St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville,

Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday

From Fr. Mike Gabriel

This weekend, on Palm Sunday—and again on Good Friday—we read the Passion of the Lord. On Holy Thursday, we recall that bittersweet final meal Jesus shared with His disciples. And at the Easter Vigil, we experience the darkness of sin and death shattered by the radiant light of Christ.

We call this the Paschal Mystery.

It is Paschal because it centers on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—His glorious passage from death to life. And it is Mystery because it reveals a truth deeper than we can ever fully comprehend, a truth sustained by the boundless love of a saving and redeeming God.

The Paschal Mystery is the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. It invites us to reflect on the profound question: Why did Christ have to die for our sins? That very question is part of the mystery.

The Paschal Mystery encompasses the series of events that marked the culmination of Jesus’ life and ministry. These are events we are called to experience deeply, even if we cannot completely understand them. At its heart, the Paschal Mystery is about the power of God’s love reaching into the depths of death—death on a cross—and transforming it into life: life for Christ, and life for the world.

But what does this Mystery have to do with us? How does an event that happened over 2,000 years ago impact our lives today—right here, right now—and into eternity? How does that first Easter morning make a difference as we rise each day to face the lives we've been given? How does this Mystery give hope, direction, and meaning to what we do, every single day?

That is the power of the Paschal Mystery.

It touches our lives because the same love of the Father that raised Christ from the dead is offered to us. It reminds us that when we are broken—by failure, by loss, even by death—that same divine love can transform us too.

The Paschal Mystery is the story of God’s love bringing good out of evil, hope out of despair, and life out of death.

That is what we celebrate this Holy Week. The Paschal Mystery. Come and join us!

A Note About Gun Violence

Voices were raised last week—and again yesterday—all across our nation.

These were not the voices of pundits or politicians. They were the voices of our children, daring once more to speak truth to power. Their question, heartbreaking in its clarity, cannot be ignored:

“Why are you letting them kill us in our schools?”

In the face of yet another school shooting, the usual ritualistic response was once again trotted out. But this time, it was met with growing impatience and righteous anger. One protest sign captured the sentiment perfectly: “Thoughts and prayers don’t stop bullets.”

As politicians pander and the NRA continues to block even the most basic conversations about reform, the cycle continues—and children keep dying.

Beneath all of this lies a belief—rarely spoken aloud, yet woven deep into our culture. It’s the same belief echoed in old Westerns, when the hero, gun still smoking, would mutter, “Some people just need killing.”

That belief is still with us.

One person decided that the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida “just needed killing.” And now, in response, the state seeks the death penalty for him—because, it seems, he “just needs killing.”

We fight wars around the world, justifying violence because some people, we say, “just need killing.”

The inconvenient, the unwanted, even the unborn—terminated, because some believe they “just need killing.”

The list goes on.

Last week, thousands of students walked out of their schools in protest. Thousands more joined them the other day. But 17 students from Parkland could not walk out. They could not raise their voices.

It seems they “just needed killing.”

~ Fr. Mike

Friday, April 11: Two Stations of the Cross and Lenten Season Mediation Series: Music, Stillness, Solidarity

On 3:00 pm on Friday, April 11, we will offer a traditional Way of the Cross at 3:00 pm.

From 6:00-6:30 pm, “Music, Stillness, Solidarity” will be held, serving as a safe space where ALL are welcome to come, sit, pray, and meditate as we navigate these realities as a community. Contemplative music will be played through the duration of the time to help guide and promote reflection on the day. 

Another Stations of the Cross is planned at 6:30 pm with a social justice theme.

Guadalupanos Rosary Group (Grupo del Rosario de Guadalupanos) on Friday Evenings

All are welcome to attend the weekly Rosary group held on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm.

The bilingual gathering is held in the dining room of the Ministry Center, located at 6214 North Glenwood Avenue.

Palm Sunday Masses

We will have simple blessings and a procession at both 5:00 pm and 8:00 am services, beginning at the back of the church.

At the 10:30 am combined Mass in church (there is no Gym mass) , we will try something a little different to enhance the solemnity of the entrance. Everyone will gather inside the church for the blessing of the palms and the reading of the First Gospel. Afterward, the procession will begin, with palms being handed out as you exit the doors by the choir, and then re-entering from the front of the church.

Another Brewed at St. Gertrude's Parish Social Event Planned for This Sunday, Palm Sunday, April 13

Please join us next Sunday, April 13 for a parish hospitality event, "Brewed at St. Gertrude!"

Following the 10:30 am church and gym masses, come to the Social Hall for pastries, coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.

All are welcome: new and long-time parishioners, families, and visitors! We would love for the entire parish to be there!  

Almoners Lenten Ministry - Second Collections/Last Card Distribution on Sunday

Each weekend during Lent, we have a weekly second collection for the Almoner’s Program. The funds raised are used to purchase $10.00 McDonald gift cards which parishioners can pick up at the weekend Masses and share with those in need.

