Casimir of Poland

Saint Casimir of Poland

Memorial
• 4 March

Profile

Our saint today was a very happy fifteenth century Polish prince. I say he was happy as he never married. He lived a celibate life although a layman. In 1471 he was crowned the Grand Duke of Lithuania.

In addition to his vow of personal celibacy he lived a highly disciplined, even severe life, sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer, dedicating himself to following the Mets and the Jets… you get the idea. In all this Casamir had a great devotion to Mary, and he did all he could to help the poor.

Hungarian nobles prevailed upon Casimir’s father to send his 15-year-old son to be their king due to his honesty and morality; Casimir obeyed, taking the crown. During a time of military strife Casamir was a strong pacifist ...ignoring the military. His army was outnumbered and His troops began deserting because they were not paid. Casimir returned home, and was a conscientious objector from that time on. To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven……

He happily returned to prayer and study, maintained his decision to remain celibate even under pressure to marry the emperor’s daughter, (who was nicknamed the orangutan so maybe it wasn’t his vow alone that kept him from the altar). He died of tuberculosis in 1484.

Born
• 3 October 1458

Patronage
• against plague
• bachelors
• kings
• Lithuania
• Poland
• princes
• single laymen