Abbot Nikephoros (sitting), Father Procopius, Fr. Ephraim and Fr. Job, which is the father after the flesh of Fr. Ephraim
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 by Bishop Germanos of the Cyclades.
The head of the brotherhood Elder Nikephoros was a very harsh and exacting spiritual father, and at many points during his early years as a monk Fr. Ephraim became discouraged, and was even tempted to leave Mount Athos. He received comfort in the form of his relationship with Elder Joseph the Hesychast who became his spiritual father after receiving permission from Elder Nikephoros.
After Elder Joseph and his synodia left the zealots in 1953, Elder Ephraim also desired to follow his spiritual father and begin commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch. However, his elder Nikephoros wanted to remain with the zealots. Fr. Ephraim was torn and sought advice from Abbot Gabriel of Dionysou and Father Gerasimos the Hymnographer, who told him to obey his spiritual father. Elder Ephraim thus decided to remain with the zealots for the duration of his obedience under Elder Nikephoros.
In 1968, Fr. Procopius of the brotherhood reposed. His passing was very hard on Fr. Ephraim because he had always been very close to Fr. Procopius, who had been much kinder to him than his abbot Nikephoros. A few years later another of the brotherhood's members Fr. Job passed away. Finally, in 1973, Elder Nikephoros passed away, and left the cell of St. Ephrem the Syrian to Fr. Ephraim. By 1980, Fr. Ephraim had joined the commemorators and formed his own brotherhood.