Last weekend we collected $1,275.00! Thank you for your generosity! 

Sacrament of Reconciliation Opportunity on Monday, April 14 at St. Ita

There is a communal reconciliation service for all the parishes in our deanery (Deanery 2B) on Monday, April 14 (the Monday of Holy Week) at 7:00 pm at the St. Ita campus of Mother of God Parish, located at ​5500 N. Broadway.

Priests will be available to hear confessions in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and French. 

Lenten Simple Supper & Scripture Study Planned for Wednesday, April 16 

All are welcome to join us this Wednesday, April 16 for a Simple Supper offered in the Ministry Center at 6:00 pm for dinner, followed by a bible study at 7:00 pm.

The Porch Prayer group will lead it.

Thank you to those who joined us at previous gatherings!

Holy Thursday Info 

On Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm, we commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ when we do what Jesus instructed us to do in memory of him by celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist. This also reminds us of our commitment to serve God and one another. 

There will be a special collection for the Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society. The group works in solidarity with people in America's poorest regions to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities by providing resources to develop leaders, ministries, and facilities, while inviting more people across our country to invest in this work.

Catholic Extension Society is a papal society that is answering Pope Francis' call to go out to America's "peripheries." Since their founding in 1905, they have helped with the construction and repair of over 13,000 churches, and today, through the generosity of donors and parish partners, they support the ministries and leaders in 87 dioceses of the United States and its territories. 

Information about the organization can be found here.

Please note, there is no 7:30 am mass. 

Good Friday Information

The sacrifice of Good Friday is filled with prayer, from Jesus in the Garden to his final words on the Cross.

Good Friday is also a day of fasting and abstinence for people aged 18-59.  

At 3:00 pm, the parish youth group will perform Living Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm.  

This is a powerful and prayerful experience, and we encourage all parishioners to consider attending and witnessing scenes of what our Lord endured before He gave His life for us on the cross. 

At the Good Friday service, we will have a special collection for the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, which helps Christians in the Holy Land. Your support helps the church minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools, and offer religious education. The Pontifical Good Friday Collection also helps to preserve sacred shrines. More information can be found here.

Please note, there is no 7:30 am mass. The Rectory office is also closed until Tuesday, April 22.

Holy Saturday Information

Holy Saturday is the day of the hidden mystery of divine action. The disciples were convinced that all their hopes had ended in disaster. This day reminds us that our best guess about the future is only that; God has plans and powers beyond anything we can imagine.

At 11:00 am on Holy Saturday, will have a Blessing of the Easter Baskets.

At 7:00 pm, we will celebrate the Easter Vigil, the turning point of the Triduum, the Passover of the new covenant, which marks Christ’s passage from death to life. Our parish's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) group will also become full members of the Catholic Church.



There is no 7:30 am mass.

Easter Sunday Info

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.

We will have mass at in church at 8:00 am and 10:30 am, and in the Gym at 10:30 am.

Easter Monday, April 21

On Easter Monday, the Rectory office will be closed.

We will reopen on Tuesday, April 22.

Easter Flower Offering Envelopes

We are offering an opportunity to celebrate someone in your life, living or deceased, during the Easter season. Please consider making an Easter Flower offering in their name.

Envelopes are available in the back of the Church and may be placed in the collection basket or sent to Rectory. The names of those honored will be published in the bulletin during the Easter season.

Teens are Invited to Register for St. Gertrude’s Youth Mission Experience 

Parish teens are invited to take part in St. Gertrude's Youth Mission experience this summer from June 23-27. Teens in seventh grade through high school will volunteer with a different Chicagoland organization each day.

This is an excellent opportunity to have fun and earn volunteer hours! There is a $100 fee for the week. A $50 deposit is required at the time of registration. Please note that there are scholarships available! All participants will receive a t-shirt, water bottle, and a sports drawstring backpack.

To reserve a spot or for more information, contact pastoral associate Eloy Escamilla at eescamilla@stgertrudechicago.org. 

Please Keep our RCIA Class in Your Prayers!

At the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 19, our parish's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) group will become full members of the Catholic Church. We ask that you keep them in your prayers as they prepare to celebrate the Easter Sacraments.

Members (pictured above in alphabetical order) include Gabriela Adame, Cynthia Arnold, Jorge Garcia, Linda Greande, Olivia Flores, Glen Huisman, Dani Mendez, and Anne-Maria St. Germaine.

Please consider attending and providing an atmosphere of love and support! 

The Parish Pastoral Council is Looking for New Members!

The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is renewing its search for new members. If you are interested in learning more about the PPC or are interested in joining, please complete this INTEREST FORM. 

Questions or comments for the PPC can be sent to stgertrudeparishcouncil@gmail.com.

