Elder Ephraim miraculously prevents plane crash, reports say

Larnaca, Cyprus, October 19, 2017

Photo: elderephraimarizona.blogspot.ru Photo: elderephraimarizona.blogspot.ru
    

Reports have appeared in both Greek and English about a recent miracle of Elder Ephraim (Moraitis) of St. Anthony’s Monastery in Florence, AZ. According to the information reported, the former abbot of the Athonite monastery of Philotheou miraculously appeared to prevent a plane crash on a flight from Larnaca, Cyprus to Haifa, Israel.

The incident occurred on October 9, when a TUS-Airways flight began to show engine problems about 10 minutes prior to landing in Haifa. The Cypriot pilot, Panagioti, fainted, but awoke to the sensation of two warm hands taking over the yoke of the plane.

The passengers were in a panic, except for an Archimandrite Andrea from Nazareth who was silently praying the Jesus Prayer on his prayer rope.

The plane landed safely, and the pilot, reverently kissing Fr. Andrea’s hand and visibly shaken, asked what happened to the other priest who was sitting next to the archimandrite. Fr. Andrea replied that no one had been sitting next to him. “There was a short, very skinny, white-bearded elder who held my hands,” the pilot insisted. “He is the one that saved us!”

The archimandrite then showed the pilot a photo of Elder Ephraim of Arizona, and he was dumbfounded, realizing that was the man who had saved the plane and everyone aboard.

10/19/2017

See also
Catch a Fire: An Athonite Missionary to America Catch a Fire: An Athonite Missionary to America
Jesse Dominick Catch a Fire: An Athonite Missionary to America Catch a Fire: An Athonite Missionary to America
On Elder Ephraim, Founder and Elder of St. Anthony's Monastery
Jesse Dominick
Elder Ephraim received the unbroken monastic tradition from his spiritual father, the great Elder Joseph the Hesychast, and has brought it to North America in the form of the seventeen monasteries he has founded throughout America and Canada, including the main monastery in Florence, AZ, dedicated to St. Anthony the Great, where Elder Ephraim lives and serves as spiritual guide to all who come thirsting for spiritual guidance. The Elder Ephraim of Arizona: His contribution to North America The Elder Ephraim of Arizona: His contribution to North America
Igumen Gregory (Zaiens) The Elder Ephraim of Arizona: His contribution to North America The Elder Ephraim of Arizona: His contribution to North America
Igumen Gregory (Zaiens)
I will introduce this topic with a question: What has Elder Ephraim done for monasticism in our land? How I wound up in the Arizona desert with Elder Ephraim How I wound up in the Arizona desert with Elder Ephraim
Olga Rozhneva How I wound up in the Arizona desert with Elder Ephraim How I wound up in the Arizona desert with Elder Ephraim
Olga Rozhneva
"I was standing in these amazing night services and thinking that women can’t go to Mt. Athos, so visiting the Monastery of St. Anthony the Great and the others founded by Elder Ephraim is a unique opportunity for women to feel the spirit of Athos. You’re touched by the prayers of the holy Athonite elder Joseph the Hesychast, through the prayers of his spiritual children who have themselves become great elders. This prayer and love can be felt anywhere on earth, even at a distance of a thousand miles. You pray in your mother tongue, and in some miraculous manner, by the grace of the Holy Spirit Who gave the apostles the gift of speaking in other tongues, the elder, having acquired this grace, understands you." VIDEO: Elder Ephraim of Arizona VIDEO: Elder Ephraim of Arizona VIDEO: Elder Ephraim of Arizona VIDEO: Elder Ephraim of Arizona
Russian studio "Neophyte" and TV channel "Russia-Culture" have teamed up to produce a number of inspiring videos on a series of holy elders. This installment is on Elder Ephraim of Arizona, the former abbot of the Athonite Philotheou Monastery and modern holy elder, including testimony of those who know him. The video includes English subtitles. The great work of Elder Ephraim of Arizona: A conversation with Alexandra Lagos, a spiritual child of Elder Ephraim The great work of Elder Ephraim of Arizona: A conversation with Alexandra Lagos, a spiritual child of Elder Ephraim
Olga Rozhneva, Alexandra Lagos The great work of Elder Ephraim of Arizona: A conversation with Alexandra Lagos, a spiritual child of Elder Ephraim The great work of Elder Ephraim of Arizona: A conversation with Alexandra Lagos, a spiritual child of Elder Ephraim
Olga Rozhneva, Alexandra Lagos
"In this difficult period Elder Ephraim had so much grace that he exuded a sweet fragrance. Everything the elder touched began to sweetly smell. When he confessed children, covering their heads with his epitrachelion, their hair had this fragrance for a few days. If he touched napkins they began to emit this fragrance. His clothes and skufias emitted the fragrance. The stronger were the temptations, the stronger this fragrance was felt." Elder Ephraim of Arizona: On Slander & Condemnation Elder Ephraim of Arizona: On Slander & Condemnation
Elder Ephraim of Arizona Elder Ephraim of Arizona: On Slander & Condemnation Elder Ephraim of Arizona: On Slander & Condemnation
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
Slander is a great evil. Just as the little rudder steers the whole ship wherever it wants, likewise the tongue leads a person either to good or to evil.
Comments
John1/26/2021 5:56 am
ANNOUNCEMENT OF JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE 20/10/2017 We would like to make the brotherly Orthodox Churches aware that Archimandrite Andrew Aleme, born in Nazareth, has received his official dismissal from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and does not belong to it any more. From Secretariat-General https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/blog/2017/10/20/announcement-of-jerusalem-patriarchate/
cathy1/8/2020 12:04 pm
why do we orthodox Christians not spend enough time studying the scriptures and make up what a saint means and what are the requirements and say an unbiblical thing like miracles are proof of holiness. they are not. miracles are to follow all believers filled with the Holy Spirit and for edification of the church not for elevating a person to sainthood.
Editor8/12/2018 5:34 pm
Daniel: Though you are right that saints are never canonized while still alive, there have been people who were clearly saints. For example, St. Nicholai Velimirovich, while still living in Serbia, said to others, "If you want to see a living saint, go and visit John Maximovitch". It's not blasphemous to call a saintly man a living saint, but of course we don't ever know how a person will be at the end of his life.
Eugene Daniel8/12/2018 10:22 am
There are no living saints. They need to live first, die, receive never less than about 20 years of people's prayers for them as well as popular veneration as though a saint plus reports of his intercession coming true and then possibly he may be glorified as a saint. To call someone a saint when living is despicable and heretical.
John11/22/2017 7:01 am
This story 100 & lie no one telling the truth , this story made up ,Andrew not priest I been in saint Anthony I know what going on there, they need to stop making saint like that
ANNOUNCEMENT OF JERUSALEM PATRIARCHATE
20/10/2017
In category : Announcements — @ 15:00
We would like to make the brotherly Orthodox Churches aware that Archimandrite Andrew Aleme, born in Nazareth, has received his official dismissal from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and does not belong to it any more.
From Secretariat-General
John W11/18/2017 4:22 am
"They said of Arsenius and Theodore of Pherme that they hated fame and praise more than anything. Arsenius avoided people likely to praise him. Theodore did not avoid them, but their words were like daggers to him."

