During the month of October 2005, Bishop Alexander of Ottawa hosted Elder Ephraim Kyriakos, the abbot of Archangel Michael monastery in Bakaata, Mount Lebanon.

Elder Ephraim studied Theology in St. John Damascene seminary in Balamand, and then left to the Holy Mount Athos to become a monk. After several years in St. Paul monastery in Athos, he returned to Lebanon, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Georges Khodr who helped tremendously the monastic life in Lebanon to flourish, founded his brotherhood in the Archangel Michael monastery in Bakaata. In addition of being a spiritual father of several monasteries and of many people among them bishops, priests and laymen, Elder Ephraim is very active in the Antiochian Church, by giving speeches and translating many patristic books from Greek. His personality is characterized by humility, poverty and tireless work in the Church despite his age.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Philip and Bishop Alexander, Elder Ephraim visited East of Canada last October for one month. He came to visit his spiritual children in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. He arrived on the 27th of September 2005, to Montreal international airport and was hosted by Bishop Alexander of Ottawa. The Fellowship of St. John the Divine of St. Mary Church in Montreal prepared a welcome dinner to elder Ephraim, presided by Bishop Alexander.

The next day he left to Halifax for one week, where Father Maximos Saikaly hosted him. In Halifax Elder Ephraim held morning and evening daily prayers in the Church, and also an all-night vigil. During the day he heard confessions and visited his spiritual children. He also gave several talks on different occasions.

On the 6th of October he came back to Montreal for two weeks, where Father Michel Fawaz hosted him. His program in Montreal was not different from the one in Halifax. On the 7th of October, he held an all-night vigil for the feast of St. Pelagia in St. Mary’s Church. He held also the daily prayers: Orthos, followed by a Bible contemplation, and Vespers. The rest of the time he was with his many spiritual children. He gave twice talks to the St. John the Divine fellowship and to the Antiochian women of St. Mary’s Church. He participated in the Saturday vespers in St. Nicholas and St. George Churches as well as the Sunday Divine Liturgy.

During his stay in Montreal, he visited for 3 days the Greek monastery of Virgin Mary in Lachute. This monastery, whose abbess in Mother Theckla, is a Metochion (Dependency) of St. Anthony the Great monastery in Florence, Arizona, USA, whose spiritual father is elder Ephrem Philotheou, the disciple of Elder Joseph the Hesycast. In Lachute, Father Ephrem celebrated an all-night vigil in both the Arabic, Greek, and English languages.

After Montreal, Elder Ephraim left to Toronto for one week, where Father Iskandar Younes hosted him. There also, daily prayers, visits, all-night vigil and talks were held. From Toronto, he left to Ottawa for one week, where Bishop Alexander invited him to speak to the clergy during their autumn retreat. From Ottawa he came back to Montreal, where he left to his monastery in Lebanon on the 1st of November.

Wherever Elder Ephraim goes, he sprinkles the divine flame of the love of God in all who confessed to or even just meet him. Special thanks to Metropolitan Philip and Bishop Alexander for blessing his visit to Canada, and God grant them, as well Elder Ephrem, many years.