15/28 June

Saint Lazar lived in the fourteenth century, at that time when the Turks, having conquered the neighboring lands, were preparing also to attack Serbia.

Saint Lazar was brought up at the court of the holy King Dushan (1336-1356). He was appointed ruler of one of the Serbian provinces. In 1371, Saint Lazar was proclaimed king of all Serbia, and he labored much to relieve the country's situation. He pacified the neighboring princes who had wronged and pillaged the Serbian population, was concerned with the Christian enlighten-ment of the people, built churches and supported monasteries and charitable institutions. In 1380, the Saint built the Ravanitsa Monastery.

Saint Lazar obtained the Constantinopolitan Patriarch's consent to recognize the Archbishop of Serbia as a patriarch. During the ten years of his rule, Serbia was at peace.

Then war with the Turks began. During the Battle of Kosovo, the wounded King was taken prisoner and at the command of Sultan Bajazet was beheaded on 15 July 1389. In 1391, his incorrupt relics were translated to the Ravanitsa Monastery. The Monastery was destroyed by the Turks in 1683, and the relics of King Lazar were translated to New Ravanitsa Monastery on Frushka Mountain.