Northwest Catholic Religion Teacher Tours Holy Land


WEST HARTFORD, CT — Kristina Gillespie has been teaching Religion and Spanish at Northwest Catholic in West Hartford for 30 years, and although every year is unique, this year marked a most historic occasion for the veteran teacher.

For the first time, Gillespie, already a seasoned traveler, journeyed to Israel, gathering information and experiences to bring back to her students at Northwest Catholic. In fact, in real time, Gillespie catalogued her spiritual adventure through one of the school’s Instagram accounts, speaking directly to her students about her emotional response to walking where Jesus walked.

During the fourteen-day tour, led by Biblical scholar and teacher Jeff Cavins, Gillespie and her mother traveled in a circle around Israel and Palestine, from Tel Aviv, north to Galilee, to Jerusalem, and back to Tel Aviv, stopping at influential and celebrated spots such as The Mount of Beatitudes, Nazareth, Bethlehem, the holy sites in Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea.

Among the most inspiring experiences were leading the Rosary at the Church of the Annunciation, witnessing a storm on the Sea of Galilee, touching Calvary, and standing next to Jesus' tomb. Throughout the pilgrimage there were daily teachings and Mass, and it was a powerful experience to hear the Gospel accounts read in Mass in the places where the events occurred, as well as to apply the Scriptures in an immediate way to living as a disciple.

Gillespie had this say to say about her tour: “I knew that going to the Holy Land was going to be an interesting experience, and that I would learn a great deal. That did happen. What I was not expecting was the profound effect the experience had on my understanding of the Scriptures on a spiritual level and the deepening of my faith.” Gillespie continued, “I could not wait to come back to school and not just teach from an intellectual perspective, but from a place of much deeper and intimate understanding.”

Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford is a diverse, Catholic, co-ed, college preparatory community, educating the whole person — mind, body, spirit, and imagination since 1961. Learn more at northwestcatholic.org.