Kairos. One of the oldest and most iconic traditions at Gonzaga College High School. This year, we celebrated the 176 Kairos. This year, only around 30 seniors did not attend, which is an amazing ratio. What is Kairos? Well, I obviously can’t tell you that or this article would be a waste of time.
“Kairos is the best four days you will ever have at Gonzaga,” according to Andrew LaFrankie ‘24, rector of November Kairos.
The point of Kairos commonly gets blurred. Instead of excitement, the thought of going on Kairos brings anxiety to a lot of prospective retreatants. Putting your phone away for four days at the peak of people’s social and academic lives is extremely difficult to do. It is one of the biggest deterrents from going on Kairos. In reality, Kairos is meant as a time for you to unwind, get closer with your classmates and create a new relationship with God that you never knew was possible. None of this is possible with electronics readily available.
The most integral part of Kairos are the leaders. All under one rector, they truly make the retreat for the retreatants.
“Well I’d say to get involved with Kairos and the retreat team in general because it’s so fulfilling,” stated Jacques Sangwa ‘24, rector of March Kairos that just happened last week. “You get to meet and build connections with underclassmen you usually wouldn’t meet otherwise, and it’s a great act of service to the school. Kairos is an extension of that, and as a rector. it was beautiful to see how much growth in spirituality and identity took place in just four days.”
If you let it happen, Kairos can form you into a completely new man. You may go into it with low expectations, but a lot of the time it is prevalent that you can come out with a whole new mindset.
“Kairos is a special time for deep personal reflection that stays with you long after you complete the retreat,” LaFrankie stated.
If you are on the fence about going on Kairos, use this article as a guide through it. Don’t go seeking for answers from friends who have already been on it because a retreat is a unique experience for everyone.
“I would recommend Kairos to every junior or senior who has not been. I had a great experience on my Kairos in November 2022. I was blessed to be able to lead Kairos this past January, and I think all the guys on that trip would agree that the retreat was awesome,” stated Matthew Clifford ‘24.
Next year, Kairos will run in October for seniors only, November, January, February and March. To apply, fill out the registration form when they send them out quickly as the spots do fill up quickly. If you want to lead, fill out the retreat team application coming out at the end of this school year.