Kasimir, St

Kasimir, St., prince of Poland, noted-in the annals of the Roman Catholic Church for his great piety and asceticism, born in October, 1458, took no unimportant part in the efforts of the royal house of Poland to secure the throne of Hungary. Quite inconsistently with his saintly profession, he marched at the head of a large army towards the borders of Hungary in 1471. On his return, after the declaration of pope Sixtus IV in favor of the deposed king of Hungary, Kasimir practised even greater austerity than before, and died March 4, 1483, at Wilna, in Lithuania. Kasimir was canonized in 1522 by pope Leo X, and he is looked upon as the patron saint of Poland. SEE POLAND.