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Saint == Life ==Stephen was born about the year 1285, the only son of the King '''Stefan of Dečani''' Milutin (in sebian:Свети краљ Стефан ДечанскиStephen Uros II) and his first wife Anna of Bulgaria. Raised at the court of his father, Stephen received a good education, studying the language and writings of his people as well as the [[Holy Scripture]] and the teachings of the Orthodox Faith. The fruits of his upbringing proved itself when King Milutin was Serbian king from 1321 forced to 1331send him as hostage to the Tartar chief Nogai Khan of the Golden Horde. Altough In spite of the potential dangers, Stephen was obedient to his full name was '''Stefan Uroš III''father' s will and did not resist, trusting his life to the Lord, (Stefan which was not in honour of Stvain. Stephen Patron Saint He eventually made friends with one of Serbiathe Tartar nobles, Uroš who succeeded in honour of assisting his grandfather Stefan Uroš I), he is canonised as safe return home after Nogai'''Saint Stefan of Dečani, King of Serbia'''. His feast Day is [[November 11]]/[[November 24|24]]s death in 1299.

== Early life ==Saint Stefan was born the only son of the saintly King Milutin (Stephen Uros II) and his first wife Jelena, a Serbian noblewoman. Living at the court of his father, the heir-apparent received a good education, his mind was exercised by study of the language and writings of his people, and his heart strengthened by study of the [[Holy Scripture]] and the teachings of the Orthodox Faith. The good fruit of his upbringing proved itself when King Milutin was forced to send him as hostage to the Tartar chief Nogyi. In spite of the potential dangers, Stephen was obedient to his father's will and did not resist, trusting his life to the Lord. And his hope was not in vain. He eventually made friends with one of the Tartar nobles, who succeeded in assisting his safe return home. When Stephen came of age, his father arranged that he marry the daughter of the Bulgarian King SmilecSmilatz, TeodoraTheodora, and the young couple were given the land of Zeta, where they settled until such a time as Stefan Stephen would be called to succeed his father to the throne.

King Milutin had remarried, and his new wife, Simonide, plotted in order that one of her brothers would inherit the throne. She convinced Milutin that Stefan wanted to seize the throne prematurely, and the deceived Milutin ordered that his son be captured, that he be blinded to ensure that he never again entertain such treachery, and that he be sent as a prisoner to [[Constantinople]].The ''young king'' ( his official title) was taken Taken together with his children, Dušan, Dusan and DušicaDusica, and when they were passing through Ovče Poljehis guards, the guards took using red hot pokers and , blinded himas they passed through Ovcepole (Sheep's Field). That night St. [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas ]] appeared to Stefann Stephen in a dream: "Be not afraid," he said, "your eyes are in my hands." Comforted not a little by this vision, the sightless Stefan Stephen arrived in Constantinople. The where Emperor Andronicus pitied took pity on the young exile and received him graciously. He was soon Stephen settled in the [[Monasterymonastery]] of Pantocrator, where he impressed the [[monk]]s by his meekness and his longsuffering long-suffering acceptance of the bitter trial that had come to him through his own father.Five 

Five years passed. and King Milutin was growing old. Hearing Having heard good reports about his son, his heart softened, and he called Stefan Stephen home to Serbia. Before leaving Constantinople, Stefan Stephen had a dream in which St. Nicholas again appeared to him a second time, holding in his hand a pair of eyes. When he Stephen awoke, his sight was restored.