Growing in Faith

In the chaos of the everyday world, it’s easy for the gospel to become submerged. But, in Holy Week we are engulfed by the Passion especially in those three days of the Triduum. We become part of the story.

In Palm Sunday readings, we become the crowd. We get to find out what it feels like to yell, “Crucify him!” – actively calling for suffering – just a step beyond averting our gaze from the suffering of others. But we also become the disciples in the garden with Jesus, struggling – and .sometimes succeeding – at staying awake with him despite our exhaustion. We become Simon of Cyrene and feel the weight as we take up the cross in aid of a stranger. We become the women at the foot of the cross, resisting the temptation to look away. In Holy week, we see these ordinary actions transformed into sacramental ones. None of these acts were “enough” All of them made a difference.

What I am glimpsing as I look ahead at the prospect of being engulfed into Holy Week….is finding it to be a container into which I place my passion, struggle, witness at the sin of our world. As we become them this week - they become us in the chaotic everyday world. We know this passion week story so well. We have ingested it. We have become part of it; it has become part of us. This communion holds us upright in an overwhelming time. We are not alone in any of the small acts we take to make a difference in the world.

~ Madeleine Philbin 

Reflections on Via Francigena Pilgrimage 2025

As I begin to process my Via Francigena experience, my overriding emotion is that of immense gratitude. The opportunity to immerse myself in the vast swaths of verdant green pastures of the Italian countryside, and to be able to turn down (and, more importantly, turn off) the noise of my busy life for four glorious days, is a gift for which I will always be grateful. Although I brought a lot of music to listen to, I actually only listened to music once. I preferred to listen to the “natural music” of spring awakening in the forests with the running streams and waterfalls, the rustling of wildlife in the bushes, birds singing and chirping and the woodpecker at work building a new home. This was music that was nurturing my soul. It was the perfect environment to really pray for the important things in life and push the “reset” button. I got to experience firsthand the phrase, “pilgrims pray with their feet.” Each step I took was a step closer to my goal to walk into Rome and soak up the wonders and treasures of the Eternal City. And when my feet were tired after a particularly grueling hill, I reminded myself of the thousands of pilgrims who walked this same path for millennia, and prayed to them for renewed strength. 

Of course, it goes without saying the food in Italy was so savory and mouth wateringly delicious. I never had a bad meal. And every day there was a never-ending array of homemade bread and freshly baked pastries that I happily indulged in. Beyond the food, though, my pilgrim companions on this journey could not have been better group to make this walk. Our days were filled with laughter, prayer, and respect for one another. I am deeply grateful to my fellow pilgrims for making this such a unique and pleasant experience. And lastly, I very grateful to Fr. Mike for putting this whole trip together, and taking care of all the minutiae that goes into planning a trip of this sort for eight people.

Lastly, I have to comment on the actual experience of Rome and seeing St. Peter’s Church for the first time. There was a special line for all pilgrims to walk with their group and carry a cross into St. Peters. Carrying the cross and singing the Litany of Saints and various hymns and psalms with my fellow pilgrims and Christian brethren, is something I will never forget. The cross was not light and I immediately thought of the difficulty Christ had while carrying his much larger and heavier cross after being beaten and bullied. The beauty and magnitude of St. Peter’s is unparalleled. Everything was constructed on such a grand scale and it was inspiring to see the very best effort of world-renowned artists creating such beauty as a testimony to their faith. 

So, if you have a chance in your lifetime to make a pilgrimage, go for it! You won’t regret it.

~ Mary Clare Barker

New Parishioners

• Georgia & Ralph Pabst

Rest in Peace

• Bill Washburn 

Ministers of the Word

• Saturday, April 12 at 5:00 pm - Milie Slane, Joseph McMahon, Celebrant Priest, Patrick Reardon, Roman Reyes, Christine Lincoln Crowd
• Sunday, April 13 at 8:00 am - Jay Cook, Kathryn Stimac, Celebrant Priest, Rob Sierzega, Mary Clare Barker, Hallie Burhoe
• Sunday, April 13 at 10:30 am - Bob Backis, Anthony Myers, Celebrant Priest, Rose Karasti, Eric Ameyaw, Anthony Myers

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, April 14: 7:30 am - James Nolan+
• Tuesday, April 15: 7:30 am - Nancy Quinn+
• Wednesday, April 16: 7:30 am - Bill Washburn+
• Holy Thursday, April 17: 7:00 pm - Mass of the Last Supper
• Good Friday, April 18: 7:00 pm - Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and Veneration of the Cross
• Holy Saturday, April 19: 7:00 pm - Easter Vigil
• Easter Sunday, April 20: 8:00 am - People of God; 10:30 am - Michael Jeffers+; 10:30 am Gym - Estelle Guardino+

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, please contact the Rectory at 773.764.3621 or email stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org. Names will remain on the list for three weeks. After that time, please renew the name using same contact information.