27 January 2010.

On January 27 the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates the day of St. Sava, its first archbishop, statesman, famous monk, church builder, diplomat, writer, traveler… On that day many churches, schools and associations organize celebrations and receptions on this occasion. Children are especially joyful about this holiday as it is a school patron saint day, so they give performances in churches and schools and receive presents on St. Sava’s day. The report of Ljiljana Sindjelic-Nikolic.

Rastko Nemanjic was a son of Serbian grand duke Stefan Nemanja, born in 1169. While yearning for spiritual life, he joined some Russian monks and went with them to the Holy Mount, where he became a monk named Sava. Although very young, he understood that it was important for his people to have their own church, so he gained its independence with the Byzantine emperor and patriarch, thus becoming the first Serbian archbishop. Along with his father, Sava built the Chilanadari Monastery on the Holy Mount of Athos, as well as Studenica and many other monasteries and schools in the Serbian land. On two occasions he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Sinai, where he took many gifts to churches over there. Sava also reconciled his quarreling brothers, as well as Serbs with their neighboring countries, all the while establishing the Serbian state and church. He spread peace among all the Balkan nations and worked for everybody’s benefit, thus becoming respected and loved among all Balkan peoples. Also, he wrote religious books for churches, built hospitals and orphanages for people, advised on how to act in the church and at home, among one’s neighbors, to earn a place in Heaven.

St. Sava died in the Bulgarian town of Trnovo. Later, his remains were transferred to the Monastery of Milesevo by King Vladislav, but Turkish ruler Sinan pasha took him to Belgrade and burnt his mortal remains on April 27, 1595, in the attempt to erase his significance and memory in the Serbian people, because of the great respect that he enjoyed. For that reason, the late Serbian Patriarch Pavle underlined the following on many occasions: “Even after his death, St. Sava does not forget his faithful people, who turn to him as a spiritual father in times of need and challenges of life, while asking for help”.

Soon after his death, a service to St. Sava was established in churches, and the cult of his personality and respect have been preserved to this day. Sava lives in people, who respected him even during his lifetime, and even nowadays they gather in churches for prayer, consolation and encouragement, but also to pay respect to his deeds.

Monasteries of Chilandari, Studenica and Mileseva are centuries-old witnesses of Sava’s work and achievements, which could be a model to modern people as well, regardless of all the centuries that have gone by. A testimony to the love that the Serbian people feel for St. Sava are many stories and myths about him, the name that they give to their children, rivers, villages. Also, there is a coined word Svetosavlje, which means a specific Serb path and approach to the Orthodox Christianity. It is the memory of St. Sava that shows best how the memory of great people and their deeds represent not only the expression of gratitude of one generation for their inherited material and spiritual goods, but also proof of their wholesome spiritual power, good reasoning and a just judgment of events gone by a long time ago and persons that created them.