Florence, Arizona, July 26, 2023
Photo: antiochian.org
While in Arizona for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of America’s Biennial Convention being held at St. George Church in Phoenix, July 23-30, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East paid a visit to St. Anthony’s Monastery in nearby Florence.
The monastery is one of many founded in North America by the great Athonite spiritual father Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona, whom Pat. John had personally known at Philotheou Monastery on Mt. Athos.
Photo: antiochian.org
The Patriarch was joined by Metropolitan Saba and Their Graces Bishops Thomas, John, and Anthony of the Antiochian Archdiocese. They were warmly greeted at the monastery by Metropolitan Gerasimos and Bishop Ioannis of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and Abbot Paisios of the monastery, reports the Antiochian Archdiocese.
Photo: antiochian.org
Photo: antiochian.org
A service of thanksgiving was served, and Met. Gerasimos presented Pat. John with an icon of St. John (Maximovitch), telling him: “Feel at home here among your brothers. Feel the blessings of the holy Elder Ephraim who founded this and many other monasteries.”
Abbot Paisios also gave the Patriarch an icon of St. Joseph the Hesychast, the Divinely illumined spiritual father of Elder Ephraim.
Trisagion service at the tomb of Elder Ephraim. Photo: antiochian.org
His Beatitude also presented Met. Gerasimos and Abbot Paisios with gifts. He then prayed a trisagion service at the tomb of Elder Ephraim, and later a group of children sang some hymns for the visiting Patriarch.
The Patriarch arrived in America on July 13 and visited the Sacred Music Institute and summer camp being held at the Antiochian Village in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, that weekend. He has also visited several parishes during his trip.
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