4 March: Saint Casimir

The Prince in Love with the Virgin Mary

He was born on October 3, 1458, in Wawel, the royal castle of Kraków, into the noble Jagiellonian family. The son of Casimir IV, King of Poland, he received a religious education from his mother, Elizabeth of Austria.

In 1471, nobles opposed to King Matthias Corvinus offered him the title of King of Hungary; however, when he learned of the opposition of Pope Sixtus IV, he renounced the throne.

After this, his father Casimir IV entrusted him with increasing responsibilities in governing the kingdom and, when his brother Ladislaus ascended the throne of Bohemia, Casimir became heir to Poland. From 1481 to 1483, he administered Poland with great prudence while his father was in Lithuania.

He refused marriage to the daughter of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg because he wished to give priority to following Christ. Instead of taking part in courtly life, he preferred prayer, spiritual reading, and participation in Holy Mass.

He held justice in great esteem, to the point that he reported to his father any injustices committed against the poor and the weak. He was generous in charity, so much so that he was called the “defender of the poor.” He had a tender devotion to the Virgin Mary, and a copy of his favorite hymn, Omni die dic Mariae, was placed in his coffin.

In 1483, he moved to Lithuania as Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Duchy. Weakened by his penances, he was struck by anemia, which later developed into tuberculosis.

He died in Grodno, Lithuania, on March 4, 1484. He was buried in the chapel of Vilnius Castle and, in 1989, his relics were transferred to the city’s cathedral.

He was canonized in 1521 by Pope Leo X and is the Patron Saint of Lithuania and Poland.