His search led him to Mount Athos for the first time in 1975. “I found this monastery and an embrace,” he said. “I found people who understood and accepted me. They didn’t judge me.

The Monastery of Simonos Petra, also known as Simonopetra — or Simon’s Rock — transcends country-based branches of the Christian faith, embracing monks from across the world, including ...

Father Kosmas, left, and Father Nyfmon walk in the Simonopetra, or Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, on the peninsula of Mount Athos ...

Simonopetra, or the Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, stands on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, Sunday, April 13, 2025.

But it is in one monastery — Simonos Petra — that the greatest range of nationalities reside. Here is a look at four of Simonos Petra’s monks, and how they view Mount Athos: ...

Serafeim has been living in Simonos Petra since 2010. On what Mount Athos means to him: “The Holy Mountain is a place, I’d say, where you truly find spiritual peace.

Father Serafeim prays in the ossuary of Simonopetra, or the Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, on the peninsula of Mount Athos in ...

MOUNT ATHOS, Greece (AP) — Mount Athos, a verdant peninsula in northern Greece, has been a center of Christian Orthodox monasticism for more than 1,000 years. The all-male autonomous community… ...

Simonopetra, or the Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, stands on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, Sunday, April 13, 2025.