On October 3, 1922, Metropolitan Grigorios of Kydonies (Ayvalik) was executed by Turkish forces after refusing to abando...

On October 3, 1922, Metropolitan Grigorios of Kydonies (Ayvalik) was executed by Turkish forces after refusing to abandon his flock during one of the bloodiest episodes of the Asia Minor Catastrophe. He was arrested on September 30, held for days, tortured, and then killed alongside other priests and community leaders who had also been captured. Born in Magnesia in Asia Minor in 1864 as Anastasios Saatsoğlu, Grigorios studied at the Theological School of Halki, graduating in 1889, and rose to become Metropolitan of Kydonies. When Greek civil and military authorities withdrew from the region, he urged residents to evacuate to Mytilene. They refused to listen. What followed was devastating. On August 22, 1922, irregular Turkish forces massacred around 3,000 Greek residents near the town of Franeli on the Gulf of Adramyttion. After learning that Metropolitan Amvrosios of Moskhonesia and 6,000 of his flock had also been slaughtered, Grigorios negotiated with Turkish commanders to allow Greek ships sailing under an American flag to evacuate 20,000 of the 35,000 Greeks still living in Kydonies. When urged to leave himself, he gave the answer he would carry to his death: "As long as even one of the faithful of my flock remains here, I will stay too." Author Ilias Venezis, in his book "Asia Minor, Farewell," described how Grigorios pleaded with the Turkish garrison commander to extend the 24-hour departure window, knowing there was no way so many people could board ships in time. He returned to his church in anguish and told those around him to run while they could. He never left. The Greek Orthodox Church canonized him in 1992, along with Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna and other Asia Minor martyrs. Their feast day is commemorated on the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. #AsiaMinorCatastrophe #GreekHistory #1922