Serbia has begun nationwide celebrations marking the 850th anniversary of the birth of Saint Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church and one of the most revered figures in the country’s history. The commemorations opened with a solemn conference in Novi Pazar, led by Patriarch Porfirije, according to national broadcaster RTV.

Saint Sava, born as Rastko Nemanjić in the late 12th century, is regarded as the founder of Serbian spiritual and cultural tradition. He established the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church, helped build the Hilandar and Studenica monasteries on Mount Athos, authored numerous religious works, and compiled the first Serbian collection of church laws. For centuries, Saint Sava has been a symbol of unity among the Serbian people.

Addressing the gathering, Patriarch Porfirije reminded attendees that Saint Sava “still calls us today to be Christ’s followers, to live in love, peace, and understanding.” He emphasized that Sava’s example teaches Serbs to “build bridges of love not only within our own people but also with others.”

The event was attended by high-ranking officials, including Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, ministers of education, tourism, and sports, as well as a presidential envoy, Milorad Veljević.

Selaković highlighted Saint Sava’s enduring role as “the guiding light of the Serbian nation,” who laid the country’s spiritual and cultural foundations: “With Saint Sava began the mature existence of the Serbian people — both ecclesiastical and statehood. Thanks to him, we entered the community of the world’s cultured nations.”

The minister also praised the spirit of interfaith harmony in Novi Pazar, a city home to both Orthodox Christians and Muslims: “The residents of Novi Pazar show mutual respect and good neighborliness. This is the spirit of Saint Sava — the living ideal of goodness and brotherhood.”

Saint Sava was born into the noble Nemanjić dynasty as the youngest son of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja. In his youth, Rastko left worldly life to become a monk on Mount Athos, taking the name Sava. Later joined by his father — who became the monk Simeon — the two founded the Hilandar Monastery, which soon became a major center of Serbian monastic life.

After his father’s death, Sava returned to Serbia to mediate a civil conflict between his brothers and went on to secure the Church’s independence in 1219, becoming its first Archbishop. He established eight dioceses and appointed his disciples as bishops, introducing Athonite monastic traditions into Serbian religious life.