“Always offering Lithuanian mass” is what they say about St. Casimir Lithuanian Church. Right here before us stands St. Casimir Lithuanian Church. It is more than just a building. It represents a century of Lithuanian presence in London.
St. Casimir Lithuanian Church is the only Lithuanian church in Western Europe. London is often called the “3rd city of Lithuania”. Some say London has more Lithuanians than any city except Vilnius and Kaunas. Up to 80000 Lithuanian-born people live here.
The St. Casimir Lithuanian Church was built in 1913. At that time about 2000 Lithuanians lived in London. They mainly lived in the East End. This area was a blue-collar district. Compared to Lithuanian-American areas, this community was small. So St. Casimir Lithuanian Church is comparatively small too. Massive new buildings now surround it. Yet St. Casimir Lithuanian Church has survived for over a century.
Even though few Lithuanians live nearby today, they travel from all over London to attend services. New immigrants continually replace older generations. These older generations assimilate and move away.
Let’s step inside St. Casimir Lithuanian Church. The interior design is not specifically Lithuanian. However you will find many ethnic motifs. Look for the mural of Rūpintojėlis in a chapel-post. Another Rūpintojėlis is on the altar table. You will see Lithuanian-language stations of the cross. There is a sculpture of St. Casimir. Notice the commemorative plaque to diplomat John Michael Liudžeius. Also find the plaque for priest Juozapas Montvila. Montvila tragically died on the Titanic while traveling to a Lithuanian-American church in Massachusetts. The plaque says he performed his priestly duties to the end.
Next to the main hall is a café. Lithuanians meet here after mass. Paintings display key figures from the church’s history. These include Montvila and other priests. This café extension was built in 1974.
Lithuanians first began Catholic activities in London in the late 19th century. In 1896 they shared a church building with Poles. But Lithuanians were undergoing a national revival. They wanted to use Lithuanian instead of Polish in services. This desire caused conflict. The Lithuanian St. Casimir Society moved to a German church. From 1902 they used a warehouse as their church. Later they built the current St. Casimir Lithuanian Church.
St. Casimir parish serves Lithuanians all over the United Kingdom. It is the only Lithuanian parish in the country. One of its priests travels to different cities with large Lithuanian populations. He celebrates monthly Lithuanian-language masses in non-Lithuanian churches.
After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, religiosity declined. Only a small portion of the 150000 post-Soviet Lithuanian immigrants regularly attend religious services. Plans to expand St. Casimir Lithuanian Church around 2010 were cancelled. The expansion would have included a second hall in the basement for broadcasting mass.
St. Casimir Lithuanian Church is more than a religious building. It’s a focal point for Lithuanian culture. It is a place where community bonds are strengthened. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of Lithuanians in London.