Society of Saint Casimir

The Society of Saint Casimir (Lithuanian: Šv. Kazimiero draugija) was a Lithuanian society that published Lithuanian-language books and periodicals, many on Roman Catholic church and faith. Established in 1905, right after the Lithuanian press ban was lifted, the society published a total of about 740 books and several periodicals, including the first full Roman Catholic Bible translation into Lithuanian in six volumes in 1911–1937. From 1918 it operated its own printing press Šviesa. The society was liquidated after Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940.

The society can trace its roots to 1888 when Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas organized a secret student society, known as the Lovers of Lithuania Society (Lietuvos mylėtojų draugija), at the Kaunas Priest Seminary. At that time Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire and Lithuanian-language books we banned by the Tsarist authorities. The society had a written program which emphasized service the church and Lithuania, use of the Lithuanian language, publication of Lithuanian religious literature, and development of Lithuanian patriotism. Leaving written evidence was dangerous as its activities were illegal and the members could easily be arrested by the Tsarist police. Therefore, the society split – Tumas-Vaižgantas and nine others established a less formal society. It became known as the Society of Saint Casimir when one of its members, Paulius Šilinskas, obtained relics of Saint Casimir, patron saint of Lithuania. The society translated into Lithuanian and published several books, including a work by Irish Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, collection of gospels published by Józef Zawadzki in 1857, catechism by Roch Filochowski. At its peak as many as a third of the seminary students were its members, but the society was short-lived.

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