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ABOUT ST. SAVA Print <http://glassrbije.org/E/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6025&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=28> January 27, 2009 In 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 are organizing the celebrations and receptions on this occasion. The children are especially joyful about this holiday as it is a school patron saint day, so the kids are making performances in churches and schools and are receiving presents on the St. Sava celebration. The report of Ljiljana Sindjelic-Nikolic. Rastko Nemanjic was a son of Serbian grand duke Stefan Nemanja, born in 1169. While yearning for the spiritual life, he joined some Russina monks and went with them to the Holy Mount, where he became a monk named Sava. Although very young, he has 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 has built the Chilanadari Monastery in the Holy Mount, as well Studenica, Zica and many other monasteries and schools in the Serbian land. On two occasions he went to the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Sinai, where he took many gifts to churches over there. Sava was also making peace among his quarreling brothers, as well as Serbs with their neighboring countries, all the while establishing the Serbian state and church. He was spreading peace among all the Balkan nations and worked for everybody’s benefit, thus becoming respected and loved among all Balkan peoples. Also, he was writing religious books for churches, building hospitals and orphanages for the people, giving advice on how to act in the church and at home, among one’s neighbors, therefore earning the place in Heaven. St. Sava died in the Bulgarian town of Trnov. 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 attempt to erase his significance and memory in the Serbia people, because of the great renown and respect that he enjoyed. For that reason, Serbian Patriarch Pavle has 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, the service to St. Sava has been established in churches, and the cult of his personality and the respect have been preserved to this day. Sava lives in the people that respected him even during his lifetime, and even nowadays they gather in churches for the 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 are giving to their children, rivers, villages. Also, there is a coined word Svetosavlje, which means the specific Serb path and approach to the Orthodox Christianity. It is the memory of St. Sava that shows best how the remembering of great people and their deeds represents not only the expression of gratitude of one generation for their inherited material and spiritual goods, but also the proof of its healthy spiritual power, good reasoning and just judgment of long-gone events and persons that created them.
