The 32-cent stamp honoring Padre Félix Varela was issued with a first-day ceremony in Miami, Florida, on September 15, 1997. Varela, born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in St. Augustine, Florida, was a pivotal figure in the 19th century, advocating for Cuban independence and the abolition of slavery. After being forced into exile, he spent many years in New York City, where he was a prominent intellectual and humanitarian. The stamp's issuance in Miami was a significant acknowledgment of the city's large and influential Cuban-American population, for whom Varela is a revered historical and cultural icon. The portrait on the stamp captures his thoughtful and determined character, reflecting his life's work as a thinker and a man of faith who fought for social justice.