Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery and Seminary facts for kids
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The Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery and School of Theology (Serbian: Манастир Светог Саве, romanized: Manastir Svetog Save) is a special place in Libertyville, Illinois. It's a monastery, which is a home for monks who dedicate their lives to religious service. It's also a school where people learn to become priests in the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada.
This school and monastery are located together. The school has a large library with 8,000 books.
Contents
History of Saint Sava Monastery
How the Monastery Started
The Saint Sava Monastery was created in 1923. It was founded by a leader named Saint Mardarije. He was a bishop from Montenegro, a country in Europe.
He started it as a school for the Serbian Orthodox Church. This monastery is special in North America. It's one of the few places where a religious school grew directly from a monastery. This means it keeps very old traditions.
A Time of Change and Challenges
In 1939, Dionisije Milivojević became the bishop for the American-Canadian area. During World War II, the Libertyville monastery became a safe place. Many Orthodox Serbs found refuge here.
Later, in 1964, there was a disagreement. The head of the Serbian Church, Serbian Patriarch German, removed Bishop Dionisije from his church duties. This led to a big split. The Serbian Church in North America divided into two groups.
One group stayed at the Libertyville monastery. The other formed the Diocese of New Gracanica – Midwestern America. This second group was in nearby Third Lake.
The Illinois Supreme Court first said this split went against the church's rules. But in 1976, the United States Supreme Court made a different decision. They ruled that the split was allowed. This was based on the First and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. These amendments protect religious freedom.
A King's Resting Place
Peter II of Yugoslavia was the last king of Yugoslavia. He lived at the monastery after he was no longer king. He passed away at the church in 1970.
His will said he wanted to be buried there. More than 10,000 people came to his funeral. He rested at the monastery until 2013. Then, his remains were moved back to Serbia.
Other Features of the Monastery
The monastery property also has a cemetery. This is a place where people are buried. The monastery itself is important for history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
See also
- Serbs in USA
- Serbs in Canada
- Serbs in South America
- St. Pachomious Monastery
- New Gračanica Monastery
- Monastery of St. Paisius, Safford
- St. Xenia Serbian Orthodox Skete
- St. Archangel Michael Skete
- Saint Petka Serbian Orthodox Church
- St. Nilus Island Skete
- Trinity Chapel Complex better known as Saint Sava Cathedral in Manhattan, New York
