Kairos is a peer-led, Catholic retreat centered around "finding God in all things." Based on Ignatian Spirituality, the retreat focuses on loving Christ and others in a more fulfilling way by helping you to discover your personal spirituality: how God communicates directly with you. This is a special time to help you examine the ways God speaks to you through your relationships, experiences, joys, disappointments, desires, and so forth. It is a time of discerning and discovery.
The retreat ends on Monday...I can't miss class!
We leave Manhattan at around 5:30 PM that Friday, so you won't miss class then. NYU is off on Presidents' Day, so you won't miss class then, either.
I've been on other retreats before. Aren't they all the same?
Most retreats are very similar, but Kairos stands out in a unique way. While most retreats tend to concentrate on discussing what you believe, Kairos is designed to help you experience what you believe and why you believe it. This is a very special, memorable time that has impacted many of its retreatants.
I'm a little hesitant to go on this thing. I'm not really a "model Catholic," and I'm afraid I'll feel out of place. On top of that, I am afraid people are going to discredit my viewpoint and force their beliefs on me. Is there any truth in these feelings?
Kairos, with its leaders and retreatants, accepts everyone wherever they are on their journey. Everyone is an ideal reatreatant. If you are feeling close or distant from God, on fire or apathetic with your faith, connected or lonely, happy or down, that is where you are. We want the real you, not some idea of the "ideal" you. And while you will be challenged on Kairos to deepen your relationship with Christ and live His message of Love, you will be welcomed as you are.
I am looking for a deeper experience in my faith. Will Kairos provide it?
Yes, God-willing, of course! Although each person is different, most Kairos veterans have found the retreat to be an inspirational time in which they have deepened their relationship with God and others. What's more, the results usually have not faded when the "God-high" is over. Retreatants have gotten concrete gifts from the program that they can carry with them forever. For past retreatant comments, please click on the link to the left of this FAQ.
I am not an active member of the Catholic Center at NYU. I won't know anyone; won't I feel like an outsider?
Last year more than half of the retreatants were not members of any Catholic club here on campus. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to relate to everyone, and maybe even build some meaningful friendships.
Is this retreat going to be hardcore?
If by hardcore you mean that you're woken up at 2:00am and made to sing Gregorian chants, then no. On the other hand, the retreat is by no means corny, "Sunday-school" theology. Kairos is a time for an honest, real experience.
Can I bring homework?
This is a time to focus on God, others, and self. For this reason, plus the fact that there is no time to do it, we ask that you complete all assignments before the retreat. Please check your syllabi at the beginning of next semester to plan ahead for tests, projects, and papers. This is a sacrifice, we know, but it is not impossible. Everyone is in the same boat, and yet people have made it work before. You can make it work as well.
I think I want to go on this, but I am not sure. How can I trust that this Kairos retreat is worth my time?
It's a leap of faith, we know. Please spend some time in prayer before making your decision. If you are still unsure, perhaps reflecting on the page with past retreatant comments might clear certain things up. (There is a link to that page to the left of this page, right under the application.) And, of course, feel free to ask any leader or Kairos veteran about his/her experience.
We'd love to have you join us! If you have any questions, please E-mail us at Kairos.NYU@gmail.com
We hope that you accept our invitation.
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