"Syncletia said, 'An open treasury is quickly spent; any virtue will be lost if it is published abroad and is known about everywhere. If you put wax in front of a fire it melts; and if you pour vain praises on the soul it goes soft and weak in seeking goodness.'"
GEORGIA SOLOMOU11/12/2017 9:26 pm
The miracle is true and people who do not believe in the Holiness of Yeronda Ephraim would not believe even if they see it with their own eyes. One day the whole world will know that Yeronda is a Saint.
John W11/9/2017 7:59 pm
On the post 'Elder Ephraim miracle story retracted OrthoChristian.Com', a commmentator asserts that the Fathers at St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Ariz. have confirmed the the retracted miracle story is actually true and that Elder Ephraim did indeed pilot a TUS Airways plane with engine trouble, semi-conscious pilot, and AWOL co-pilot to safety on October 9, 2017.




http://orthochristian.com/107561.html
Anon Ymous11/3/2017 8:27 am
It's embarrassing to find so obviously faux "news" at a reputable web-site such as this one.
TheProdigal10/24/2017 11:28 am
Joseph, my brother, I don't see any one here trying to denigrate Elder Ephraim. The "negative" reactions are to what seems to be a miracle story fabricated to erroneously bolster the image of a person -- one which in this case needs no bolstering, in my opinion. These things harm the Church rather than help it. So, no, it doesn't matter whether Fr. Ephraim saved an airplane or not. But it does matter when someone says he did but he didn't (a lie), just like a slanderous lie about him matters. Neither of these things benefits the soul of the reader. Discretion, discretion, discretion -- it can't be said enough.
John W10/24/2017 3:17 am
The author of the TUS Air faux miracle story was probably inspired by this film and probably intended to "Sully" the reputation of the Elder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjKEXxO2KNE

