Saint Ephraim Katounakiotis

Saint Ephraim of Katounakia or Efrem/Ephraim Katounakiotis (Greek: Εφραίμ Κατουνακιώτης; born Evangelos Papanikitas (Ευάγγελος Παπανικήτας; 6 December 1912 – 27 February 1998) was a Greek Orthodox monk who lived on Mount Athos. He was canonized as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on 9 March 2020. His feast is commemorated on February 27. He was born into a peasant family on 6 December 1912 in Abelochori (Αμπελοχώρι), a village in Thebes, Boeotia. His father's name was Ioannis Papanikitas (Ιωάννης Παπανικήτας) and his mother's name was Victoria (Βικτωρία). He had had 3 siblings, namely Epaminondas (Ἐπαμεινώνδα), Eleni (Ἑλένη), and Charalambos (Χαράλαμπο). His secular name was Evangelos. He spent his childhood in Abelochori. However, while he was in primary school, his parents moved to Thebes for their children's education. He became interested in monasticism from an early age. However, he suffered health problems as a child and developed lumps around his eyes at the age of 14. He also later developed a severe eczematous condition in the ankle joint. On September 14, 1933, Evangelos decided to become a monk and went to Katounakia at the southern tip of Mount Athos, also known as the "desert of Mount Athos". In Katounakia, he lived at the hermitage of Saint Ephrem the Syrian and was accompanied by his family acquaintances Ephraim and Nikephoros. Six months after his enlistment, he became a junior monk and received the name Longinus. In 1935, he was ordained a monk by his Elder Nikephoros and received the name Ephraim. The following year he was ordained a priest. Father Ephraim met the famous Elder Joseph the Hesychast (1898–1959) and became his spiritual follower after receiving permission from Elder Nikephoros. Elder Joseph, in turn, exerted a catalytic influence on the young monk's spirituality. In 1973, Hieromonk Nikephoros died.