{"id":1128,"date":"2026-06-13T15:19:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panagiaglykofilousa.com\/elder-ephraim-en\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:19:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:19:48","slug":"elder-ephraim-en","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.panagiaglykofilousa.com\/en\/elder-ephraim-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Elder Ephraim of Philotheou"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Elder Ephraim of Philotheou.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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1928 \u2014 2019<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tATHONITE \u00b7 ABBOT \u00b7 APOSTLE<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Elder Ephraim of Philotheou<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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1928 \u2014 2019<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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ATHONITE \u00b7 ABBOT \u00b7 APOSTLE<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Elder Ephraim<\/em>
of Philotheou<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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1928 \u2014 2019<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Philotheou for seventeen years and a reformer of monasticism in the New World. A spiritual son of the late Elder Joseph the Hesychast, he carried the Athonite tradition to nineteen new monasteries in America and Canada.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u00a7 i<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Childhood and calling<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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T<\/span>he Elder Ephraim was born on 24 June 1928 in Volos, as John Moraitis. He passed his childhood in poverty, helping his father at his work, but always followed the pious example of his mother \u2014 who later became a nun with the name Theophano.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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At the age of 14 he began to long for the monastic life, but did not receive his confessor\u2019s blessing to go to Mount Athos until he was 19.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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VOLOS \u00b7 1928<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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John Moraitis<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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IN NATURE<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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An Athonite father<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00a7 ii<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To Mount Athos<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On his arrival at Mount Athos, on 26 September 1947, he went straight to Elder Joseph the Hesychast, at the cave of the Honourable Forerunner, who received him into his brotherhood. Nine months later, in 1948, he was tonsured with the name Ephraim.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Out of obedience to his elder, the monk Ephraim was ordained deacon and then priest. Life in the brotherhood of Elder Joseph was very strict and ascetic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After the repose of Elder Joseph in 1959, a number of monks gathered around Elder Ephraim, holding him as their spiritual father.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u00a7 iii<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Abbot of Philotheou<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1973 his brotherhood moved to the Holy Monastery of Philotheou, where he also became its abbot. On account of Elder Ephraim\u2019s renown, the monastic brotherhood grew quickly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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He was asked by the administration of Mount Athos to revive and re-populate several monasteries on the Holy Mountain that were suffering from a lack of monks \u2014 Xeropotamou, Konstamonitou and Karakallou. These received his spiritual guidance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1984 \u00b7 HOLY MONASTERY OF PHILOTHEOU<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Elder with the brotherhood<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Standing, from left: Mon. Ioannikios of Philotheou, Mon. Efthymios, Hieromonk Dionysios (\u2020) of Philotheou, Hieromonk Makarios. Seated: Elder Ephraim of Philotheou, Archim. Theophanes, Abbot of the H. Monastery of Iviron.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u00a7 iv<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The mission to America<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1979 he arrived in Canada for reasons of health. As soon as he arrived, he began to hear confessions, to counsel and to teach the Greeks of the diaspora. His pastoral work then spread also to the United States.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Two monasteries were founded first \u2014 one in Montreal and one in Pittsburgh. Today there are nineteen monasteries in North America under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Canada, dedicated to Christ, the Panagia and the Saints.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As it was not practical for him to be abbot of Philotheou, since he was absent for extended periods in North America, he resigned the abbacy in 1990.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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H. MONASTERY OF ST ANTHONY \u00b7 ARIZONA<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A cross upon the fountain<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00a7 v<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Repose<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At dawn on Sunday, 8 December 2019, Elder Ephraim reposed in the Lord in Arizona, leaving behind a blessed work and a rich spiritual inheritance. He was the reformer of monasticism on the American continent.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Counsels<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Words of the Elder<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Words of the Elder, as kept by his spiritual children.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u00ab No worldly joy remains without regret. Only the joy that comes from God is genuine and sincere. \u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ELDER EPHRAIM<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00ab Pain purifies the soul, makes it humble, compassionate, good \u2014 and so the ground is prepared for the divine visitation. \u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ELDER EPHRAIM<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00ab Who repented and was not saved? Who said \u2018I have sinned\u2019 and was not forgiven? Who fell and asked for help and did not rise? Who wept and was not consoled by God? \u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ELDER EPHRAIM<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00ab Repentance has great power. It takes the coal and makes it a diamond. It takes the wolf and makes it a lamb. It takes the savage and makes him a saint. \u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ELDER EPHRAIM<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00ab In this world none of us has a place. The spiritual world awaits us all. We are passers-by upon the earth. \u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ELDER EPHRAIM<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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ARIZONA DESERT<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Holy Monastery of St Anthony \u00b7 Arizona<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The founding of the Holy Monastery of St Anthony began in 1995. It is a men\u2019s cenobitic monastery, with about 35 monks of various nationalities. It now covers an area of 2,000 stremmata, has five churches, and is visited daily by many pilgrims from all over the world. The monks follow exactly the Byzantine ordinances \u2014 holy services, all-night vigils, and the horarium of Mount Athos.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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CATHOLICON & FOUNTAIN<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A paradise in the desert<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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5 churches \u00b7 35 monks \u00b7 2,000 stremmata<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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