The Holy Nobleborn Prince of Serbia Lazar
Commemorated on June 15
The Holy Nobleborn
Prince of Serbia Lazar (Lazarus) lived during the XIV Century – at
a time when the Turks, having conquered neighbouring lands, prepared an
invasion of Serbia.
Saint Lazar was
raised at the court of the holy king Dushan. He was appointed governor of one
of the Serbian districts. In the year 1371 he was chosen king of all Serbia and
he toiled much at strengthening the condition of the country. He pacified
neighbouring princes, which had wronged or plundered Serbian settlements. And
he was concerned for the Christian enlightenment of the nation, he built
churches, supported the monasteries and charitable establishments. In 1380 the
saint established the monastery at Rovanetz. Saint Lazar petitioned the
Constantinople Patriarch for an agreement of recognition of the Archbishop of
Serbia by the Patriarch. During the course of the 10years of his rule, Serbia
was at peace.
Afterwards there
began war with the Turks. At the time of the Kossovo Battle the wounded king
was taken prisoner and on orders of Sultan Bayazet was beheaded with a sword on
15 June 1389. The body of the holy king Lazar was buried at a nearby church. In
1391 his undecayed relics were transferred to the Rovanetz monastery. The monastery
was destroyed by the Turks in 1683, and the relics of king Lazar were
transferred to the monastery of New Rovanetz on Mount Thruzh.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
