Ephraim of Arizona

Archimandrite Ephraim (Moraitis, also known as Ephraim of Philotheos, Greek: Εφραίμ Φιλοθεΐτης and Ephraim of Arizona, Greek: Εφραίμ Αριζόνας). (June 24, 1928, Volos, Thessaly, Greece – December 7, 2019, St. Anthony Monastery, Arizona, USA) was a Greek clergyman of the American Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.

Archimandrite

Ephraim of Arizona
Native name
Ιωάννης Μωραΐτης
ChurchGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Personal details
Born
Ioannis Moraitis

(1928-06-24)24 June 1928
Volos, Thessaly, Greece
Died7 December 2019(2019-12-07) (aged 91)
Arizona, United States
NationalityGreek
DenominationGreek Orthodoxy
ProfessionHieromonk

Early life and background

On June 24, 1928, he was born Ioannis Moraitis (Ιωάννης Μωραΐτης) in Volos, Greece. His parents were Demetrios and Victoria Moraitis.[1]

Ephraim moved to Mount Athos in 1947, where he was a disciple of the Athonite elder St. Joseph the Hesychast. 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. 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 in 1968. From October 1, 1973, to 1991, Ephraim served as the abbot of Philotheou Monastery.[1] Through the efforts of Archimandrite Ephrem, monastic life was restored in several sketes on Mount Athos,[2] as his disciples also repopulated the monasteries of Philotheou, Xeropotamou, Konstamonitou, and Karakallou.[3]

In 1979, Ephrem visited North American cities and met with members of the Greek diaspora.[4]

First he visited parishes in Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal). Afterwards, people started inviting him to the US. Similar visits have become 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.[5]

Missionary work in the US and Canada
St. Anthony Monastery in Florence, Arizona, US, founded by Ephraim of Arizona

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).[6] In 1995, Archimandrite Ephrem founded the now-famous monastery in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona in honor of Anthony the Great,[1] where he settled. Totally 19 monasteries were established in the United States and Canada as a result of his work.[7][8]

The Greek Orthodox monasteries in North America founded by Ephraim of Arizona are:[1]

Nunneries (for women)
DateMonasteryLocationRef.
1989Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox MonasterySaxonburg, Pennsylvania, US[9]
1993St. Kosmas Aitolos Greek Orthodox MonasteryBolton, Ontario, Canada[10]
1993Panagia Parigoritissa Greek Orthodox MonasteryBrownsburg-Chatham, Quebec, Canada[11]
1993St. John Chrysostomos Greek Orthodox MonasteryPleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, US[12]
1993Holy Protection of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox MonasteryWhite Haven, Pennsylvania, US[13]
1993Life-giving Spring of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox MonasteryDunlap, California, US
1995St. John the Honorable Forerunner Greek Orthodox MonasteryGoldendale, Washington, US[14]
1998Annunciation of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox MonasteryReddick, Florida, US[15]
1998Panagia Prousiotissa Greek Orthodox MonasteryTroy, North Carolina, US[16]
2004St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox MonasteryWashington, Texas, US[17]
Monasteries (for men)
DateMonasteryLocationRef.
1995St. Anthony Greek Orthodox MonasteryFlorence, Arizona, US[18]
1996Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox MonasteryKendalia, Texas, US[19]
1998Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox MonasteryWilliston, Florida, US[20]
1998Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox MonasterySmiths Creek, Michigan, US
1998Panagia Pammakaristos Greek Orthodox MonasteryLawsonville, North Carolina, US
1998Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox MonasteryHarvard, Illinois, US[21]
1998St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox MonasteryRoscoe, New York, US[22]

Archimandrite Ephraim died at St. Anthony Monastery, Arizona, on December 7, 2019, at the age of 91.[23]

References
  1. "Geronda Ephraim". St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery.
  2. "Elder Ephraim of Arizona Offers Greece Sound Advice for Turbulent Day Ahead". July 28, 2010.
  3. Ephraim of Arizona (2008). My Elder Joseph the Hesychast and Cave Dweller (1897-1959). Arizona, U.S. ISBN 978-960-93-0580-8.
  4. "Schema-Archimandrite Ephraim (Moraitis) - Canadian Orthodox History Project". orthodoxcanada.ca.
  5. "Olga Rozhneva, Alexandra Lagos. The great work of Elder Ephraim of Arizona: A conversation with Alexandra Lagos, a spiritual child of Elder Ephraim". OrthoChristian.Com.
  6. "General 1". Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.
  7. "Affiliated Monasteries". St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery.
  8. "Elder Ephraim of Arizona: Monk who saved Orthodoxy in America, built 19 monasteries and made an oasis from the Arizona desert". January 21, 2020.
  9. "Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery". Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  10. "St. Kosmas Aitolos Greek Orthodox Monastery". www.stkam.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  11. "Monastery Virgin Mary the Consolatory-Greek Orthodox/Le Troupeau Benit". monasterevmc.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  12. "St. John Chrysostomos Greek Orthodox Monastery". St. John Chrysostomos Greek Orthodox Monastery. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  13. "Holy Protection Monastery of the Theotokos". www.holyprotectionmonastery.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  14. "St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Monastery". stjohnmonastery.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  15. "Annunciation of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery". holyannunciation.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  16. "Panagia Prousiotissa Greek Orthodox Monastery". panagiaprousiotissa.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  17. "Holy Monastery of St. Paraskevi". saintparaskevi.com. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  18. "St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery". St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  19. "Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery". Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  20. "Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery". www.panagiavlahernon.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  21. "Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Monastery". www.holytransfigurationmonastery.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  22. "St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Monastery". stnektariosmonastery.org. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  23. "Elder Ephraim Falls Asleep in the Lord, Age 91". December 11, 2019.
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