First Seal of the Maryland Province

This stamp was created around 1833, the year the Maryland
Province Society of Jesus was formally established. Before
that, the province had been known as the American Mission.
In 1833, the mission had grown to include 78 members,
Georgetown College, a novitiate, 12 residences and churches,
and a college in Frederick, Md. This growth was the reason
Father General Jan Roothaan issued a decree on February
2, 1833, elevating the American Mission into the Maryland
Province. Fr. William McSherry, SJ, 34, was named the first
provincial. The stamp pictured here features the first seal of
the Maryland Province and was most likely used by McSherry
on various documents and correspondence. The center
features the letters, IHS, a monogram of the Greek spelling
of Jesus.