Last week, a group of Royal seniors got to experience one of Rosary’s most beloved retreats, Kairos. The girls spent four days at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California.

Kairos is known for being an extremely spiritual and moving retreat; what makes Kairos so special is that most of the traditions are secretive. When seniors arrive at Kairos, no one really knows what the days ahead will involve.

With this being said, the seniors that went on Kairos cannot explain what activities they did or what their favorite parts of the retreat were. Instead, I asked the Royals how they felt about Kairos, if it impacted them, and if they suggest going on the retreat.

Kate Curry ’22 explained, “I loved Kairos. I feel like the retreat was scheduled for the perfect week. It came right at a time when I needed it most, and I am very grateful for that.”

Another senior at Rosary Grace Markos ’22 stated, “Kairos impacted my life immediately. Since I got home last week, I have already seen improvement in my faith. Out of all of the retreats I have attended at Rosary, this has by far been my favorite.”

One part of Kairos that can be shared is the end of retreat photo shoot. As you can see, lots of photos are taken on the last day of Kairos. Erika Kuehl ’22 shared, “One of my favorite parts of Kairos was taking pictures with my small group. We had so much fun posing with each other and even making human pyramids.”

Kairos would not be the same without senior student leaders. For this Kairos, the leaders were Mary Marshall ’22, Brooke Medina ’22, Hannah Palos ’22, Elena Navarro ’22, and Alicia Dofelmier ’22. These five girls attended last year’s spring Kairos, which allowed them to lead this fall Kairos. Navarro said, “I enjoyed attending Kairos as a leader because it was so different than going my first time. Seeing my group grow together and bond was so special, and I was so glad I was able to help.”

 

Palos stated, “If you are debating going on winter Kairos, please go. It is such a great experience to help both your relationship with God and with other Rosary girls. Kairos is truly an experience that can not be explained; it is incredible.”