Arsenije Sremac

Saint
Arsenije Sremac
His Holiness the Serbian Archbishop

Church Serbian Orthodox Church
Installed 1233
Term ended 1263
Predecessor Saint Sava
Successor Saint Sava II
Personal details
Born Stari Slankamen, Kingdom of Syrmia (now Serbia)
Died 28 October 1266
Kingdom of Serbia
Nationality Serbian
Denomination Orthodox Christian
Sainthood
Canonized by Serbian Orthodox Church

Arsenije Sremac (Serbian: Арсеније Сремац, Arsenije the Syrmian; fl. 1219–d. 1266) was the second Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1233–1263) and a disciple of Saint Sava of Serbia.

Early life

Arsenije was born in the village of Dabar, near Slankamen (today Stari Slankamen), at the time part of the Kingdom of Syrmia (modern Srem, Serbia). The exact date of his birth is unknown. He took monastic vows, probably in St. Demetrius Monastery in today's Sremska Mitrovica. When he heard of St. Sava's work, he was impressed and left for the monastery of Žiča. He soon became St. Sava's disciple and his syncellos. He was appointed as the ecclesiarch of the monastery and later Archimandrite of Žiča, because of his religious life.

When Serbia was invaded by Hungary, St. Sava sent St. Arsenius to find a safer place in the south to establish a new episcopal See. Arsenius chose Peć, where he built a monastery and a church which was at first dedicated to the Holy Apostles, and then to the Lord's Ascension.

Archbishop

Archbishop Arsenije Sremac, fresco from the Church of the Holy Apostles, Patriarchal Monastery of Peć.

When St. Sava decided to abdicate, he decided that Arsenije would succeed him. Arsenije was consecrated bishop. He was able to continue in the work of his predecessor. He built Monastery of Peć and participated in the translation of St. Sava's sacred bones from Trnovo to the monastery of Mileševa. St. Arsenije crowned King Stefan Uroš I. He helped King Stefan Uroš I and Queen St. Helene in building the monasteries Sopoćani and Gradac.

He suffered a stroke in 1263, after which he was succeeded by Saint Sava II, nephew of Saint Sava. St. Arsenije died on October 28, 1266.

His relics were buried at the Pech monastery, but now rest in the Ždrebaonik monastery in Montenegro. His feast day is celebrated according to the Orthodox liturgical calendar on October 28 (Julian Calendar, i.e. November 10 of the Gregorian Calendar).

Religious titles
Preceded by
Saint Sava
Serbian Archbishop
12331263
Succeeded by
Saint Sava II

External links

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