Jefrem ( sr-cyr, Јефрем; ''Ephraem''; c. 1312 – died 1400), also known as Elder Jefrem (старац Јефрем) and Jefrem of Serbia, was the Patriarch of the

Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

twice, in 1375–1379 and 1389–1392, and also a renowned

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Biography

Born into a priestly family, of Bulgarian origin, he became a monk in c. 1335 at 23 years of age. He 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 ...

, and stayed at

Hilandar The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...

, and later at Zograf and as a

hesychastic Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took it ...

ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

in the mountains of Athos. He left Athos in c. 1347 for a monastery on a river island of the

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

where he became a ''

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

''. He then moved to Serbia, and stayed in the

Patriarchal Monastery of Peć Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...

. He lived in a cave-church near

Visoki Dečani The Visoki Dečani Monastery ( sr, Манастир Високи Дечани, Manastir Visoki Dečani, sq, Manastiri i Deçanit) is a medieval Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery located near Deçan, Kosovo. It was founded in the first half of ...

. Patriarch Sava IV built an ascetic cell for him in Ždrelo near the

. When unrest broke out in the state and Church, the Synod chose Jefrem to succeed as patriarch on 3 October 3, 1375. He managed to save the Church from interference from feudal lords by renouncing his throne and turning it over to Spiridon, and became an ascetic. Following the death of Spiridon in 1389, Jefrem again took office. However, he once again renounced the throne in 1392, and then retired to Ždrelo. He died in the evening of 14 June 1400, and was buried the next day at the

. According to the hagiography of Jefrem, Sava V was present at the burial. Jefrem left a large original poetry work, preserved in a 14th-century manuscript from Hilandar. Tomb of Jefrem, Peć

In 1406 or 1407 ("seven summers after ascendance") he was proclaimed a saint by Sava V after showing signs of sainthood. Bishop Marko wrote the ''Service to St. Jefrem'' and ''Life of St. Jefrem''. His feast day is celebrated on June 15/28, together with St. Lazar and St. Spyridon.

Annotations

Historiography treat him as being of Bulgarian origin. Another source claim that he was from

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

References

Sources

;Books * * ;Journals * * {{authority control Patriarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church 14th-century Serbian people 14th-century Bulgarian people 1322 births 1400 deaths 14th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Serbian monks Serbian people of Bulgarian descent Burials at the Patriarchate of Peć (monastery) Serbian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Hesychasts People associated with Mount Athos People associated with Hilandar Monastery People associated with Zograf Monastery

Biography

Annotations

See also

References

Sources