Archimandrite Teofil Dimitrić, Abbot of Osovica Monastery – Cycle of Lectures on Man: “Saint Sava and Saint Savism”

A lecture by Archimandrite Teofil Dimitrić, Abbot of Osovica Monastery, on the topic “Saint Sava and Saint Savism” will be held at the Faculty of Security Sciences of the University of Banja Luka on December 12, 2025, starting at 19:00 in classroom 28. The lecture is being held on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the birth of the first Serbian archbishop.

Saint Sava (c. 1175–1235), born as Prince Rastko Nemanjić, is considered the most significant spiritual and cultural figure in Serbian history. As a monk and diplomat, he founded Hilandar Monastery, secured the autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219, and laid the foundations of the Serbian church, statehood, and spiritual identity, making his role indispensable in understanding the Serbian cultural tradition.

The lecturer, Archimandrite Teofil Dimitrić, is the Abbot of Osovica Monastery and a doctoral candidate at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Institute for Post-Graduate Studies of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. He is the author of several books, most notably “Osovica Monastery” and the novel “Three Floors” (“Tri sprata”). At the same time, he has lectured on numerous spiritual, historical, and contemporary topics. He particularly distinguished himself in the restoration of Osovica Monastery, which is today recognized as one of the most well-arranged monastic sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Archimandrite Teofil is also the founder of the Orthodox humanitarian organization “Serbian Gathering Baštionik” (Srbsko sabranje Baštionik) and an active participant in humanitarian and social projects.