Saint Sava

Saint Sava of Serbia was a son of the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja – Saint Simeon the Myrrh-gusher and Saint Anastasia and a brother of Saint Stefan the First Crowned King of Serbia. As a teenager he left the royal palace and came to Mount Athos to become a monk. Together with his father, who joined him on Mount Athos as a monk, he restored and reestablished Hilandar Monastery. Already in his life time he was considered a walking saint, great ascetic and miracle-worker. 

He was also an accomplished writer, diplomat and law-giver. He received an autocephalous (self-governing) status for the Church in the Serbian lands, became its first Archbishop and organized it administratively and spiritually. Saint Sava is considered an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint, Enlightener of Serbia, the greatest figure of the Serbian history and the patron of the Serbian Church, State and education. 

He personifies all the best characteristics of the Serbian character: sacrificial love, purity of heart, humility, meekness, hospitality, wisdom, diligence and creativity. Hundreds of churches, monasteries, schools, hospitals, streets and geographic toponyms throughout the world have been named after Saint Sava of Serbia, including both the first Serbian Orthodox parish (Jackson) and the first Serbian Orthodox monastery (Libertyville) in North America.