#Church of St. Casimir

[postcard-from-the-past]

Church of St. Casimir in Vilnius, Lithuania

Russian vintage postcard, mailed in 1903 to France

[jontycrane]

Vilnius

My final stop travelling through the Baltics was Lithuania’s capital Vilnius. I found it more pleasant than Riga and less touristy than Tallinn (helped by not having cruise ship visitors) and home to more than a hundred churches, of which I visited seventeen. It was a lovely place to wander around, enjoying the architecture. Before WW2 nearly half the population of Vilnius was Jewish and home…

[wildbeautifuldamned]

Antique Stained Glass Window-St Casimir's Polish Catholic Church-Fleur De Lis ebay rehousearchitecturalsalvage

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (March 4)

On March 4, the Catholic Church honors Saint Casimir Jagiellon, a prince whose life of service to God has made him a patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed Lithuanian pilgrims commemorating the 500th anniversary of the prince's death.

He said, "the Church proclaimed Casimir a saint and placed him before us not only to be venerated but also that we might imitate his heroic virtues and follow his example of holiness.”

“His witness of great faith and fervent piety continues to have special meaning for us today,” the Pope said, noting especially the challenging call he offers to young people.

“His life of purity and prayer beckons you to practice your faith with courage and zeal, to reject the deceptive attractions of modern permissive society, and to live your convictions with fearless confidence and joy.”

Casimir Jagiellon was born on 3 October 1458, the third of thirteen children born to Poland's King Casimir IV and his wife Elizabeth of Austria.

King Casimir IV’s father had converted to Catholicism from paganism and introduced Christianity to Lithuania.

King Casimir IV was, therefore, raised in a good Catholic home, which he also provided to his children.

A faithful Catholic herself, Queen Elizabeth was the loving mother of her thirteen children.

He and several of his brothers studied with the priest and historian John Dlugosz, whose deep piety and political expertise influenced Casimir in his upbringing.

The young prince had a distaste for the luxury of courtly life. He instead chose the way of asceticism and devotion.

He wore plain clothes with a hair shirt beneath them and slept frequently on the ground. He would spend much of the night in prayer and meditation on the suffering and death of Christ.

Casimir showed his love for God through these exercises of devotion and also through his material charity to the poor.

He was known as a deeply compassionate young man who felt others' pains acutely.

The young prince was only 13 years old when his father was asked by the Hungarians to offer his son as their new king.

Casimir was eager to aid the Hungarians in their defense against the Turks and went to be crowned. This plan was unsuccessful, however, and he was forced to return to Poland.

After his return, Casimir resumed his studies with Dlugosz, while developing a canny grasp of politics by observing his father's rule.

In 1479, the king left Poland to attend to state business in Lithuania, leaving Prince Casimir in charge of the realm between 1481 and 1483.

Advisers to the prince joined his father in trying to convince Casimir to marry. But he preferred to remain single, focusing his life on the service of God and the good of his people.

After experiencing symptoms of tuberculosis, Casimir foresaw his death and prepared for it by deepening his devotion to God.

He died en route to Lithuania on 4 March 1484 and was buried with a copy of a Marian hymn he frequently recited.

He was believed to have been canonized by Pope Leo X in 1521 or Pope Adrian VI in 1522.

His canonization was finally confirmed by Pope Clement VIII in 1602.

One notable miracle took place in 1519 when the Lithuanian army was engaged in battle with the Russians.

It is said that Saint Casimir appeared to the Lithuanian soldiers in a vision and directed them to a place where they could best defend their city, which they successfully did.

This might be the reason that Casimir is the patron saint of both Poland and Lithuania.

Five centuries after his death, Pope John Paul II recalled how St. Casimir “embraced a life of celibacy, submitted himself humbly to God’s will in all things, devoted himself with tender love to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and developed a fervent practice of adoring Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.”

“To all,” the Pope said, “he was a shining example of poverty and of sacrificial love for the poor and needy.”

On 11 June 1948, when many Lithuanians were displaced war refugees, Pope Pius XII named Casimir the special patron of Lithuanian youth.

[gracelikeleaves]

by jaime.silva on Flickr.The towers of St. Casimir Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.

[prubun]

by jaime.silva on Flickr.The towers of St. Casimir Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.

[wynonasrider]

by jaime.silva on Flickr.The towers of St. Casimir Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.

[rustykev]

Today we celebrate the Blessed Memorial of St. Casimir. Pray for us! Read up on this Holy man of God and listen to the Mass readings and Psalm for today, drawing closer to Our Lord's Most Sacred Heart. God love you.