Three years later, his father died, and Stefan, always popular with the people, was crowned King of Serbia by the [[Archbishop]] St. [[Nikodemus I of Pec|Nikodim I]] in Peć Monastery on Theophany [[January 6]], 1322. His official title was Stefan Uroš III King of Serbia and Coastlands. His brother Konstantin, resented this turn of events and raised an army in order to wrest the throne away from Stefan. Desiring to avoid bloodshed, King Stefan addressed a letter brother: "Put far from thee thy desire to come with a foreign people to make war on thine own countrymen; but let us meet one another, and thou shalt be second in my kingdom, for the land is great enough for me and thee to live. I am not Cain who slew his brother, but Joseph who loved him, and in his words I speak to thee. Fear not, for I am from the Lord. You prepared evil for me, but the Lord has given me good, as you now see."Konstantin was unmoved and gave orders to attack. In the ensuing battle, his army was defeated and he himself was slain. For the next ten years, King Stefan Stephen ruled in relative peace, and the Serbian land prospered. His son Dušan Dusan proved to be an able military leader and was successful in battles with the Bulgarians and the Greeks, who were became envious of the now powerful Serbian state and rose up against it. Grateful to the Lord for these victories, King Stefan Stephen set about with Archbishop St. [[Daniel II of Pec|Danilo II]], Nikodim's successor, to find a place to build a [[church]]. They settled upon a place called [[Decani Monastery|Decani]], and there, in 1327, King Stefan Stephen himself laid the cornerstone for what was to become one of the most magnificent and enduring specimens of Serbian church architecture. Inside , it was graced by splendid [[icon]]s, to which more were added in the sixteenth century by the hand of the celebrated Slav iconographer, Longin Saint Stefan gave generously to the needy. He also made liberal donations to churches and monasteries on the Holy Mountain, in Jerusalem, Alexandria, and to the monastery of Pantocrator in Constantinople. Nor did he forget his debt to the wonderworker Nicholas: he commissioned a silver altar and sent it together with some icons to the church in Bari, Italy, where the Saint's holy [[relics]] are locatedLonginos.

Having in a true Christian manner endured King Stephen gave generously to the grievous trials needy. He also made generous donations to churches and afflictions which he met through monasteries on the years[[Mount Athos|Holy Mountain]], the good king deserved in [[Jerusalem]], Alexandria, and to live out the rest monastery of Pantocrator in Constantinople. He did not forget his life in peacedebt to the wonderworker St. But it was only fitting that Nicholas as he who suffered as commissioned a silver altar and sent it together with some icons to the church in Bari, Italy, where the St. Nicholas' holy [[martyrrelics]] in life should be granted an opportunity to receive in death a martyr's crown. After he defeated Bulgarians in famous Velbužd battle Stefan did not want to take any Bulgarian teritoriesare located.

==Detronement Having in a true Christian manner endured the grievous trials and Death==afflictions which he met through the years, the good king deserved to live out the rest of his life in peace. But it was only fitting that he who suffered as a [[martyr]] in life should be granted an opportunity to receive in death a martyr's crown. After he defeated the Bulgarians in famous Battle of Velbazhd in July 1330, Stephen did not want to take any Bulgarian territories. His final trial was the most agonizing. DušanHis son Dusan's successes on the battle field of battle had given gave him an appetite for power and glory, and, encouraged . Encouraged by his entourage of nobles, he Dusan decided to take the thronefrom his father. In 1331, St. Stefan King Stephen was taken as a prisoner to a fortress in the town of Zvečan Zvecan and cruelly murdered by some nobles (by some accounts say he was hung, according to another that he was strangled). His son did not know that some these nobles wanted to kill his father, and soon the guilty were killed.  Almost immediately Dusan was struck by remorse. Earnestly and tearfully, he repented of his treachery. The guilty following year, on the feast of the Holy Apostles [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle Paul|Paul]], he had his father's remains transferred from Zvecan to Decani. There, they were soon killedplaced in a marble tomb. In 1339, the tomb was opened and his body was found to be [[Incorruptibility|incorrupt]]. That same day saw many [[miracle]]s of healing. Especially did the holy king prove to heal diseases of the eyes, and at his [[relics]] blind people received their sight.

before=St. [[Stefan Uros II Milutin|Stefan Uroš Stephen Uros II Milutin]]|

after=Stefan Uroš Stephen Uros IV Dušan(emperor from 1346)Dusan}}