Saint Casimir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the village in Canada, see Saint-Casimir, Quebec.
Saint Casimir Jagiellon, patron saint of Poland and Lithuania, was prince of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A member of the Jagiellon dynasty, he was born in 1458 at Wawel, the royal palace in Kraków, and died at Hrodna on March 4, 1484.
Casimir (Lithuanian: Kazimieras, Polish: Kazimierz, Belarusian: Kazimir was the grandson of Władysław II Jagiełło and was the second son of king Casimir IV and queen Elizabeth of Austria. His grandfather was Albert II Habsburg, king of Bohemia, king of Hungary, and "King of the Romans" in the Holy Roman Empire.
From the age of nine, Casimir received his education from Jan Długosz and Filippo Buonaccorsi (also known as Callimachus). When Casimir was thirteen he was offered the throne of Hungary by factions discontented with king Mattias Corvinus. Casimir, who was eager to defend the Cross against the Turks, accepted the call and went to Hungary to receive the crown. His uncle Władysław III, king of Poland and Hungary, had earlier been killed in battle at Varna in 1444. Casimir was unsuccessful in his undertaking and returned as a fugitive. He again became the pupil of father Longinus in 1475. His father, King Casimir IV, had initiated him well into public affairs and when his brother Władysław, ascended to the Bohemian throne, Casimir became heir-apparent to the throne of Poland. In 1479, the king went to Lithuania for five years, and Casimir was left in charge of Poland. From 1481-1483 he administered the state with great prudence and justice. His father tried to arrange a marriage with a daughter of emperor Frederick III, but Casimir preferred to remain single. Due to his devout faith and weakened by excessive fasting, he developed severe lung problems, possibly tuberculosis, which he proved unable to fight off. On a journey to Lithuania in 1484, he died at Hrodna. His remains were interred at Vilnius. There is a Chapel of Saint Casimir in Vilnius Cathedral where his remains rest.
Casimir lived and reigned with great dignity and possessed great charm and character. Several miracles are ascribed to him. He was canonized by Vatican as Saint Casimir and is the patron saint of several countries.
On June 11, 1948 Pope Pius XII named Saint Casimir the special patron of all youth.
[edit] See also
- Kaziuko mugė in Vilnius, a fair held on the Sunday nearest to St. Casimir's Day, the anniversary of his death
