By Colin Condon ‘20

Three days, no connection to the outside world, and those three days must be kept secret.

Year after year, Brother Rice sends different groups of upperclassmen to endure a three-day “life-changing retreat,” called Kairos.

Every student is encouraged to go on Kairos by most of the Brother Rice faculty and peers because of its “lifelong effects.”

For those that go on Kairos, they seem to really enjoy the retreat. But for those that do not, they seem to not see the point of missing three days of class, talking about their feelings, and strengthening their already strong relationship with the lord.

“Kairos enabled me to learn more about myself and make new friends. At the same time, I grew closer to Christ,” said senior Bill O’Connell.

For someone that has a strong relationship with God and a lot of friends, going on Kairos just seems like a chance to miss school for three days, while at the same time, losing $300.

Not only are upperclassmen engulfed with schoolwork, missing three days for a retreat will only put a student deeper in the hole. Also, a Kairos member must remain quiet about their Kairos experience.

James Littleton, member of K148 and K150, said, “Missing school for Kairos was an easy decision. I knew older people that went on a previous Kairos, and immediately I wanted to gain a group of brothers the way that they did.”

“Remaining silent about our experience makes the brotherhood that we formed even stronger,” said Littleton.

For those that do not plan on going on Kairos, they have strong opinions about it. Senior Grant Gierhahn said, “I feel like God and i have a pretty solid relationship as it is. I do not need to pay $300 and miss days of school to strengthen our relationship.”

“Also, I have a great group of friends that I would already call brothers. I don’t need three days of soft talk to earn new brothers,” continued Gierhahn.

The brotherhood formed in the halls is obviously a big reason why many students are proud to call themselves a Crusader. Senior Kevin Phelan said that he felt a need to grow closer to the people that have shared the same “home” that he has for the past four years.

Phelan said, “Kairos helps get rid of the daily distractions of school and allows you to focus on the people around you. Growing closer with your classmates and friends is what makes Brother Rice have such an awesome brotherhood.”

Being a Crusader means a lot to the students that roam the halls. To some upperclassman, being a Kaironian is a greater honor.

The viewpoints are split at Brother Rice. Many students really value Kairos and many other students do not. Regardless of their viewpoints, there is no denying the brotherhood formed at Brother Rice, whether it is built through Kairos or through other activities.