View source for Daniel II of Pec

Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Daniel II of Pec''' (''also Daniel, in Serbian:'' '''Свети Данило арxиепископ српски''') was a Serbian [[archbishop]] from 1324 to 1337. His feast is [[January 2]] ([[December 20]]) in the [[Julian Calendar]]). He was a nobleman and was a part of the court of St. King Milutin of Serbia (1282-1321). He left the court for the [[Monastery]] of St. Nikolas in Končul. 

==Life==
===As a monk===
Archbishop St. Jevstavije took the young [[monk]] Daniel as his syncellos (cell attendant, a prominent position that also included many other duties). Soon Daniel left for [[Mount Athos]], where he was elected [[igumen]] of Hilandar. During his tenure as igumen, Mount Athos was attacked several times by Ctaluanian pirates. Daniel was forced to take up the sword and defend the holy monastery from the pirates. Daniel retired in 1311 to the ascetic cell of St. [[Sava of Serbia|Sava]]. 

===Bishop===
Daniel received a call from Serbia to return to become [[Bishop]] of Banjska. After he accepted the post, he served as bishop until 1315. In 1314 he was present during the last moments of St. Queen Jelena, mother of King Milutin. He described her last moments in his ''Lives of Kings and Archbishops of Serbia.'' Daniel retired again and returned to his beloved Mount Athos. 

When Abp. St. Sava III died on [[July 26]], the king proposed Daniel as the new archbishop. Daniel instead proposed his disciple, St. Nikodim, for the position. St. Nikodim was elected, but the king also insisted that Daniel should remain in Serbia. To accommodate the king, he accepted the position of Bishop of Zahumlje. Daniel was at King Milutin's death bed and buried him in Banjska Monastery. 

Daniel again returned to [[Chilandari Monastery (Athos)|Hilandar Monastery]] in 1322, and Stefan Pepkalo succeeded him as Bishop of Zahumlje. When St. Nikodim died in 1324, Daniel was elected the 11th Archbishop of Serbia on [[September 14]], 1324. 

===Archbishop===
Abp. Daniel helped the new king, St. Stefan Uroš III, in building the magnificent Dečani Monastery. He also built the Church of the [[Theotokos]] Hodegetria in the Peć Monastery for Greek monks and the small [[church]] of St. Nicholas. Additionally, during his reign the rebuilding the Žiča Monastery was completed and the construction of the Church of St. George in Maglič and the Churches of St. Michael in Jelšika and St. Sava in Liznica were begun. He followed in the steps of St. Sava, his great predecessor.

Abp. Daniel was also one of the greatest Serbian medieval writers. His most importnant work is the ''Lives of Kings and Archbishops of Serbia''.

St. Daniel entered the Kingdom of Heaven [[December 19]], 1337.


{{start box}} 
{{succession|
before=none|
title=Bishop of Banjska|
years=1311-1315|
after=?}}
{{succession|
before=?|
title=Bishop of Zahumlje|
years=1317-1322|
after=Stefan Pepkalo}}
{{succession|
before=St. [[Nikodemus I of Pec|Nikodim]]|
title=[[List of Patriarchs of Serbia|Archbishop of Serbia]]|
years=1324-1337|
after=St. [[Joanicius II of Pec|Joanikije]]}}
{{end box}}

[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:14th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Patriarchs of Serbia]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Serbian Saints]]
[[Category:14th-century saints]]