Time stood still for a weekend as students temporarily forgot their worldly concerns and learned more about themselves at Kairos.

A group of 27 juniors and seniors went to Cedar Hills Conference Center in Painesville to participate in a retreat Dec. 10-12. Campus minister Scott Kopp and five other faculty members, along with a team of eight of the seniors who have previously attended Kairos, led the retreat.

"I've been to Cedar Hills for other retreats," Kopp said. "The woods are beautiful, and it gives everyone fresh air and exercise."

Kairos means "God's time" in Greek. The focus of the retreat was living with God in the present. Students were instructed to let go of their everyday worries and concerns and reflect on the here and now.

"The goal of the retreat is to come back into life with a daily relationship with God," Kopp said.

Senior Scott Eastbourn helped lead the retreat.

"I wanted the new people to experience the same thing I did on my first Kairos," he said.

The students were divided into groups and had many discussions within the group throughout the weekend. This was senior Anthony Miller's favorite part.

"It was good to share things that I normally would have kept to myself," he said.

Kairos gave students the opportunity to reflect on their lives and meet new people.

"I got to know several people I have talked to before but didn't know very well," Miller said.

Senior Andrea Rizzo, a team member, said her group, named B.O.B., got along well.

"B.O.B. was a great group," she said. "By the end of the weekend, we were a family."

To keep this close friendship alive, the members of B.O.B. now meet in front of the central office every Monday and Friday after third period to regroup, pray for each other and perform a cheer.

Rizzo thinks the retreat was a success.

"People opened up and learned a different side of themselves," she said.

Kopp attributes the success of Kairos to its subtlety and simplicity.

"Kairos is not a big flashy retreat," he said. "Everything we do at Kairos can be done in our everyday lives. It's relaxing, but we get through so many topics. It's just us."

"I hope everyone has the opportunity to go to Kairos," Rizzo said. "It's a great experience."