Year One Information
Spiritual Formation--Drawing Near to God
At Kairos, we envision people transformed by God's love into the mind and heart of Christ for their sake and for the sake of the world. In our Year One program, we provide the time and space for prayerful reflection, silence, solitude, and attention to God's transformative presence.
Individual Commitments
- Read assigned texts for each monthly retreat.
- Attend all monthly retreats.
- Be open to sharing your own spiritual journey with others in a small group setting.
- Engage the spiritual disciplines: i.e., praying the Scriptures, solitude, formative reading, silence, prayer, and meditation.
- Be prayerful for team leaders, participants, and Jesuit Center staff and residents.
Class Facilitators
Barry Young has been a spiritual director since 1982. He was a Kairos faculty member from 1992 to 1999 and re-joined Kairos in 2006. He received his training at Shalem Institute, the Jesuit Center in Wernersville and received his Masters degree in Holistic Spirituality and Spiritual Direction from Chestnut Hill College in 1995. He was adjunct faculty at Chestnut Hill College for 16 years and is currently on the Spiritual Direction Supervisory Team. He lives in Bethlehem with his wife Louise. Barry and Louise have four married children and ten grandchildren. Barry is a member of the Religious Society of Friends.
Ellie Stratton has a heart for companioning seekers on the spiritual journey and in the life of prayer. She is an ordained Presbyterian minister in the Presbytery of Philadelphia where she served five congregations in various capacities. Since 1999 her specialized ministry is spiritual direction at the Middleton Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Certificate in training as a spiritual director from Chestnut Hill College. She is married to Bill Westhafer and they have two adult sons. A lover of nature, the Adirondack mountains of New York and the Delaware seashore are favorite places Ellie likes to hike, walk and swim.
Location
All sessions are held at the quiet and beautiful campus of the Jesuit Spiritual Center, North Church Road, Wernersville, Pa. There are classrooms, chapels, and 260 acres of rolling hills and woods for strolling and solitude. Students have private rooms with shared baths. All meals are served buffet style, with the option for eating in silence.
Cost
The cost is based on eight full weekends and one Saturday session. See Year One application for details. Please note that we will not be able to offer a refund for any missed weekend, nor will the weekend be transferable to another person.
Scholarships / Grants
A limited number of scholarships are available. We do not want the cost of this program to discourage anyone who is drawn to apply. Please contact the Director for scholarship information. Scholarship applications are by July 15 the year the students attend.