by Chris Bunder ‘14
When an Ignatius man takes a look back at his four years at the end of his tenure, one of the hallmarks of the great odyssey is often remarked as being the Kairos retreat. However, it’s interesting that something so powerful can remain in the dark for so many, for all those who haven’t witnessed first-hand what really makes the experience tick.
At its heart, the retreat certainly has a religious agenda, as the word itself is loosely translated as “God’s Time.” The couple days are rooted in finding God’s presence in our lives, whether in the people around us or in our own actions. Teachers speak and groups meet, all in speaking of the presence of God in the world and how one might be able to find Him. Many students certainly take to the religious aspect of the retreat, as Jack Lupica, ’14, claims, “Kairos is a spiritual experience whereby students are given the opportunity to examine their lives in a new light, guided by the Holy Spirit. Truly a life changing experience!”
But what really makes the experience a lasting one is in the student leadership and participation, as it allows for young men to grow, supported by one another, in a rather unusual way. It’s not often that a person can speak of his hardest struggles, his deepest fears or his most crushing failures in front of a group of forty other guys, and there’s certainly something special that can be said about that. Senior leaders speak to Juniors they might never have crossed paths with and that alone can foster some incredible relationships. Nick Decore, class of ’14, tells of this specifically as he says: “It’s a great time. Even in all the seriousness, it is still fun and enjoyable. It’s different being a senior leader than being a junior retreatant. I guess you just get a different form of joy because you are seeing the kids grow up and open up.”
But in a broad sense, it’s very difficult to pin a definition to the experience, just because that definition varies so greatly from person to person. But while the details can differ, the fact of it being worthwhile remains fairly consistent across the board. Whether in the no-sleep-early-morning grind or in the “Kai-High” back at home, Kairos carries a unique effect that can’t quite be described; that is essentially what makes it so memorable.
