Society of Saint Casimir
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Headquarters | Kaunas , Lithuania |
| Products | Books, periodicals, religious literature |
The Society of Saint Casimir () was a Lithuanian organization dedicated to publishing books and periodicals in the Lithuanian language, with a primary emphasis on Roman Catholic topics. Established in 1905 following the repeal of the Lithuanian press ban, the society produced approximately 740 books along with several periodicals, notably issuing the first complete Roman Catholic Bible translation into Lithuanian between 1911 and 1937. Starting in 1918, it managed its own printing house named Šviesa. The organization ceased to exist after the Soviet takeover in June 1940.
Secret student society
The roots of the society trace back to 1888 when Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas founded a clandestine student association called the Lovers of Lithuania Society (Lietuvos mylėtojų draugija) at the Kaunas Priest Seminary. At that period, Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire, where publications in Lithuanian were prohibited. The group aimed to serve both the church and Lithuania by promoting Lithuanian language and religious literature, as well as nurturing patriotism. Due to legal dangers, the original society fragmented, leading Tumas-Vaižgantas and nine others to form a more informal group that later became known as the Society of Saint Casimir after obtaining relics of Lithuania’s patron saint. This group translated and published various religious texts, including works by Irish Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, an 1857 gospel compilation, and a catechism authored by Roch Filochowski. At its height, up to one-third of seminary students participated, though this early iteration was relatively short-lived.
Establishment
Following the 1904 repeal of the Lithuanian press ban, Lithuanian clergy intensified their efforts to publish religious materials in their native tongue. In July 1905, around 40 priests established a publishing firm named Šaltinis, led by Vincentas Jarulaitis. While Bishop Mečislovas Leonardas Paliulionis endorsed this initiative, he favored creating an organization based in Kaunas. Consequently, in October 1905, he gathered roughly twenty clergymen from three dioceses (Diocese of Samogitia, Roman Catholic Diocese of Vilnius, and Diocese of Sejny) including figures such as , Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Vladas Mironas, and Alfonsas Petrulis. They resolved to found a publishing society on 13 October 1905 in Kaunas, starting with capital amounting to 1,800 rubles—of which 1,200 rubles were transferred from Šaltinis.
Under chairman , the society was reorganized into an officially recognized entity on . By its inaugural official meeting held on 30 November, membership had grown to 178 individuals. With backing from Bishop Paliulionis and Cardinal Serafino Cretoni, the society obtained a papal indulgence from Pope Pius X on 10 April 1907. Members were granted full indulgences upon joining, on Saint Casimir’s feast day, during four other significant feasts (Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Candlemas, Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, and Nativity of Mary), and at moments preceding death; partial indulgences were awarded for prayers said on certain feast days.
Activities
During the upheaval of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the society contemplated engaging politically by supporting the creation of the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party and publishing Žiburys magazine. However, Bishop Paliulionis opposed these political ambitions, and chairman Dambrauskas-Jakštas steered clear of political involvement.
Initially, the society focused on producing inexpensive booklets primarily consisting of translated works. Its first publication—a concise 13-page booklet on confession—sold about 50,000 copies priced at three kopeykas each. Prior to 1918, it had issued 231 numbered books plus four unnumbered ones. Altogether, approximately 740 titles were published by the society, including fiction from prominent Lithuanian writers such as Maironis, Vaižgantas, and Lazdynų Pelėda, alongside religious texts, scientific literature, and popular works. Among its most significant contributions was the publication of the first complete Roman Catholic Bible translation into Lithuanian spanning six volumes (1911–1937), translated from the Vulgate by Archbishop Juozapas Skvireckas. The society also released a widely utilized history textbook authored by , which saw nine editions between 1909 and 1934, as well as his church history volume and a monograph dedicated to Bishop Motiejus Valančius. Its periodicals encompassed Nedėldienio skaitymas, Ateitis, Garnys, Vienybė, Žvaigždė, Ganytojas, Žemdirbys, Draugija, and Rygos garsas.
To disseminate its publications and promote Catholic principles, local branches were established that engaged in literacy campaigns, anti-smoking and anti-alcohol initiatives, along with organizing cultural events such as musical concerts and sports tournaments. Membership grew steadily; by 1914 it reached roughly 10,000 members and peaked near 15,000—with more than half residing abroad in countries like the United States, Italy, Poland, Palestine, and Latvia. By 1939 membership had declined to about 5,000 individuals including approximately 1,000 in the U.S.
In 1912, the society acquired property near the Town Hall and adjacent to the Kaunas Priest Seminary (present-day Rotušės a. 23). Most printing was conducted at Saliamonas Banaitis’s press located there; this facility was purchased by the society in 1918 and renamed Šviesa (meaning "light"). A primary bookstore opened at this headquarters in 1913 followed by additional branches established in Vilnius (1918), Šiauliai (1919), Telšiai, Ukmergė (1921), Tauragė, Radviliškis (1922), Panevėžys, Mažeikiai (1923), Kaunas’s Laisvės alėja (1925), Vilkaviškis (1931), and Plungė (1932). The society also operated a candle workshop manufacturing church candles and distributed imported products such as microscopes from Ernst Leitz GmbH, typewriters by the Underwood Typewriter Company, and radios produced by Radio H. Mende GmbH.
Liquidation
Following the Soviet Union's occupation of Lithuania in June 1940, the society was dissolved soon thereafter. On 12 July, the deputy Minister of the Interior of the People's Government of Lithuania removed chairman Mykolas Vaitkus from his position. Subsequently, on 31 August, the organization was renamed Raudonoji vėliava (Red Flag). The Council of People's Commissars of the Lithuanian SSR officially ordered its closure on 15 October 1940. The society's assets were nationalized, and any remaining unsold publications were either destroyed or repurposed.
Chairmen
The Society of Saint Casimir was led by the following chairmen:
- Vincentas Jarulaitis (1905–1906)
- (1906–1938)
- (1938–1940)
- Albertas Kleinas (acting chairman, July–October 1940)