“I’m Alejandra, and I just experienced Kairos,” laughs Alejandra Mart ’22, one of 50 seniors who recently returned from a three-day Kairos retreat in October.
Kairos means “God’s Time” in Greek and is usually offered to juniors in the spring. But this year, after missing their own Kairos retreat during remote learning, seniors also got an opportunity to attend.
“I jumped at the chance to go on Kairos,” enthuses Declan Wallingford ’22. “My older sister told me how amazing it was! When I asked her what made it so special, she told me that what happened on Kairos, stays on Kairos.” That hooked Declan. “The secretiveness of the retreat made me even more intrigued,” he says.
Kairos is such a powerful retreat because each activity is designed to build a foundation of trust and growth between class members. After a dynamic three days together, students return to their lives with a new perspective. “I realized how important it is to have meaningful relationships and see the beauty in every person,” shares Alejandra. “I returned from Kairos feeling so loved by my classmates, friends, and family.”
“Kairos is an opportunity for all students to reflect on their relationship with themselves, others, and their faith journey,” describes Ryan Dilag, Director of Campus Ministry. “The retreat is inclusive for students from all faith backgrounds.”
In fact, many students find Kairos so powerful that they feel inspired to return as student leaders, guiding younger classes through the experience. “A bunch of seniors who went on Kairos this fall have already signed up to lead juniors through this spring,” reports Dilag. “It’s truly amazing to see how much this retreat strengthens the O’Dowd community.”
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