On October 22-25, some of the gentlemen of the Saint Louis School class of 2020 went on the first Kairos retreat of the year and 47th retreat since its beginning in the early 2000’s. This is the last and arguably the most moving retreat of any throughout high school. The sophomore and junior retreats led to this big four day and three night retreat. Teachers and students both participated in the activities that were meant to bring us closer to each other and to God. There were two groups led by seniors Brennan Cabral and KJ Soong.

I had the privilege of attending this retreat as well. There were so many things that I learned about my brothers and teachers. It surely created a bond between us like no other. The one lesson that I learned from this retreat is to never judge someone until you hear their story and know where they’re coming from. This retreat stressed confidentiality which means that what’s said at that retreat stays within the group. This allowed many people to share things that they’ve never shared before in order to get the burden off their shoulders.

The retreat seemed serious and intense at times, but there were also times of looseness and calmness. The food at the retreat center was great, and everyone ate well. On top of that, in between meals, there were snacks that were brought by the retreatants for everyone to enjoy. To get rid of all our charged up energy, we had two hours of recreation time each day. This meant the boys got to go to the basketball court for two hours and show-off their competitiveness. Lastly, everyone was nervous, but humorous that paranormal activity lurked in the dorm rooms, so no one dared to sleep in their own rooms at night. Eventually everyone made it out alive safely.

Kairos, for many, was a life-changing experience. Many things were said in a comfortable and confidential environment, and a bond like no other was made between the teachers and the retreatants. To any Saint Louis Student, this experience will change your life for the better, and give you friends for life.