Ephraim of Arizona

His spiritual father is Saint Iosif (Joseph) the Hesychast, canonized by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.

[1] Geronda Ephraim entered Mount Athos in 1947, where he was a disciple of the Athonite elder Saint Joseph the Hesychast.

When his spiritual father Joseph the Hesychast died on August 15, 1959, he became the geronda (elder) of the hut of Annunciation of the Theotokos in New Skete.

[1] Through the efforts of Archimandrite Ephraim, monastic life was restored in several sketes on Mount Athos,[2] as his disciples also repopulated the monasteries of Philotheou, Xeropotamou, Konstamonitou, and Karakallou.

[5] Archimandrite Ephraim devoted his entire life to missionary work, which was based on the opening of Greek Orthodox monasteries in the United States and Canada, which soon became spiritual centers.