If you happen to visit the countryside of Lithuania, you will see handcrafted crosses planted on farms, gardens and highways. The cross is a living sign of Lithuanian tradition and culture under the sun. The wood of the cross comes to life through people’s beliefs, ceremonies and customs. Everything transforms, when you realize there was no unspeakable taboo, no experience to feel too timid to bring it to the cross. The earthly nights and hours befalling family and farm, the secret matters of the heart, all was entrusted to the cross. Customs related to the cross encompass entire circle of a human life – from birth to death, asking for care and protection and grace. Lithuanian cross crafting and symbolism are listed under the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Hill of Crosses is one of Lithuania’s holiest shrines. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here. The tradition of planting wooden crosses on this hill has been going on from generations to generations. From mourning relatives of victims from the Russian regime, to strong defiance of religious oppression or simply to ask and thank God for favors granted, thousands come to this holy place for more than hundred years. It is also a UNESCO Heritage site.

There will be a special vigil Mass on Saturday, August 14, 2021 for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. The recitation of the rosary will begin at 5:45 PM. followed by the vigil Mass and floral offering at Mary's Shrine in front of the church. Bring your own flowers. The annual Evening with Mary gala dinner will be held at a later date.

Registration is now open for English classes to First Holy Communion and Confirmation. For inquiries send email to Cristeta Acayan, moderator at St. Casimir27cris@gmail.com. Volunteers are also needed to help prepare our children and youth for these Sacraments.

Pope Francis declared this Sunday (July 25, 2021) as the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, to remind them of their responsibility to establish a tone for generations to come: they must continue to promote traditions and offer them as a promise to little children. On this day, the young are also reminded of the older people’s greater perspective, depth of experience, and appreciation of life’s profound rhythms which should not to be taken lightly or ignored. Grandparents and elderly of our parish were invited to the sanctuary and presented with blessed candles to remind them to continue with their mission of passing through their children and grandchildren the traditions and teachings of our faith. Afterwards, a special prayer and blessing was bestowed upon them.

Twenty one LIthuanians received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, June 6, 2021 from His Excellency Edward Clark, Auxiliary Bishop for the Our Lady of the Angels Region in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

We invite you to participate in the renewal of our church. As our community grows there is a need to renovate and repair physical structures and to ensure that they are safe, as well as enhance our religious worship. Through these efforts, we also preserve the history of our parish community and its unique architecture for the next generation to treasure and appreciate.The needs of our parish are many with the accompanying costs. This is the first time in eighty years that substantial repairs and renovations are being initiated. Together we will bring St. Casimir's Church into a new era. Please make a tax deductible contribution.

A tile mural of Lithuanian martyr and hero will grace the exterior wall of the parish hall, as a gift to the Catholic faithful of Los Angeles, in thanksgiving of eighty years of God's unending graces from 1941-2021. To include your name, family, organization or to honor a loved one on the commemorative marker, call the parish office for details.

The Mass in Lithuanian is available on live stream direct from the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, daily at 8:00 AM, Pacific Time. Go to You Tube and search for the Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Dievo Gailestinguno Sventone) or go to : http://www.gailestingumas.lt

The following is the Holy Father’s Guideline on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic . Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).

We are blessed with the fidelity of parishioners who send their Sunday collection envelopes in the mail. Despite the closing of the church and suspension of the sacraments due to the ongoing pandemic, there are expenses and bills to take care of and we rely only from your generous contributions. In God’s spirit we continue to be united through prayers from your homes and with the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in our church. We appreciate your thoughtfulness during these days of anxiety and fear. Thank you very much and may God’s blessings be always upon you. For your convenience you can give on line by clicking the donate button, send it through mail or drop it on rectory’s front door. “Give and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together and running over.” Luke 6:38

The Filipino community celebrates the arrival of the Catholic faith to Philippine shores five hundred years ago. On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan of Spain landed on the island of Cebu to bring the good news and God's love. Several days later, the Cross was planted and the first Mass was offered. The theme of the 500 years jubilee celebration is Gifted to Give. During the beatification of the first Filipino saint Lorenzo Ruiz, Pope John Paul II reminded Filipinos that Christianity means daily giving, in response to the gift of Christ who came into the world so that all might have life and have it to the full. Pope Francis urged them to preserve the faith and keep bringing the joy of the gospel throughout the world. Los Angeles Auxilliary bishop Robert Baron said: “I do think in God’s often strange providence he’ll take a particular church, a particular people, and use them as a means to invigorate and evangelize the rest of the Catholic world, and I do believe in God’s always beguiling providence [that] you’re playing that role now – the Church of the Philippines .“ At Mass, Filipinos renewed their baptismal promises and at the end each was presented a lighted candle with the Philippine flag to go out on a mission and to bring God's love wherever they are.

Saint St. Casimir, patron of our parish, we turn to you. We ask you to awaken in us a deep love and respect for Jesus Christ, present in the Holy Eucharist. Grant us the wisdom to turn to the Mother of God in time of need. Give us compassion for those who suffer and make our hearts peaceful that we might never cause suffering to another. Help us to be faithful to our calling in life and guide those who are searching to find the calling God has chosen for them. Pray for us, St. Casimir, that we may live well here on Earth and one day live gloriously in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

A Mass was celebrated to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the signing of the Act of Independence that re-established Lithuania’s sovereignty. It is also known as Restoration of the State Day. In the 18th century, Lithuania was under the Russian empire. During WWI, German troops occupied and controlled the region while marching to Russia. In the Russian revolution of 1917, Germany gave Lithuanians the choice to be aligned either with Germany or Russia, which they ignored and instead sign the Act of Independence on February 16, 1918. Independence was only temporary for Lithuania to be occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 during WWII. The peaceful demonstration known as the Baltic Way that took place on August 23, 1989 restored freedom to Lithuania. On May 1, 2004, Lithuania became a member of the European Union.

We are inviting everyone to submit their petitions in front of the image of Virgen de los Remedios, which is enshrined at St. Casimir's Church. A candle will be lighted with your intentions, please click the donate button above.

Pilgrimages are becoming more popular, these days for many purposes. In addition to gain indulgences by visiting and praying to holy shrines, the pilgrim is able to make discoveries along the way, about his or her self, the human spirit and the culture of the land to be explored. Meeting people of diverse backgrounds, sharing experiences, camaraderie and interactions will provide a better understanding of our faith community. Through this, we put our prayers into action. Every year, our parish holds an annual ministry to promote goodwill and brotherhood between Lithuanians and Americans .