Thalellaios of Vatopedi

Thalellaios of Vatopedi, an archimandrite, was born on 22 January 1882 at Ainos in Eastern Thrace. He learned his first letters in his homeland. In 1905 he came to the Holy Mountain and entered Vatopedi Monastery. He studied at the Athoniada School. He was ordained deacon in 1908 and priest in 1909. In 1912 he took part in the Greco-⁠Turkish war. After eight years on Athos he returned to his homeland, where Metropolitan Joachim of Ainos (d. 1927) appointed him in 1913 episcopal steward of the holy metropolis, and in 1915 he was raised to archimandrite at Halki.

In the persecutions of 1914-1915 he suffered and bore witness together with the persecuted Christians of his diocese. He struggled courageously and beyond human strength for the salvation of Christians and their property, never fearing the threats of the savage komitadjis. In the terrible persecution of August 1915 he was exiled for more than three years to Malgara, where he suffered privation, ill treatment and imprisonment. After the armistice his metropolitan, who was in Constantinople, asked him to help the Christians return from exile. But new threats and dangers were not long in coming in the province of Ainos. The active and brave archimandrite defended his oppressed compatriots to the end. After the exchange of populations he followed them to Alexandroupolis (1920), where he was "beloved and esteemed by all." Later he is found as a priest in Xanthi. He was tortured and abused by the Bulgarians. He was forcibly driven out of the city and took refuge at Koufalia near Edessa. In 1960 he is found as a priest on Syros, where he probably reposed the following year. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.