Early in 1927, he was appointed to an administrative position, and later principal secretary, of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Church of Serbia.

When his wife died, he took monastic vows on 27 October 1929 in the Krušedol Monastery, being tonsured with the name Sava.

After the invasion of Yugoslavia and the formation of the Independent State of Croatia in April 1941, Plaški was first occupied by Italian forces and then turned over to the Ustaše in late 1941.

On 8 June, the notorious executioner Josip Tomljenović ordered all diocesan money and records to be handed over to the Ustaše.

After experiencing intense torture, Bishop Sava and the priests, Bogoljub Gaković, Đuro Stojanović, and Stanislav Nasadilo, were chained and taken to the Gospić concentration camp on 19 July 1941.