Valancius was a Catholic bishop of Samogitia, historian and one of the best known Lithuanian writers of the 19^th century. His services to the Lithuanian cause were lasting and important. He sponsored the illegal practice of printing Lithuanian books in East Prussia and smuggling them into Lithuania by knygnešiai. An educator, and able Church administrator, historian and ethnographer, and a talented writer, Valancius emerges as one of the most versatile and influential figures in 19^th century Lithuania.