Zwierki, Podlaskie Province, Poland, September 7, 2026
orthodox.pl
Monastics from across the Orthodox Church in Poland gathered at the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery in Zwierki on September 3-4 for their annual meeting, this year focused on Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and his role in reviving monastic life on Mount Athos and founding monasteries in the United States and Canada.
The gathering was blessed with the presence of Hieromonk Ephraim, abbot of St. Peter’s Monastery in Montana, a disciple of Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona, the Polish Church reports.
The event opened with a moleben led by Archimandrite Peter, abbot of St. Onuphrius Monastery in Jabłeczna. His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, His Eminence Archbishop Gregory of Bielsk, and Fr. Ephraim prayed in the altar.
After the brief church service, Metropolitan Sawa addressed the assembled monks and nuns, thanking God for the chance to bring everyone together again and stressing the importance of monasticism today. “A monk’s prayer must be fervent, and he should fulfill his calling so that the rays of the spiritual sun fall on all those around him,” he said. Metropolitan Sawa then presented crosses to Abbess Anastasia and to guest speaker Fr. Ephraim.
Metropolitan Sawa then recalled how he first felt the call to monastic life during his first stay at the Pochaev Lavra. He told the monks: “When things get hard, don’t be sad, don’t lose heart, but strengthen your faith through communion with the One to whom you’ve devoted your life.”
The lecture portion began with Fr. Ephraim, who first shared the biography of his own elder, Ephraim of Philotheou, known throughout the Orthodox spiritual world, then recounted stories from his life illustrating his gift of spiritual discernment and deep humility. He fielded questions afterward in the spirit of hesychasm in which his Elder had raised him.
Nun Nadezhda of the Zwierki monastery gave the second lecture, describing the Athonite spirituality of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, under whom Elder Ephraim of Philotheou had grown as a monk. Archimandrite Vladimir of the Sakach monastery then spoke about Elder Ephraim’s role in renewing monastic life on Mount Athos in the second half of the 20th century, drawing on the examples of the Philotheou, Konstamonitou, Xiropotamou, and Karakalou monasteries. Abbess Catherine of Zaleszany closed out the lectures, speaking on the challenges and fruits of adapting the Athonite typikon to the realities of contemporary North America and Canada.
The first day ended with dinner and an All-Night Vigil service, during which the monks and nuns praised God in the Trinity.
The second day opened with breakfast and a short wrap-up of the meeting. Organizers announced that next year’s lectures will focus on St. Silouan of Athos and St. Sophrony of Essex, with the gathering set to take place at the Sts. Martha and Mary Monastery on Grabarka, marking the 80th anniversary of that community’s founding.
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