Icon of Saint Arsenios of Srem (Bulgaria, 14th c.) – S277

Description

Saint Arsenios I (Sremac) was the 2nd Archbishop of Serbia after Saint Sava, from a.d. 1233-1263.  He was born in Srem in the village of Dabar, near Slankamen, now in the northwestern part of Serbia.  He took up monastic life in a nearby monastery, but when he heard of Saint Sava I, the son of Saint Stephen Nemanja (the ruler of Serbia), and Saint Sava’s monastic work and life, he left his mon-astery to be with Saint Sava in Zica.  He was so impressed with Saint Sava that he asked to stay with him, and so became his close disciple, cell attendant, and fellow struggler in the monastic ascetic life.

In time, Saint Arsenios became the ecclesiarch of the monastery, and then later he was made the Archimandrite of Zica.  Together, Saint Sava and Saint Arsenios lived deeply spiritual lives, and grew closer and closer in spirit.  When Saint Sava wished to retire, after a long life of spiritual effort in establishing the Serbian Patriarchate and ruling as its first Archbishop, he named Saint Arsenios as his successor, and so Saint Arsenios was consecrated Archbishop.  Saint Arsenios helped the Church grow, built the Monastery of Pec, and crowned Steven Uros king.  Saint Arsenios died in 1266.