October 21, 2019
NEW YORK – The faithful of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America glorify God as they receive with great joy the news from Mount Athos and our spiritual father, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who announced the forthcoming canonization of four Athonite fathers: Elders Ieronymos of Simonopetra, Daniel Katounakiotis, Joseph the Hesychast and Ephraim Katounakiotis.
The First Monastic Synaxis of the Archdiocese of America that convened at the Holy Monastery of Saint Nektarios, Roscoe, NY., on Sept. 21-22 dedicated the next monastic meeting under the theme: “The spiritual heritage of Geron Joseph the Hesychast and his contribution to Orthodox Monasticism in America.” The second Synaxis will take place Oct. 9-11, 2020 at the Holy Monastery of the Life Giving Spring, the Mother of God, in Fresno, California.
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, commenting on the forthcoming canonization of Elder Joseph, the Hesychast, said:
“We are grateful to our Patriarch and spiritual father because he proved once again that he knows how to listen to the feelings of his flock. We are especially blessed in America because the founder of monasticism here, Elder Ephraim, made sure that he would bring us the sacred skull of Elder Joseph, who is also his spiritual father. I look forward to the time when I will visit Arizona and venerate this relic, and it would be the relic of a saint of our Church in America”.
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