St Daniel, Archbishop of Serbia (+1338)

Saint Daniel of Serbia, the only son of rich and noble parents, was a close associate of the Serbian king Stefan Uroš Milutin. He renounced a secular career and was tonsured a monk. The blessed Daniel’s ascetic life was an example to the whole brotherhood. Eustathius, Archbishop of Serbia, ordained him presbyter. Afterwards the Lord’s chosen one was elected hegumen of the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos. The saint had to hold this rank at the hard time when crusaders driven out of Palestine, together with Arabs, were raiding and plundering the monasteries of Athos. When peace settled on the Holy Mountain, the saint gave up the office of hegumen and shut himself up in the cell of Sava of Serbia at the monastery of Karyes. When internal strife broke out between Uroš Milutin and his brother Stefan Dragutin, Daniel was summoned to Serbia, and he managed to reconcile the brothers. In his homeland the Lord’s chosen one was consecrated Bishop of Banjska. After he had completed the building of the cathedral church of the holy Apostle and Archdeacon Stephen in Banjska, the blessed Daniel returned again to the life of a hermit on the Holy Mountain.

The Lord’s chosen one was called from Mount Athos a second time in 1325, and on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross was appointed Archbishop of Serbia. Monks of Athos also attended the celebration. In 1335 the saint built in Dečani the Church of the Ascension of the Saviour, one of the finest monuments of Christian culture in Serbia. He gathered historical information about the Serbian rulers and hierarchs. Even in his lifetime the Lord’s chosen one was granted the gifts of wonderworking and healing. Fourteen years after his appointment as archbishop, on 19 December 1338, he committed his soul to the Lord.