Some of Archbishop Carroll’s senior class is on Kairos 101 until January 10 at the Malvern Retreat House.

The word Kairos means God’s time. Kairos is a four-day retreat in which the participants step away from their everyday routines and responsibilities to focus on their relationships with God and each other. The details of what happens at the retreat are kept private to heighten the experience. At Carroll, the retreat is reserved for seniors only. 

The Kairos retreat tradition has been kept alive by the Carroll’s ministry. The main enthusiast for the Kairos retreats is Fr. Speziale, Carroll’s director of campus ministry.

“I’m excited for 45 more people,” Speziale said. 

Kairos 100, in October, had 72 retreatants, which was particularly large. This smaller one is remarkable, though, too, according to Speziale.

 “We call it ‘guy ros’ because there are more guys than girls,” he said. “Every retreat is different, and I’m excited to see how this retreat will turn out. Every retreat is bonding experience. The bonding is the most important part of Kairos and it doesn’t matter where it happens.”

Victoria Noyle, one of the few girls on Kairos 101, said, “I’m excited, a little anxious, and nervous about Kairos but I’ve only heard amazing things … I hope to have a closer relationship with God as well as classmates that I haven’t gotten to know really well over the last four years.”

Laura McMonagle, a senior who was on K99, said: “Kairos is an experience of what you put into and what you get out of it.”

Although acknowledging that Kairos is “very mysterious,” McMonagle commented a little on her experience.

“I made friends with people who I did not know who were in my class,” she said. “I liked not having my phone for four days.” 

 Victoria O’Donnell, a leader for K100, encouraged the Kairos 101 leaders “to not compare it to their Kairos if they lead because every Kairos is different in its own way.”

One of the big differences between being a retreatant and a leader is that leaders have been on the retreat already so they know what is going to happen.

“Being a leader is very different that being a normal retreatant because knowing everything that happens is cool and there’s still more surprises and unexpected things that happen even when you’re a leader,” she said. “I would definitely be a leader again if I could. Kairos was the best experience of my life, so going again would make me so happy.” 

O’Donnell also said: “My favorite part of being a leader is definitely seeing how kids improved/grew in many different ways in just a span of a few days.”