|
|
Prince Casimir was the he second
son of King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth of Poland and was born on
October, 03 1458; Rejecting even ordinary comforts, Casimir he slept on the
floor after spending his nights in prayer .and was committed to a celebrate
life.
When Casimir was thirteen he was offered the throne of Hungary by a
Hungarian faction who were discontented under King Matthias Corvinus. Eager
to defend the Cross against the Turks, he accepted the invitation and went
to Hungary to receive the crown. He was unsuccessful, however, and returned
a fugitive to Poland. When the king went to Lithuania to spend five
years arranging affairs there in 1479, Casimir returned to Cracow and was
placed in charge of Poland from 1481 to 1483
His father tried to arrange a marriage for him, .but Casimir preferred to
remain celibate Weakened by excessive fasting, he developed
tuberculosis. He died on March 04, 1484 on a journey to
Lithuania. His remains were interred in the Cathedral in Vilnius,
Lithuania.
His first miracle is considered
to be his apparition in 1518 at the Dauguva River during the war with
Moscow. A large Russian army had assembled and threatened the city of
Polotsk. A rather small force of Lithuanians stood to defend the city and
fortress. The Lithuanians had to cross the swollen Dauguva River. Unable to
find other help, they prayed to the saintly prince to intercede. St. Casimir
is said to have appeared to the Lithuanians astride a white horse, wearing a
white cloak. He urged the army to fight and rode first into the roaring
river. The Lithuanians followed his example, fought fiercely and defeated
Moscow's troops. The news of the prince's miraculous apparition and the
victory spread throughout the country.
The miracle was investigated by bishops of that
time and confirmed as authentic. The very fact that St. Casimir came to help
in a battle against Lithuania's eternal enemy Moscow elevated him even
higher in the eyes of the Lithuanians. Casimir became a symbol of the fight
against the Russians and Russian Orthodoxy. and Casimir was canonized by
Pope Adrian VI. Pope Clement VIII named March 04 as his feast
Many pilgrims come to Vilnius from all over Lithuanian to celebrate his
feastday After services in the cathedral, they attend the
Kaziuko muge (Casimir's Fair)
a folk crafts fair dating back to the beginning of the 17th century where
the most popular food sold are muginukas, heart-shaped honey
cookies, which visitors buy and give to their loved ones.
|