For both their Junior and Senior years, Delbarton upperclassmen have the opportunity of a lifetime: they can go on the Kairos Retreat. After attending this retreat once, it’s safe to say I cannot wait to do it again.  This year’s Kairos Retreat was held at Franciscan Oaks in Easton, Pennsylvania, just a few weeks after Christmas Break. Prior to this retreat, I was hesitant to immerse myself in this opportunity.

As the weekend progressed, moving from talk to talk, I became aware of the spirit of the retreat. At Delbarton, we often say that we are not just friends, but brothers as well. Naturally, this sense of relationship extends from the Benedictine order to all those whom they meet.  “Let all be welcomed as Christ” is lived, not just discussed. This weekend at Kairos allowed me to fully understand the idea of Brotherhood and how the Benedictine order works within our lives.  Each sharing at the retreat became more and more personal as the weekend went on. These opportunities to share allowed me to feel the pains, burdens, and sorrows of my fellow brothers. Kairos gave me the opportunity to find this sense of brotherhood and spiritual connection with students just like me.

When I first went on Kairos, I wondered if we would spend the majority of our time in the chapel in silence. This was not the case. After morning prayer, we would begin our daily activities of listening to each other talk and later comparing it to how we can better our relationship with Christ. Each talk gave a new insight into living my faith, not just in the way of others, but in the way of our Delbarton brothers. Each talk presented a new thought on relationships between the individual and Christ and the ways we can go about deepening this connection.

Kairos presented me with the opportunity to get away from the stress of school, and simply take a weekend for myself and Christ. I now understand why so many students consider it the “pinnacle of the Delbarton experience.” Delbarton is a very special place, and accordingly, so is Kairos. However, in the end, I can only tell you so much of what I experienced at Kairos. I can only request that each student sees for himself what God has in store for them. Kairos is not just a weekend experience; it is a lifetime experience. Members of the Kairos Retreat, treat every day as their “fourth day” of the retreat and continue what they learned and gained from the weekend. Kairos is an amazing experience and opportunity, and that is why I implore all future Juniors and Seniors to experience the joy I felt for that short weekend.