Also, pray along and listen to the Morning Prayer of the Church.

[pointer8708]

#gabeasasurfboard #winterfest! (at St Casimir Lithuanian Catholic Church) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmK8F2RJQU6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[annanielsson]

Statue of Liberty from Greenwood Heights by Anna Nielsson

[gouachevalier]

Pope Francis at the Chapel of Saint Casimir in Vilnius Cathedral, Lithuania.

(Credits: Laima Penek, Vatican News)

[wildbeautifuldamned]

Antique Stained Glass Window-St Casimir's Polish Catholic Church-Early 20th Cen. ebay rehousearchitecturalsalvage

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (March 4)

On March 4, the Catholic Church honors Saint Casimir Jagiellon, a prince whose life of service to God has made him a patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and young people.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed Lithuanian pilgrims commemorating the 500th anniversary of the prince's death.

He said the Church “proclaimed Casimir a saint and placed him before us not only to be venerated but also that we might imitate his heroic virtues and follow his example of holiness.”

“His witness of great faith and fervent piety continues to have special meaning for us today,” the Pope said, noting especially the challenging call he offers to young people.

“His life of purity and prayer beckons you to practice your faith with courage and zeal, to reject the deceptive attractions of modern permissive society, and to live your convictions with fearless confidence and joy.”

Casimir Jagiellon was born on 3 October 1458, the third of thirteen children born to Poland's King Casimir IV and his wife Elizabeth of Austria.

He and several of his brothers studied with the priest and historian John Dlugosz, whose deep piety and political expertise influenced Casimir in his upbringing.

The young prince had a distaste for the luxury of courtly life and instead chose the way of asceticism and devotion.

He wore plain clothes with a hair shirt beneath them, slept frequently on the ground, and would spend much of the night in prayer and meditation on the suffering and death of Christ.

Casimir showed his love for God through these exercises of devotion and also through his material charity to the poor.

He was known as a deeply compassionate young man who felt the pains of others acutely.

The young prince was only 13 years old when his father was asked by the Hungarians to offer his son as their new king.

Casimir was eager to aid the Hungarians in their defense against the Turks and went to be crowned.

This plan was unsuccessful, however, and he was forced to return to Poland.

After his return, Casimir resumed his studies with Dlugosz, while developing a canny grasp of politics by observing his father's rule.

In 1479, the king left Poland to attend to state business in Lithuania, leaving Prince Casimir in charge of the realm between 1481 and 1483.

Advisers to the prince joined his father in trying to convince Casimir to marry. But he preferred to remain single, focusing his life on the service of God and the good of his people.

After experiencing symptoms of tuberculosis, Casimir foresaw his death and prepared for it by deepening his devotion to God.

He died en route to Lithuania on 4 March 1484. He was buried with a copy of a Marian hymn he frequently recited.

His canonization was initiated by his brother, King Sigismund I the Old, in 1514. Tradition holds that he was canonized in 1521.

Five centuries after his death, Pope John Paul II recalled how St. Casimir “embraced a life of celibacy, submitted himself humbly to God’s will in all things, devoted himself with tender love to the Blessed Virgin Mary l, and developed a fervent practice of adoring Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.”

“To all,” the Pope said, “he was a shining example of poverty and of sacrificial love for the poor and needy.”

[adammcdowell]

by jaime.silva on Flickr.The towers of St. Casimir Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.

[tiny-librarian]

The Crypt of  Church of the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady, in the Franciscan Kostanjevica Monastery in Slovenia. 

Inside are buried 6 members of the French Royal Family, with a niche containing the remains of  Louis Jean Casimir, a Court Minister who accompanied Charles X into exile. This has given the place the nickname of “Little St. Denis”, after the Church in Paris that is the traditional burial site of the French Monarchy.

On the left hand side are: Louise Marie Therese d’Artois, Duchess of Parma; Henri, Comte de Chambord, and Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Comtesse de Chambord.

On the right side are: Louis Antoine d’Artois, duc d’Angouleme, Charles X, and Marie Therese Charlotte, Duchesse d’Angouleme.

[life-of-architecture]

Nowy Sącz kościół św. Kazimierza, 1908-1912 architekt: Teodor Talowski foto z 14 sierpnia 2016

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Nowy Sącz, Poland St. Casimir Church built in 1908-1912 architect: Teodor Talowski taken on 14 August 2016