Successor to St. Arseny, Archbishop of Serbia, Sava II was the younger brother of the first-crowned King of Serbia, Stephen, and the nephew of the great Sava, the first Archbishop of Serbia.
Predslav, as he was called in the world by the Serbs, became jealous of following in the footsteps of his holy uncle and, in his youth, accepted monasticism. He went to Jerusalem and lived there for a considerable time, then labored on Mount Athos together with his disciple, the Monk Ioannikios, who succeeded him to the archbishop's throne. On the Holy Mount Athos they had to suffer a lot of troubles and oppression from the Latins who were then ravaging it, expelled from Constantinople by the Greeks and settled in Macedonia within the Holy Mountain. Upon his return to his homeland, blessed Arseny, feeling his old age and serious illness, dedicated him as his successor. In the rank of high priest, he imitated the life of his predecessors. His favorite virtue was meekness. According to the news about the chief hierarchs (Glasnik VI, 28) “this saint (Arseny) is still alive, appoint Serbl as archbishop in your place, Savva the second.” Since blessed Arseny († October 28, 1266) was ill for three years before his death, then, of course, no later than 1263 Savva was consecrated archbishop by Arseny. Blessed Savva died at the beginning of 1267. St.
Savva rests in the Pek monastery, near St. Arsenia. The Serbian Church sings to him: “From the root of the good, a good branch has grown, we have watered God’s mind with waters, thus the fragrant fruit has appeared through life from youth, gladdening the hearts and souls that sing to you.”
(The memory of the saint is celebrated a second time in the general service for the holy Serbian saints and teachers on August 30).
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Iveron Icon of the Mother of God