Mel Gibson attended services at the Hilandar Monastery and took photos with the monks

During his visit to Mount Athos, renowned American actor, director, and producer Mel Gibson attended services at the Serbian Hilandar Monastery and took a photo with the monastery’s brethren.

“The actor/director has already visited the monastery’s main shrines, secluded cells, and services,” reports various Serbian media.

It is also noted that Mel Gibson spent Vidovdan (June 28) in Hilandar, Serbia’s main national holiday, which in Serbian tradition is associated with the memory of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.

The famous actor and director arrived at Mount Athos on June 27, 2025, where he planned to spend several days and receive “spiritual inspiration and prayerful support” for his work on a new project about the Ascension of Jesus Christ.

It should also be noted that Mel Gibson is a Catholic. In 2004, he released his film The Passion of the Christ, dedicated to the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ’s earthly life. A distinctive feature of the film is that all the dialogue is in Aramaic and Latin. The film was released in Russia without translation, but with subtitles.

After the film’s release, Mel Gibson said that he would shoot a sequel, “The Passion of the Christ: The Resurrection,” which would be dedicated to the events of the Gospel that took place between the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

We hope that the much-respected Mr. Gibson will consider continuing to look into Eastern Orthodoxy and even paying a visit to Russia. He will be welcomed by fans and the Faith with open arms.