Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, university professor, and member of numerous societies and organizations. His most notable works of fiction include the novel Pragiedruliai and the narrative Dėdės ir dėdienės about the ordinary village folk.
Tumas in 1923
Tumas' memorial in his native Maleišiai
Tumas in 1894
Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Vadaktėliai where Tumas worked in 1902–1905
Tėvynės sargas was a Lithuanian-language periodical first established in 1896 in Tilsit, East Prussia during the Lithuanian press ban and the Lithuanian National Revival. It was published by the clergy and later by the Christian Democrats, thus it reflected and advocated for Roman Catholic ideals and values. Its motto was "All for Lithuania, Lithuania for Christ". With interruptions, it was published until 2000.
Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, one of the key people in publishing Tėvynės sargas, in 1921