In 1903-4 Lithuanians, Poles and Ruthenians (White Russians, Ukrainians) jointly financed a chapel in Manchester. The chapel building also housed community associations and clubs.
They called it St.Casimir’s. It was on Pilling Street, off Rochdale Road near Collyhurst. Their priest was Polish but from Germany and he lived at no.26, next door.
They opened a members’ club called the Vytautas Club, but it was closed in 1915 because it broke the law. Later, there was the St. Casimir’s Club, which then became the Lithuanian Catholic Club.
In 1915, the Lithuanian Catholic Club moved from Pilling Street to 32 Richardson Street but later this was closed for disorder offences and struck off in March 1918. It was soon after Lithuania became independent on 16th February 1918.
Back in business, the Lithuanian Club began buying beer from Groves and Whitnall brewery. In 1925 the Lithuanian Social Club was formed and opened in the chapel building in Pilling Street and continued there until 1940 (World War 2).
St.Casimir’s chapel is not listed in directories from 1925. Services may have been held at the church on Oldham Road, which was officially transfered to the Lithuanian-Polish community in 1931. The Ukrainians went to St.Chad’s instead. That same year the Lithuanian Catholic Society of St.Casimir was established.
Continue reading about St.Casimir’s here: https://manchesteris.org/blog/?p=339