Born Aimilianos Lazaridis in Ikonio, Asia Minor, Metropolitan of Grevena Aimilianos (1877 - September 30, 1911) enrolled in the Halki Theological School where he graduated and became a priest, serving in various locations in Anatolia and then in Macedonia.
Following the outbreak of the Macedonian Struggle (1904-08), he was appointed Bishop of Grevena.
He became a pillar of Hellenism throughout Macedonia, in the face of continued persecution against the Greeks of Macedonia by both the Bulgarians and the Turks.
The Metropolitan constantly toured the villages, preaching the gospel and encouraging the Greeks of the area, while also helping to take care and maintain the Greek schools and churches.
This brought him into conflict with both the Bulgarians and the Turks.
On September 30 1911, Bishop Aimilianos was captured and murdered by Bulgarian komitatzi terrorists. After initially being thought to be missing, his remains were found in the forest a few days later.
There is a bust commemorating Bishop Aimilianos the Ethnomartyr in the town of Grevena.
READ MORE: September 27, 1905: Kapetan Kottas of the Maceodnian Struggle passes away.
