571

Reported by Cheng Guo-cheng,  Written by David Alexander

The Face Seen 'Round the World

      In honor of the 100th anniversary of the death of the Rev. Dr.
George Leslie MacKay the Directorate General of Posts of the Republic of
China (as Taiwan is officially known) issued a stamp bearing his
likeness, printing a million copies of it.  The stamp, in a denomination
rarely used locally, will grace overseas letters for months, if not
years, to come.
      Rev. MacKay arrived in southern Taiwan at the port of Kaohsiung in
1872 and walked north to the port of Tam-sui where he set up work.  Over
the next 29 years he founded churches, schools and a hospital system
which now stretches even to the Southeastern corner of the island.  He
was famous for his common touch, which was often exercised in tooth
pulling. He married a Taiwanese woman and raised several children here.
Upon his death he was buried in Tam-sui.  Dr. MacKay's descendants are
scattered over Canada, the USA, and Taiwan.
      Displays honoring his work have been mounted all over the island,
including in the branch hospital in Taitung.

For more information:
Aletheia University www.au.edu.tw
  MacKay Memorial Hospital mmhcler@ms25.mmh.org.tw
  Directorate General of Posts  www.post.gov.tw