Kairos Retreat 86-6: Students Return Revitalized

1/30/2010

Seton Hall Prep’s largest Kairos group ever has just returned from their three-day Kairos Retreat held at the Loyola House of Retreats in Morristown. Based on the “Christian Awakening Program” developed in 1965 by the Diocese of Brooklyn, and used by many Catholic schools and universities across America, the retreat is a time for the students to get away from the noise, distractions, and responsibilities of everyday student life in order to spend time concentrating on core relationships: their relationship with God, with others, and with themselves. The retreat gives an experience of community to the students while “they explore what it means to live a holy life in accordance with God’s will.” Highly structured with a number of presentations, large and small group discussions, the Kairos Retreat offers ample opportunities for personal and group prayer and includes Celebrations of the Eucharist and the opportunity for individual Confession.

 

Kairos is one of two Greek words for “time.” Kairos emphasizes “the Lord’s time” rather than the simple succession of moments characterized by the word “chronos.” Kairos is time “judged, not by its succession or duration, but by its value, the intensity of the experience of God’s presence in the midst of a Christian Community.”

 

Led by a team composed of former Kairos retreatants and Prep staff members, for three days the students attended large group talks followed by discussions in small teams. Like the five previous editions, “Kairos 86-6” offered a number of activities to promote and build community, to foster trust and openness, and to encourage reflection.

 

The key themes of Kairos retreats are: knowing oneself, discovering Jesus in a personal way, recognizing and responding to Jesus’ call, and living the message of Christ. A few of the group talks centered on  “Piety,” “Know Yourself,” Sacramentals and Prayer,” “Results of God’s Friendship,” and “Love in Action.” The entire program was coordinated by Director of Campus Ministry Sharon Rondinella and Guidance Counselor Bill Ward. Also accompanying the students were faculty members Deacon Richard O’Hara, Jason Makarow, Lisa Traum, Christian Cintron, Rick Ingraffia, Dave Giarusso and Fr. Bruce Janiga. Special guest was Msgr. Ed Bradley, former longtime member of the Theology Department, now the Archdiocesan Special Liason to the Retired Priest Community. 

 

While the tone of the retreat is generally serious, with phones and video games stowed away, and mp3 players used mostly for music to introduce the talks, the schedule does provide a recreation period each day for the retreatants, who otherwise would be inside all day. The first was somewhat delayed as, inexplicably, it took more than an hour for 70 teenagers to locate any kind of ball for a game. The second day’s efforts were more easily accomplished, as an early morning snow squall had deposited just enough for the makings of a pretty good snowball fight. [photos]

see photos from Kairos 86-5, last October >>>