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Holy Cross High School has always encouraged students to engage in self-reflection through First Friday Masses, class retreats, and morning prayer services. However, these moments were often brief, leaving little time for deep introspection. That changed with the introduction of the 48-hour Kairos Retreat.

This immersive experience, held on March 28-30, provided students with the opportunity to step away from their daily routines, reflect on their personal journeys, and strengthen their bonds with classmates. Staying at the school for the entire weekend, participants engaged in meaningful discussions, spiritual growth, and a deeper understanding of themselves and their faith.

According to their official website, Kairos is the regional youth program of The Sword of the Spirit, an international, ecumenical association of Christian communities. These communities are groups of church-going families and singles striving to live as disciples on mission. Kairos North America serves The Sword of the Spirit communities across North America.

Kyle Piatak, Director of Campus Ministry, had envisioned bringing this retreat to Holy Cross before the COVID pandemic. However, it wasn’t until the arrival of Theology teacher Stephanie Durbin in 2023 that the idea was reignited. Ms. Durbin, formerly a campus minister at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., had extensive experience with the retreat, as the school conducted it five times a year. Having worked there for three years, she brought valuable insight and enthusiasm to make the retreat a reality at Holy Cross.

“Our participants had a chance to think about the relationships in their lives,” said Ms. Durbin, “Their relationship with God, their family, friends, and with themselves.”

Faculty members and students participated in the Kairos retreat. The adult leaders shared their personal life stories on a variety of topics, ranging from leadership to piety. Following these discussions, the students broke up into smaller groups to engage in discussions about the subject presented.

“We had wonderful adult leaders and senior leaders,” said Mr. Piatak, “The Kairos model doesn’t distinguish between adults and kids. They are all equal.”

Adrian Acosta ’25  was the student leader of the weekend and was referred to lovingly as the doorkeeper. This was a reference to St. Andre Bessette who was known as the Doorkeeper of Grace. Adrian, with the assistance of Shania Howard ’25, developed the schedule for the weekend.

“(Working on this retreat) showed me how much time and effort goes into organizing an event like this,” said Adrian. “It was a really fun experience. I had fun learning how to do it.”

“I didn’t realize how good my organization skills were until I worked on this,” added Shania.

Faculty member and Kairos adult leader, Kevin Zupkus ’78 has fond memories of participating in a retreat similar to this when he was a student at Holy Cross. “Back then, they were run by the Brothers of Holy Cross. “I left the retreat knowing how to love myself. In return, that gave me the ability to love others. It changed my life.”

The whole community came together to support the Kairos retreat—teachers and staff prepared meals, others took on night duty and some designed a logo and poster for the event. Everyone played a role in making it a success. It was especially meaningful for the students to know that the entire community was caring for them. The leaders expressed how much they appreciated hosting the event at Holy Cross. People stepped up in every way, making the experience more meaningful. Both Mr. Piatak and Ms. Durbin agreed that adult and student participation exceeded their expectations.

Several students, including Gio Velez ’26, Antonella Livolsi ’26, and Will Barnes ’26, initially had doubts about what they were walking into on Friday night. By Sunday, they were truly enlightened.

“I had never been on an overnight retreat before this,” said Antonella. “When I came in, I was myself. When we finished on Sunday, my soul felt replenished. You are able to speak with clarity and not hold anything in without being judged.”

“As we got into it, it got very personal to me,” said Will. “I learned that it is good to talk about your feelings with others. I talked a lot about my family. We also had the opportunity to go to confession during the retreat (with Fr. Jim Sullivan).  Going to confession made me feel better as a person. It’s like the weights on my shoulders were lifted.”

For Gio, this experience will be something that he will remember for a very long time. “Everyone was able to be vulnerable with each other. I learned that when you have God in the center of your life, there are endless possibilities.”