Since 2000, Servite has offered the dynamic Kairos retreat program to juniors and seniors. Kairos is a Greek word that essentially means “God’s time,” time as God experiences it, and that’s the point of the retreat: to get participants out of the rat race of distractions and experiencing peace in the peace of time spent with God. In the Almighty’s providence and sense of humor, the 60th Kairos retreat coincides this year with the 60th anniversary of Servite; we are all on “God’s time,” after all.
The Catholic Church experienced a period of spiritual renewal, as with many other Christian churches, in the twentieth century and the re-committing of herself to an openness to the movements of the Holy Spirit. In the wake of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, new lay communities formed, as well as a rise in vibrant initiatives, ministries, and discipleship methods. Out of Spain came the Cursillo retreat model which spread rapidly and has multiplied through varied models, including the form we at Servite know and love today: Kairos.
