Afterwards, they both left for Jerusalem, where they attended High School. Upon finishing High School in 1939, Father Elpidios served as a priest in different places, eventually leaving for [[Mount Athos]],<ref group="note">Archimandrite Elpidios died on November 29, 1983.</ref>, while Father Philoumenos joined the monastic [[Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher]] in Jerusalem.<ref name="ACROD"/>

:Father Philoumenos used to tell me about his years in [[Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem)|Bethlehem]], where the bishop disapproved of education for monks lest they be tempted to the priesthood. But because of his zeal for the neglected souls of the Palestinian faithful, Father Philoumenos studied to become fluent in Arabic, both literary and conversational, chanting the Holy [[Gospel]] more easily than many Arabs, and preaching the Orthodox faith not only in their language but in his Orthodox manner of life. What a good shepherd he was, more worthy than some of the episcopate! Yet the policies and needs of the patriarchate saw Father Philoumenos assigned to other positions. Whenever Palestinian faithful were scandalized by some unworthy priest, whenever Orthodox neglect or European money drove the faithful to wonder whether they would not receive better pastoral care from Uniates, it was Father Philoumenos that the [[List of Patriarchs of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]] sent as the true defender of the Faith, a man of more than blameless life, a man from whom no one could even imagine any immodest or improper word, a man whose faith and integrity were a model for all.<ref name="Yeghia">Monk Yeghia Yenovkian [http://burningbushmonastery.org/ Paradise Palestinian Hermitage], Ellisville, Mississippi. ''[http://www.roca.org/OA/94/94k.htm Tribute to a New Martyr - Our Holy Father Philoumenos of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre ].'' Martyred at Jacob's Well, 16/29 November, 1979. In: '''Orthodox America''', 1994.</ref>

:Three things were most remarkable about the blessed martyr. The first might have been partly from nature, but assuredly aided by Grace: this was his soft sweet voice, which I can still hear today. The second was a meticulous fidelity to small things, but specifically to the Divine Service. He never omitted one word of any day's service. When we were alone in some remote monastery, particularly for [[Matins]], he slowly and carefully chanted each word of every [[Psalter|psalm]] and canon. Not even at the Monastery of St. Sabba was the reading done so well. But when there were pilgrims for the [[Divine Liturgy]] and [[vespers]], he made the usual abridgements lest the service be too long and some be tempted to leave. Later on, privately, he would read every word that had not been chanted in the church. Those who stayed with him for some time saw the copies of the [[menaion]], [[horologion]], synaxarion, etc. and noticed that the markers were always in place and the volumes never dusty, which earned the Divine Promise, ''Well done thou good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over little things, I will set thee over great things Enter thou into the joy of the Lord'' (Matt. 25:21). Third, and as unobtrusive, almost secret, was his [[humility]].<ref name="Yeghia"/>

===Martyrdom===