Kairos retreat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For more uses of the word "Kairos", see Kairos.
Kairos, adapted to mean "God's time", is a Christian, Ignatian,[1] retreat program for high school and college students that began in Jesuit schools in Ohio, but, now, takes place around the world. The retreat is an intense few days, usually during a long weekend, that provide participants the chance to contemplate on God's role in their lives.[2]
[edit] History
These Kairos retreats began at the Jesuit Retreat House in Cleveland, Ohio,[3] which is affiliated with John Carroll University and several high schools around the area. After several Jesuit high schools schools in Ohio adopted the tradition, non-Jesuit Catholic high schools throughout the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico now participate.
[edit] Mysterious nature
Participants are often kept unaware of the "mysterious" goings on of the spiritual retreat. According to those who run the retreat, it is kept secretive, because the experience is different for each person, and, out of context, what happens would not be understood or appreciated in the same way others appreciate it while they are on the retreat. Because of its secretive nature, the retreat is often surrounded by many myths and legends. Kairos is based on present-moment experiences that many who have gone on the retreat say are best received when they are spontaneous and unexpected.
