“You may graduate from Marquette Catholic High School, but you will always be Blazers and so much of that identity is formed through experiences like (this),” vice principal Katie Collignon remarked Friday afternoon inside St. Mary’s Church as three dozen students returned from the school’s annual Kairos retreat.
Held each fall at an off-campus location, Kairos represents Marquette’s most-anticipated spiritual event of the school year. A multi-day spiritual awakening activity, Kairos exists to help students contemplate their relationship with God, discover their own identity, and build stronger bonds with their peers. This year’s retreat was hosted at Connect Christian Camp & Retreat Center in Crown Point.
“They spent much time in conversation, prayer, sharing of ideas, beliefs, hope, and planning for the future. We dance, sing, laugh, cry, and really develop some new perspectives on life,” Kairos organizer and Marquette campus ministry liaison Anthony Holt said.
“Kairos” is an ancient Greek word meaning the supreme moment. The Greeks had two words for time: chronos and Kairos. While chronos refers to chronological or sequential time, Kairos signifies a time-lapse, a moment of indeterminate time in which everything happens.
With such gravity placed upon time, participants leave iPads, smartphones, and other attention-zapping devices behind before boarding the bus. This non-negotiable policy fosters a more authentic, unfettered environment for connecting. In such a digital and tech-centric time, unplugging for a brief period can yield both spiritual and mental benefits.
“We encourage you to put the lessons learned into action. Put your phone down and have a conversation with a classmate or family member. Reconnect with an old friend. Open your hearts to someone new.” Collignon concluded.
Marquette wishes to thank those who sponsored students for this year’s Kairos retreat.