Lord, have mercy on this poor soul!
Joseph10/23/2017 10:23 pm
Well I suppose I won't spend the time or money to call TUS because frankly, it makes no difference to me. Whether or not Fr. Ephraim saved the airplane does not change my opinion of him--that of respect for a holy monk. After all, he didn't spread this. And as for TUS, well, I wish them only the best.
TheProdigal10/23/2017 10:16 pm
@Joseph. John's link opened okay for me (both of his links actually). I don't know if you read Greek, but basically they (Cyprus Times) are stating that they want to make clear that they published the article erroneously, and that they apologize for any trouble it may have caused, and that there was in no way any problem with the TUS Airways flight from Cyprus to Israel. Regarding Georgia's statement, you certainly can contact TUS yourself -- you know, so that we have a reliable source and not have to trust "people like Georgia".
Joseph10/23/2017 8:20 pm
Of course, while this article glorifies Elder Ephraim it certainly makes TUS look bad. I would like to think better of TUS. And of course we should all believe people like Georgia (whom we don't know from Adam). But then John W. has a link! Which doesn't open...
John W10/23/2017 4:50 pm
The Cyprus Times has covered Tus Airway's rebuttal of the hoax news:

http://archive.is/Dsc3S
Georgia10/23/2017 10:02 am
This incident never happened. I personally contacted the airline and no incident occurred on that day. There was no engine problem reported. Also they informed me that all their flights have 2 pilots and 2 cabin crew. It seems though that people ignore the facts. As a Christian I don't like when people are lied to. This story is a hoax.
John W10/22/2017 4:06 am
The Aviation Safety Network Accident Database (International Coverage and updated daily) has no record of any incidents for Tus Air on October 9, 2017 or for any date in 2017.


https://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?Year=2017
brother John10/21/2017 7:55 am
good story for kids bed time, Archimandrite Andrea from Nazareth he not with Jerusalem he not priest, he was in the monastery in AZ in the Monastery someone prof this story ,my Question they do not have saints in Greece close to the plane :) where the lord Jesus Christ, very sad people lie and made up story to get the poor people money.Elder Ephraim God bless him, and may God take care of those made false story
The Prodigal10/20/2017 8:26 pm
If I may just add one more significant fact. According to their site, TUS Airways has two types of aircraft in its 5 airplane fleet: the Fokker 100 jet and the Saab 2000 prop-jet. Both of these aircraft require a copilot. So again, where was the copilot during this occurrence? Discretion, my dear brethren, discretion. Let us not sully the true spiritual brilliance of today's holy and virtuous men and women with spurious and unfounded stories.
The Prodigal10/20/2017 5:52 pm
Elder Ephraim is indeed a saintly monk, but I have serious doubts about this account. There are too many holes in the story (e.g, where was the co-pilot?, there are engine problems so the pilot faints?, so many days passed and no statement from the pilot? etc.) Our "solid" references here are a Facebook page and a blog site. I really don't think it helps the Church when such accounts are published prematurely without solid evidence. If this story turns out to be false - and I believe it will - it make people question other miraculous events that ARE true. St John of the Ladder says one of the greatest virtues is discretion. Sorely lacking today.
Vasili Pieratos10/20/2017 5:11 pm
Glory be to God! Elder Ephraim is certainly a living Saint. God bless!
Athanasios10/20/2017 3:00 pm
Glory be to God that we have Holy and Saintly people like Geronda Ephraim in our midst!
I’ve met him on many occasions and he is truly real and not a fabrication or imagination. He has also helped me in my life! May his prayers keep us safe and may his intercessions save our souls!
Glory to God!
Michael ANTONIADIS10/20/2017 1:04 pm
There is little doubrt that Elder Efraim is a Saintly person, filled with God's grace and power. He performs miracles, and these can only be done by
people who are loved by God, that is SAINTS. So the Elder is one such, and deserves respect and reverence. He should be treated with fear of God,
and his help should be sought by all of us, at times of difficulties and temptation. M.Antoniadis, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Andrew10/20/2017 7:37 am
Axios Geronda Ephraim!
Joanna Chalcas10/20/2017 3:18 am
Glory to God! ...No doubt in my heart !!! His saint... love him & was honored to get his blessing.... God Bless!!!!
Joe10/19/2017 10:18 pm
Anthony: Look, not pointing fingers but the vast majority of Americans do not even know who Elder Ephraim is. The ones mistreating him are Greek-Americans, while the converts adore him.
Anthony10/19/2017 9:17 pm
Incredible living saint. And to think how despicably he was treated by the Americans for so long. Resonates entirely with what the Jews did to Christ. No wonder the two countries are joined at the hip.
Mary Zananiri 10/19/2017 8:53 pm
Glory to God truly amazing
No doubt in my heat he is a Saint love him
So much God bless
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