Not to be confused with Kairos Prison Ministry

Kairos Prison Ministry

Kairos Prison Ministry is an international organisation conducting three day movement programs for people serving in prisons and more recently as Kairos Outside for those directly affected by the imprisonment of another...

, another three day movement but focussed on prisoners and those most closely concerned with them.

Kairos, adapted to mean "God's time", is a Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 retreat program for high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 and college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 students that takes place around the world.
The retreat is a four day, three night (or three day, two night in some cases) residential retreat, that provide participants the chance to contemplate God

God

God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

's role in their lives.

Process

The retreat is usually led mostly by the peers of the participants. 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. The difference between Kairos and other retreats is that it focuses mostly on helping one find his or her own personal relationship with God

God

God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 during a few days of discerning and discovery. During this process, the retreatant also becomes very close with the others involved in the retreat. Some groups and schools refer to those that went as "kai-sisters" or "kai-brothers." Through the course of the retreat, a building of a strong community

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

 takes place, through encouraging openness, reflection, and trust. Also, Kairos is traditionally a very secretive retreat, that is, returning retreatants often refuse to describe the retreat to others; as Kairos is a unique retreat, it is often felt that it is better to enter into the retreat not knowing what will happen on it.

Kairos Leaders

The leaders of the Kairos retreat are typically about one peer leader for every 6 to 10 retreat participant, as well as one peer "rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

" who is designated as the overall leader of the retreat. In high school Kairos retreats, there are also adult leaders, often teacher

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

s who help lead the retreat. In most instances, the leaders of the retreats are kept secret from the retreat participants until the retreat actually begins, although the leader list is already set ahead of time during the planning period of the retreat.

Location

Kairos retreats are often held at retreat houses removed from the hustle and bustle of mainstream society. This practice is intended to remove the retreat participants from their everyday life

Everyday Life

Everyday Life is the first solo album made by Life MC of the British Hip Hop group Phi Life Cypher....

, so they are free to clear their minds of regular life. 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 world.

History

The Kairos retreat program is based on the "Christian Awakening" retreat program, which was developed in 1965 by the Diocese of Brooklyn

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes territory that was previously part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, was established as a separate diocese in 1853 when the City of Brooklyn was separate from New York City....

, in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. 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

Cursillo

Cursillos in Christianity is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church...

 format, which has its roots in Ignatian spirituality, but adapted it for older teenagers. The retreat itself stems from Ignatian spirituality

Ignatian spirituality

Ignatian spirituality sometimes called Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic spirituality which both lay and religious people have traditionally found helpful. Founded on the experiences of a 16th century saint, struggling to live a good life, it is sometimes referred to as the spirituality for...

, as put forth in the Spiritual Exercises

Spiritual Exercises

Spiritual exercises may refer to:* Any spiritual practice dedicated towards increasing one's personal spirituality* Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, a book of spiritual practices of the Roman Catholic Jesuit order...

 of St. Ignatius Loyola.

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

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

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.