On Thursday, May 9 2019, the former Abbot of Simonopetra Monastery in Mount Athos, Elder Archimandrite Aimilianos, fell asleep in the Lord.
Elder Aimilianos was born in 1934 in Nikaia, near Piraeus, of pious parents, with ancestors from Asia Minor.
In 1961, he was ordained a priest at the Vytouma Monastery in Trikala, on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
At the end of 1961, Metropolitan Dionysios made him Abbot of the “Great Meteoron”, the monastery of the Transfiguration.
After the death of Metropolitan Dionysios in 1970, the need for a place more suited to monastic life was felt, because of the increase in numbers of tourists to Meteora. At the same time, the monastery of Simonopetra, having few monks, encouraged Elder Aimilianos and the community to settle there.
In 1973, the community of the Transfiguration of Meteora arrived at Simonopetra. At the repose of the former Abbot, Father Haralambos, the community elected Father Aimilianos as Abbot on November 25, 1973, and was later enthroned on December 17.
Because of his illness, he had to leave the direction of the monastery in 1995. In 2000, he handed it over to his disciple Father Eliseus, and sadly left the monastery and his beloved Holy Mountain.
Since then, he lived during his long illness at the monastery of Ormylia until his falling asleep.
He was the spiritual father of many monks, nuns and lay people, and died at the Monastery of the Annunciation in Ormylia (Chalkidiki) at the age of 85, after a long illness.
Of course, this is only a brief summary of his life. A more complete biography is written here:
https://pemptousia.com/2019/05/elder-aimilianos-simonopetritis-has-departed-this-life/
He authored several books, such as, “The Way of the Spirit”, “Psalms and the Life of Faith”, and “The Mystical Marriage”. If you have never read any of his writings, his knowledge of the truth and ability to convey it was truly a gift from God.
These books and others are available from our bookstore.
May his memory be eternal †
(Photo courtesy of Romfea News)
