Kairos (retreat)

Not to be confused with Kairos Prison Ministry.

Kairos (from Greek καιρός, which classically means "the opportune time" or to indicate a sense of time, and is adapted to mean "the Lord's time"^[1]) is a Roman Catholic retreat program for high school and college students.

Kairos is part of the larger Three day movement in America, ultimately derived from the Cursillo movement founded in Spain in 1944. As such, the retreat is a four day, three night (or three day, two night in some cases) residential retreat,^[2] with the aim of providing participants the chance to "contemplate God's role in their lives".^[3]

It was first held in 1965, and under its current name since 1979. It is conceptually based in Ignatian spirituality, as put forth in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.^[4] Kairos retreats are organized by several Catholic high schools in the United States, especially Jesuit schools, and since more recently they are also offered by certain schools in Australia, Ireland, Britain and Canada.

History

The Kairos retreat program is based on the "Christian Awakening" retreat program, which was developed in 1965 by the Diocese of Brooklyn, in the United States. A team of Priests, Brothers, and Lay People under the direction of Fr. Douglas L. Brown of the Brooklyn Diocese made use of the Cursillo Retreat format, which has its roots in Ignatian spirituality, but adapted it for older teenagers.^[5]

The retreat was immediately successful; within three years it was adopted in Connecticut, California, Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.^[6]

In December, 1975, Fr. Bob Colaresi, O.Carm, from Joliet Catholic High School, further developed the program and made a retreat that was first called "Chiros" by Fr. Kevin McBrien. In March 1979, it was properly spelled Kairos. By 1995 the program had spread to 20 Jesuit high schools throughout the United States.

Current form

The retreat is usually led mostly by the peers of the participants.^[7] For the high school retreats, the team is composed of both seniors or juniors who have already made the retreat and a few faculty from the school.^[8][9] The specificity of the Kairos retreat is that it focuses mostly on helping one find his or her own personal relationship with God during a few days of discerning and discovery. Through the course of the retreat, a building of a strong community takes place, through the conditioning of the Processors opinion of openness reflection and trust. ^[8]

Kairos retreats are often held at retreat houses removed from the hustle and bustle of mainstream society. With this concept in mind, the leaders of many Kairos retreats often request that the retreatants hand in their cell phones and other electronic devices, so that they can be more fully separated from the outside.^[10]

See also

• Cursillo
• Three day movement
• Taizé Community
• Ignatian spirituality

References