Archimandrite Ephraim (Moraitis, also known as Ephraim of
Philotheos, Greek: Εφραίμ Φιλοθεΐτης and Ephraim of Arizona, Greek: Εφραίμ Αριζόνας; June 24, 1928 – December 7, 2019) was a revered Athonite Elder and spiritual father in the American Archdiocese of the
Orthodox Church of Constantinople.
Early life and background
On June 24, 1928, he was born Ioannis Moraitis () in
Volos, Greece. His parents were Demetrios and Victoria Moraitis.
Ephraim moved to
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
in 1947, where he was a disciple of the Athonite elder St.
Joseph the Hesychast
Saint Joseph the Hesychast ( el, Άγιος Ιωσήφ ο Ησυχαστής; born Francis Kottis, el, Φραγκίσκος Κόττης; Lefkes, Paros, February 12, 1897 – Mount Athos, August 15, 1959) was a Greek Orthodox monk and elder who ...
. On July 13, 1948, he was tonsured and given the
monastic name Ephraim. When his spiritual master Joseph the Hesychast died on August 15, 1959, he became the ''geronda'' (elder) of the hut of Annunciation of the Theotokos in
New Skete New Skete may refer to:
* New Skete (Mount Athos), Greece
*New Skete (New York)
New Skete is the collective term for two Orthodox Christian monastic communities in Cambridge, New York (geographically in the Town of White Creek):
*The Monks of ...
. Ephraim soon became the head of his own brotherhood (which grew to 80 monks in 1981) and moved with them to the skete of
Provata
Provata ( el, Προβάτα) is an area of Mount Athos that belongs to the Monastery of Great Lavra. It is close to the Monastery of Karakallou. This is where many people place the Skete of Glossia, which flourished in the 14th century. Gregory ...
in 1968. From October 1, 1973, to 1991, Ephraim served as the abbot of
Philotheou Monastery.
Through the efforts of Archimandrite Ephrem, monastic life was restored in several
sketes on Mount Athos, as his disciples also repopulated the monasteries of
Philotheou,
Xeropotamou,
Konstamonitou, and
Karakallou
The Karakallou Monastery ( el, Μονή Καρακάλλου) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery at the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece. It stands on the south-eastern side of the peninsula and ranks eleventh in the hierarchy of the Athonite ...
.
[Ephraim of Arizona (2008). ''My Elder Joseph the Hesychast and Cave Dweller (1897-1959)''. Arizona, U.S. .]
In 1979, Ephraim visited North American cities and met with members of the Greek diaspora.
First he visited parishes in Canada (
Toronto,
Vancouver,
Montreal). Afterwards, people started inviting him to the US. Similar visits became regular in the United States and
Canada. Finally, Archimandrite Ephraim decided to move to the United States for the spiritual nourishment of the flock and for the revival of spiritual life in the Greek communities of North America.
Missionary work in the US and Canada
Archimandrite Ephraim devoted his entire life to
missionary work, which was based on the opening of Orthodox monasteries in the United States and Canada, which soon became spiritual centers. The first monastery was founded in 1989 (the convent of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania). In 1995, Archimandrite Ephraim founded the now-famous monastery in the
Sonoran Desert of Arizona in honor of
Anthony the Great,
where he settled. Totally 19 monasteries were established in the United States and Canada as a result of his work.
The Greek Orthodox monasteries in North America founded by Ephraim of Arizona are:
Archimandrite Ephraim died at
St. Anthony Monastery, Arizona, on December 7, 2019, at the age of 91.
References
External links
Η Εις Κύριον Εκδημία του Γέροντος Εφραίμ - 2019 - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
St. Anthony's Monastery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ephraim Of Arizona
1928 births
2019 deaths
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Greek Eastern Orthodox priests
Christian missionaries
People from Volos
Archimandrites
Greek emigrants to the United States
People from Florence, Arizona
People associated with Mount Athos
People associated with Philotheou Monastery
Disciples of Joseph the Hesychast