The saint library

Saint Joannicius II of Serbia

Patriarch
Prizren and Peć, Serbia
Feast day: September 3

Joannicius II, historical fresco in Saint Demetrius Church at Peć, dated 1345 by Commons. Image source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain source details

A life of faith

Joannicius II came from Prizren. His short OCA life describes his work as a secretary before he became an archbishop. In 1346 a council elected him as the first Patriarch of Serbia. He was later buried at the monastery of Peć. His commemoration falls on September 3. This fourteenth-century patriarch is distinct from Joannicius the Great and other saints who bear the same name.

The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers saints in prayer and commemoration. Their lives offer examples for Christians learning to live their faith.

A reflection

The brief account of Joannicius preserves his place in the Church more clearly than the details of his personal life. Read with care for both what is recorded and what remains unknown.

Read the Orthodox source

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