Right-Believing Stefan Lazarevic

Righteous Stefan Lazarević was born in 1377, the son of Holy Prince Lazar of Serbia, who fell at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. After his father's death, twelve-year-old Stefan became ruler of Serbia under the regency of his mother, Princess Milica. Forced to navigate between the pressures of the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, he proved a wise and cautious statesman. In 1402 he received the title of Despot from the Byzantine Emperor. His reign became a period of cultural flourishing for Serbia despite the heavy Ottoman yoke: he built towns, churches, and monasteries, including the famous Manasija (Resava) Monastery, which became a center of learning and gave rise to the Resava literary school. Stefan issued a legal code regulating mining and trade, and authored the philosophical-literary work "Slovo ljubve" ("Sermon on Love"). He died peacefully in 1427. Veneration of Stefan as a saint began soon after his death, but formal church-wide glorification came only in 1927, when Serbian Patriarch Dimitrije proclaimed Despot Stefan a saint during an all-night vigil on July 19.