LINCOLN – A trip to the Holy Land in the summer of 2018 fulfilled a lifelong dream for Mr. Matthew Sestak, fifth-grade teacher at St. Patrick School in Lincoln.
After receiving a “Picture Bible” as a child, Sestak dreamed of one day traveling to the Holy Land to visit the many places of which he had read.
Sestak was able to tour the Holy Land with the Community of the Beatitudes, led by Father Anthony of the Beatitudes. He spent a month touring the holy sites of Israel, connecting various Scripture verses to the actual places where they occurred. On this tour, Sestak befriended a man named Shmuel and his family who live in Jerusalem. Sestak was fascinated with how Shmuel and his family strive to make connections with Muslims and Christians living in Israel, and go to great lengths to bridge all cultures living in the Holy Land together.
Thanks to the friendship, Sestak was able to arrange a virtual field trip for his students to ‘Zoom’ to Jerusalem and join Schmuel and his family in their nightly lighting of the Hanukkah candles.
“This experience helped students understand our Jewish roots as Roman Catholics and connecting with people following a different faith,” Sestak said. “My hope is for them to find a personal interest in these connections and to build cultural respect.”
Students witnessed the blessing of the candles in Hebrew, performed by Shmuel, and had the opportunity to question Shmuel regarding his faith and his experience living in Jerusalem.
“Amazing,” declared fifth-grade student Iris. “It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Hearing his family speak Hebrew was so interesting. I have never heard anyone speak that language before,” said fifth-grader Ella.
This is not the first time Sestak’s trip has brought a deeper meaning to his teaching.
Each year, Sestak prepares students for the sacrament of Confirmation. He often links his experiences, such as celebrating Pentecost in the Holy Land, to his teaching.
“Taking these experiences, I can show students how the importance of the Word of God – the Bible – and the gift of the Holy Spirit shapes us into the man or woman God desires us to be,” Sestak explained. “This pilgrimage was the Holy Spirit’s way of forming and preparing me to be the Confirmation teacher that the students at St. Patrick’s Catholic School deserve.”
